Pasta, Pistachios, Beer and Wine

 

Pasta, Pistachios, Beer and Wine

A Trip Through Southern Italy and Sicily, Poland, Germany, and Belgium

(Part of our Continuing “The Trip that Never Ends)

 In a few days we will embark on another adventure to places both new and old.  The continuation of our “Trip that Never Ends” starts in Naples, Italy where we will visit the Amalfi coast and enjoy some fabulous Italian cooking.  We will spend 3 days in Naples before journeying on to the Puglia region in the southern part of Italy for an 8 day pre-tour before joining our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT -- or as Caitlyn and Brooklyn called it – Old People Able to Travel and/or the Barley Tour) Tour of the island of Sicily and all the wonders it holds.  After Sicily we will visit Munich for Octoberfest, and then on to a much-delayed visit to Poland.  From Poland we will fly to Basel (via Zurich) Switzerland for the beginning of our Rhine and Mosel River Cruise.  We have taken this cruise before, but it is so beautiful that we decided to do it again.  It is a very relaxing way to enjoy the many beautiful and quaint towns of Germany and the wonderful wines Germany produces.  When we finish in Antwerp, Belgium we will spend a few days exploring Ghent before finally flying home to Denver.  It will be a wonderful 2-month adventure – let the journey begin!

When I first started reading and thinking about Sicily, the words pasta, oil olive, wine, seafood, Greek and Roman ruins, Mt. Etna, and even the Mafia jumped into my mind.  And these are all aspects of Sicilian life and history that is so intriguing to Bill and I and I cannot wait to sample all things Sicilian, especially the pasta and wine.

But the one word that never entered my mind when thinking of Sicily was “Pistachios.”  Well to my amazement, the Sicilians refer to them as “Green Gold” and they are so important that they are protected by both the government and the police.  Pistachios are found in many of the foods enjoyed by Sicilians – pastries, ice cream, pizza, and pesto.  They are one of Sicily’s most popular flavors, and the pistachios from Sicily are like no other.  They are grown and hand-picked from the slopes of Mt. Etna and their flavor is unique – a bold savory and earthy flavor that comes from the fertile lava infused soil.  This soil is rich in minerals from the lava flows giving the soil a salty taste.  The pistachios grown here (known as Bronte pistachios) have a green color with a hint of purple.

Today there are only 230 farmers authorized to grow Bronte pistachios, which are hand-picked during late August and September. During the harvest season, police patrol the fields on foot and in the air to prevent stealing.  This area only produces 1% of the world’s pistachios, but they are among the most expensive in the world.  These pistachios carry the government label DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and to receive this designation the pistachios must be grown locally in a specific area by local farmers who use traditional farming methods, and then they must be inspected to ensure they are authentic.  So, when we are walking through some of the local markets in Sicily, I will be sure to try some of this “Green Gold.”

Now of course we will be enjoying our share of pasta on the Sicily tour.  Pasta is, of course, very popular throughout Italy.  Did you know that there are 350 shapes of pasta, many with variations in size, and that if you are going to be a pasta chef, there are 1500 names of pasta to learn. Below are some of the names and their meanings to describe what type of pasta it is: 

• ·       Spaghetti means little twine while Spaghettini means even littler twine
• ·       Fusilli lunghi are spindles you might use to make thread
• ·       Gemelli aren’t just twists; they’re Gemini-style twins
• ·       Rotelle are chariot-style wheels with big spokes
• ·       Manicotti are sleeves, muffs, and manacles
• ·       Linguini are little tongues to tempt the tongue
• ·       Orecchiette are adorable baby ears
• ·       Farfalle are butterflies that were never caterpillars
• ·       Vermicelli are squiggly little worms
• ·       Campanelle are little fluted bells that do not make a sound
• ·       Cavatappi are corkscrews to pair with wine, not open it
• ·       Cappelletti look like the alpine hats of the people eating them
• ·       Mafalda Reginette are little queens with frilly edges but firm spines
• ·       Pipe Regate are smoking pipes minus the tobacco
• ·       Fagottini are little tied bundles of goodness (you decide what kind)

As you can see, there is usually a little whimsy in these names and shapes, but one pasta has a dark, murderous story behind it.

• ·       Strozzapreti: priest strangler – This is a long, hand-rolled pasta that was stretched until it resembles twisted ropes, with a firm bite that holds up well in hearty dishes.  How it got its name though is another story.  As the legend goes, this pasta was named for the angry sentiments that the poor people had for the priests that controlled the purse strings.  One version of the story says that when the priests made the local women cook for them, the women took their anger out on the pasta by strangling it and not the priests.  Others say it was the husbands that were so mad at the priests that they wished the priests would die.  And another story says that the priests were such gluttonous eaters that they choked on the pasta.

Well, whatever the name or story behind it is, if it is pasta we are going to enjoy it!  And what better place to enjoy it is Italy and Sicily.  So join as now as we begin our trip around the southern part of Italy and the island of Sicily.  We will be delving into the history of this area, its unique and beautiful architecture, its olive oil and wine production, and its wonderfully delicious foods.  We will end our trip with a tour up to Mt. Etna, provided it is not erupting at the time.  So come along with us as we visit these wonderful, unique places.  Travel is a passion and increases our understanding of the many different cultures and traditions found on our Planet Earth.