Conference on "Red Radicchio Treviso: food products, tourism product ... "The cuisine of Friuli Preganziol, Villa Marcello Zon, January 9, 2010 Statement by Giampiero
Rorato
Over eighty years ago, in 1928, the Venetian nobleman Elio Zorzi published, for the types of Nicola Zanichelli, his masterful study of gastronomy and the Venetian Taverns, which tells the stories well, with lots of happy anecdotes, typical of the many inns and taverns citizens, including the historical and cultural pillars of Venetian cuisine. And twice, focuses on red chicory.
the first time, also looking back down memory lane, to illustrate the dinner on Christmas Eve, as it was in the families of the aristocracy and upper middle class town, and it is a story of intense and heartfelt poetry, then, in a second step, to tell the products of the gardens of the Venetian mainland, hence Treviso. On the evening of December 24
writes: "Oh the delicious Christmas Eve dinner, as worthily sing the glories? Who could tell the savory goodness of the risotto with cape, or rice and cabbage soup, the joys of fresh salmon, spicy delight the of Bovoli with white wine, the fat bisato soft boiled, roasted and stewed, the delicacy of the majestic brancini and boiled boseg trough? And crocchiante refreshing sensual caress of the roots of red Treviso that melts between his teeth like a flower candy? "Dinner
other times, you may say, but true traditional Venetian dinner on Christmas Eve, in which the red chicory princely towers from the beginning of last century, to conclude the fish, before dessert, which appeared in the "hot sweet mustard, and sticky delights of almonds, and delicate mousse of whipped cream with their twisted, with the rosti and chestnuts, or balote, that is, boiled chestnuts with laurel leaves. "
Writing then the products of the gardens, introduced the technique of cultivation of red chicory, achieving by the end of the cycle, a" cool little plant with white base, red foliage in wheat , delicate, crisp, delicious ..
He continues writing, almost declaiming:
If I look at it, he has a smile
If you eat, it is a paradise
The radicchio.
After restoring the verses published a few years earlier in a study on radicchio Aldo Van den Borre, son of Francis, the creator, in the second half of the 800, the modern red chicory late Elio Zorzi adds: "In truth, the radicchio is an edible flower: when it is brought to the table without being first appears dressed in homemade salad bowl, a bunch of orchids in a precious porcelain cup: better to savor the delicate flavor it is advisable to refrain from dress with oil and vinegar and bring to your mouth as it is, in all its freshness, after, at most, sprinkled a bit of 'salt. "
Ed Elio Zorzi concludes: "Perhaps the lotus flower of the legendary Libya, which the taste was so delicious to make people forget their country to foreigners, it was only a distant ancestor radicchio ... classic. "
has written nearly fifty years ago, Giuseppe Maffioli, the flower that you eat is no longer now, for some time, only a vegetable, having been elevated to a symbol of life Treviso. In fact, with his so slender Gothic Line "seems to summarize the ancient soul of Veneto, the ancestral religious observances, from deep moral rigor, hope turned to the skies, up to the contemplation of nature and the delicate flavor to join peacefully, with a absolute simplicity that becomes refined use of the joys it offers wisely and honestly to the senses. It points up, but to do it, it feeds more juice deep and full of the earth. "
This premise is used to understand the high quality, gourmet and symbolic of this noble vegetable, so, talking about the gastronomy of red chicory, we speak of a precious heritage of our country and I think then we should just leave the memories of Elio Zorzi.
There is no doubt that our flower that you eat, the pride admired and envied the art of horticulture Treviso, you can enjoy the full when it is served raw, in her beautiful white and red, delicate, crunchy, delicious. Excellent even if, in contravention of the Board of Zorzi, the season with a drizzle of good olive oil, a dash of vinegar and a dash light of salt.
In recent years, even after dozens and dozens of experiments performed by cooks Treviso, Padua and Venice, but also, many approaches have been made and our radicchio has been added to many dishes, and desserts and even ice cream, but more Sometimes this has happened, unfortunately, heretical. A happy Gourmet
use radicchio, extensively tested with very positive outcomes, is in the risotto. Our earth, at the behest of the Serenissima, is from the early decades of the sixteenth century, the true home cooking rice, soup or dry preparation is in our kitchen and found it in a risotto with radicchio goodies absolutely fantastic.
Provided there are no commissions, because the rice is naturally monogamous and radicchio is of such an aristocratic delicacy and uniqueness of taste and flavor that would lose much of its nobility if he was confused with other ingredients, as unfortunately happens when, to make a well-known example, you want it, perhaps unconsciously, to suffocate by masking the fine flavor with the sausage. The risotto with sausage or the sausage is a dish in itself with its long and glorious history that has the right to continue living as we inherited it, add the radicchio blend flavors, depreciating both ingredients.
Experience has shown that, since he was born in 1959 the glorious Festival Treviso Kitchen, beginning of all gastronomic events are still alive, in the Treviso area and elsewhere, theaters built by Dino De Poli, directed gastronomic Beppo Maffioli, radicchio rosso di Treviso has begun to emphasize a variety of dishes if they do not give in to the fanciful mediocrity, which are not, unfortunately, never missed in the kitchen.
Even then they were in vogue, and brought back convincingly Maffioli recipes in his book on the cuisine of Treviso, the bundles of red chicory wrapped in a slice of ham or bacon, sometimes baked in the oven, the radicchio to the past batter and fried, red chicory, of course we always refer to our late red radicchio, past and beaten egg to the bread crumbs, then baked in hot oil, braised radicchio, served hot, grilled radicchio, the crepes with red radicchio from Treviso and the mess of red radicchio from Treviso, the fried red radicchio from Treviso, and of course the already mentioned risotto with red radicchio from Treviso. A few references to the names of dishes and there may be other, and there are excellent where the person who prepares them to follow a basic rule in the kitchen of radicchio.
What is the principle as the rule that should guide those who want to use wisely the red radicchio from Treviso in the kitchen, to fully savor and enjoy it? Since
by the time we all know that red chicory chicory is a refined and rare, only ours, it should be valued at best, not only to be able to enjoy our Treviso and the Veneto, but also enjoy doing the most to those who, from all over the world , come to visit in the winter months, since, as we know, food is one of the main resources for the attraction of international tourism and tourism is vital to our economy.
The late red radicchio from Treviso must be tasted wonderful and unique as the true protagonist of the Treviso kitchen, which it really is, then, either alone or, if combined with other ingredients, be it rice, pancake, eggs and so highway will not accept a third wheel. If there was any, it would suffer the radicchio and ruin the delicate and fragile balance Gourmet, lowering the quality and nobility of the dish.
If we want to show the world the excellence of our cuisine, as it was in the golden age of Venice, you must know that our restaurants operate in the wake of the best tradition, experience and professionalism with wise humility, knowing that a breeding such leave, usually with red radicchio from Treviso, true works of art authentic cuisine.
