Do you like Italian food? Are you of Italian heritage, or just “feel Italian” from time to time? If so, get thee to the September edition of Food & Wine, which is a full-on festa of Italian food. The issue starts out with a two-page spread that breaks Italy down into its constituent regions, with a helpful region-by-region guide to the country including iconic dishes, key ingredients, and top wine grapes for each region. It’s pretty cool, and it combats the American tendency to think of Italian food as a homogeneous mass, while putting a face on a bunch of territories that have been largely abstract to many readers.
Unless, of course, you’re wondering about one of the seven “non-key” regions they didn’t get around to documenting. Abruzzo? Nothing. Molise? A dead zone. Calabria? Well, we’ve all heard about the gunfight, but Food & Wine has rendered it a mysterious blank.
On the one hand, 20 regions is a lot of work. On the other, you’ve taken the time to document 13 of them … why not just go all the way? Or is the implication that Valle d’Aosta is basically like neighboring Piedmont, so don’t worry about it?
It’s a little ridiculous to grouse about this, because the stuff they did get around to documenting is pretty engaging, and the whole issue is a treasure trove of culinary knowledge about the Big Boot. But still. Somewhere in Trentino-Alto Adige, people are gearing up to make Food & Wine’s editorial staff an offer they can’t refuse.
Personally, I’m delighted there are still regions that generally go ignored by the food media. Nice to know that with our big fat dollars and big fat bodies we still have yet to colonize every spot on earth.
I speak for myself in my own rabid Italophilia as well.
I have been traveling to Italy since 1978 and have made it my passion to spend quality time in the countrysides of many of the regions.
Last, I spent about a week living in Umbria (Spoleto) and taking day trips throughout the province:
Spello, Montefalco, Deruta, Gubbio, and of course Perugia and Assisi.
I’ve been in the North (Lombardia,) to the south (Apulia)
I go back every year and experience more about the country; from the food to the wine to the culture. I consider it to be my life’s work and love this work!