Bonus Flashcards
Agrodolce
“agrodolce” is derived from two Italian words: agro, meaning sour, and dolce, meaning sweet. To achieve this perfect balance of sour and sweet, Trader Joe’s Agrodolce Vinegar combines sour White Wine Vinegar and sweet Grape Must concentrate.
It is believed that agrodolce has Sicilian origins with strong Arabian influences. The sauce is typically used in numerous pasta dishes or as a topping for grilled meats. It can also be served on the side as a dip, especially when paired with cheeses.
What Is Agrodolce Sauce? Agrodolce is an Italian sauce with a sticky consistency. Its name is Italian for “sour” (agro) and “sweet” (dolce). A classic agrodolce recipe contains reduced honey or sugar, vinegar, pine nuts, and a mixture of dried fruits and veggies, such as golden raisins, red onion, or currants.
Finocchiona
Finocchiona originated in the Renaissance, and possibly even before, in the Late Middle Ages.
The use of fennel was an alternative to pepper (a key ingredient of the standard salami), which was very expensive at the time, while fennel grew wild and abundant in the Tuscan countryside.
Also, fennel is rich in menthol, and because of its anesthetic qualities, finocchiona was regularly offered by the winemakers of the Chianti area to their customers before tasting their lower quality wines to mask their taste. Its name derives from finocchio, the Italian name for fennel.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Aging time
Minimum: 12 months
Vecchio(old): 18–24 months
Stravecchio(very old): 24–36 months
It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (Parmigiano is the Italian adjective for Parma and Reggiano that for Reggio Emilia). In addition to Reggio Emilia and Parma, it is also produced in the part of Bologna west of the River Reno and in Modena (all of the above being located in the Emilia-Romagna region), as well as in the part of Mantua (Lombardy) which is on the south bank of the River Po.
Both “Parmigiano Reggiano” and “Parmesan” are protected designations of origin (PDO) for cheeses produced in these provinces under Italian and European law. Outside the EU, the name “Parmesan” can legally be used for similar cheeses, with only the full Italian name unambiguously referring to PDO Parmigiano Reggiano.
It has been called the “King of Cheeses” and “practically perfect food”, whilst in 2023, the guide TasteAtlas has picked Parmigiano Reggiano as best cheese in the world.
PRODUCTION
Parmigiano Reggiano is made from unpasteurised cows’ milk. The whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk (which is made by keeping milk in large shallow tanks to allow the cream to separate) of the previous evening’s milking, resulting in a part skim mixture. This mixture is pumped into copper-lined vats, which heat evenly and contribute copper ions to the mix.
Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Romano (Italian pronunciation: [pekoˈriːno roˈmaːno]) is a hard, salty Italian cheese, often used for grating, made with sheep’s milk.
The name “pecorino” simply means “ovine” or “of sheep” in Italian; the name of the cheese, although protected, is a simple description rather than a brand: “[formaggio] pecorino romano” is simply “sheep’s [cheese] of Rome”.
Pecorino Romano PDO is a hard-cooked cheese, produced in central Italy with whole sheep’s milk from pasture-grazing herds raised in the wild, on natural pastures. This cheese is nowadays the most important sheep’s milk cheese among the EU Protected Designation of Origin products.
Carpaccio Piemontese
Carpaccio (UK: /kɑːrˈpætʃ(i)oʊ/, US: /-ˈpɑːtʃ-/, Italian: [karˈpattʃo]) is a dish of meat or fish[1] (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna), thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer.
It was invented in 1963 by Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy and popularised during the second half of the twentieth century. The beef was served with lemon, olive oil, and white truffle or Parmesan cheese.
Later, the term was extended to dishes containing other raw meats or fish, thinly sliced and served with lemon or vinegar, olive oil, salt and ground pepper, and fruits such as mango or pineapple.
