I had dinner with my coworker and her family, who live here in Roccella Ionica, and they told me all about typical foods. I ate so much food at dinner with them, it was amazing! They gave me an entire wheel of pecorino (sheep cheese), that specific wheel was made in a tiny town called Platì. I love pecorino, but others might not like it because it has a strong taste and smell.
Another pasta I loved was pappardelle fatte in casa al ragù bianco di cinghiale. (cinghiale: chin-gya-lay) It means homemade papparedelle (the type of noodle) with white wild boar sauce. I really loved the wild boar! It tastes a little like pork, but it is definitely unique. The sauce was creamy and cheesy. It was fantastic, I would eat it everyday if I could!
Food is very important to Italian culture, where meals are a chance to get to know those around you. Dinner often starts later in the evening and can last a long time. When I had dinner with my coworker, we talked and ate for more than 5 hours. Sharing food with other people is a meaningful way to build community. I was so happy to share stories, laughs, and ideas over great food.
A lot of restaurants make their pasta from scratch. I tried to make pasta once and it was really hard! Most pasta is made with flour, eggs, olive oil and salt. Everything is mixed together and kneaded into dough. Then, different tools are used to make the special shapes. Different shapes are meant for different meals.
When I eat pasta at home, I like to make pasta with pesto.
