Blog Post #5: The Unexpected Side of Italian Cuisine

In the Philippines, there are lots of weird food that we eat such as isaw, betamax and chicken feet. Italy is the same. Not a lot of people are aware of this but Italian cuisine has a dark side as well. 

Looking at unusual Italian dishes, I came across this blog post entitled " Tuscan Top Tens: weird, strange and unusual food from the dark side of Italian cuisine " by Zara Nelson.

The first dish that will surprise you is the Lampredotto. It is the fourth stomach of a cow that has been boiled in water. It is mixed with different chopped vegetables like tomatoes, onion, celery and parsley. It is typical Florentine peasant dish that is eaten usually with a bread roll. The second one is called Cibreo and it also comes from Florence. It is made of chicken hearts and livers. But it is not just that. It is prepared with rooster's testicles, cocks' combs and the floppy red bits on a rooster's head called wattles. Cibreo is a pretty brutal meal. Last on the list is the Buristo which is a bloody sausage. It is not that exquisite as you think it is because the meat used comes from the pig's head. It is boiled in water with lemon, orange peel, sage leaves and garlic. After draining the water, cubes of pure lard and pig's blood is added for extra flavor. Delicious, indeed.

Personally, I've never tasted any of these dishes. I never even came across one, even though my family usually eats at local and old restaurants. However, some of these are being served to you, you probably wouldn't realize that they are made with pig's blood or lard. I guess it is important to remember asking the waiter or chef how it got prepared.

" We have a global ‘smorgasbord’ of culinary offerings that each culture serves up, out of necessity and tradition, in which one man’s trash is, thankfully, another man’s treasure. But where the weird and unusual may not raise an eyebrow (too high) when you find it on your plate in a street market in Asia, somehow it seems quite shocking when it arrives alongside your glass of Chianti Classico in Tuscany. ", said Zara Nelson.

As I searched for more disgusting Italian dishes, I found this article entitled " Weird Food From Italy: The Unexpected Side of Italian Cuisine " by Gabriella Vagnoli. 

Italian cuisine is one of the most famous worldwide and every chef knows how to cook a plate of spaghetti and the proper way of making pizza. However, Italian food is not always that refine. As you've seen earlier in this post, there are some surprising dishes that will make you hesitant to try. The following are other weird foods that you'll find in some Italian restaurants. The first one on the list is the Maggot Cheese or Casu Marzu. Italians are cheese lovers but are you willing to try this rotten cheese? It is filled with the larvae of some kind of fly. If the larvae are dead, it can be toxic and you'll be lucky if you're still alive after. Second weird food is the Bottarga or the Poor Man's Caviar. It is not that delicious as the real caviar because it is nothing else but the roe pouch of tuna and swordfish. They are dried in sea salt and coated in beeswax. A delicacy not everyone is willing to try. Lastly, there is the Cieche Fritte or Fried Baby Eels. The name already says it all. At the end of winter, the baby eels migrate towards the rivers of Italy. They are usually fried without any condiments at all. 

Then again, I never encountered these weird food and I don't think I'll even dare to try them. I'm sure some Italians enjoy them just like Filipinos enjoy eating chicken feet. It's just part of their food culture.

" Italy is not the first place you would look for bizarre foods, but Italians have their fare share of weird food too. ", said Gabriella Vagnoli.

In conclusion, even though Italian cuisine offers the most delicious dishes in the world, there is still a dark side to it. The are few recipes that would shock you but that some Italians consider delicacies. It is just the way their food culture is.