Something Funny About Being Al Dente
Today we'll talk about some of the weirdest and funniest Italian food expressions. Strange names and singular figures of speech that have become, now, part of our language (and not only ours!), and whose origins are often unknown. "Pasta al dente", "caffè espresso"… We use this terms every day, but do you ever wonder where they come from? We're gonna reveal the origin of 6 of the weirdest ones.
The weirdest and funniest Italian food-related figures of speech
PASTA "AL DENTE"
Of course the expression "pasta al dente", one of the most famous ones, had to be included. Pasta is undoubtedly one of the most typical and representative products of our country, it's synonymous with flavor, tradition and innovation, it's the most exported product in the world, and currently there are more than 200 production plants and over 100 pasta factories in Italy: Campania, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto are top of the list of the biggest pasta producers. But why do we actually say "pasta al dente"? This figure of speech refers to pasta when it's not too cooked, that is, it remains a bit solid and pleasant to bite and doesn't become sticky.
Pasta al dente is slightly tougher on the teeth than overcooked pasta. According to some sources the expression derives from the fact that, in the past, people missing several teeth found it difficult to chew pasta when it wasn't too cooked; others think that the term comes from the fact itself that pasta al dente is tougher on the teeth. In both cases, though, pasta al dente is proved to be more digestible, and it's the favorite cooking option of the vast majority of Italians.
The best and simplest way to cook pasta "al dente" is not following the cooking time indicated on the box, but sampling a bit of pasta one or two minutes before that time, and adjusting accordingly. Besides, with certain types of pasta (e.g. penne) if it's very "al dente" and if you cut piece in half (normally with your teeth), you'll see that the most inner part is white.
CAFFE' "ESPRESSO"
For many people a good cup of Italian coffee, be it espresso, cappuccino or macchiato is a habit which marks specific moments of the day and they would never give it up. When you wake up, coffee gives you that boost you needed, and in the afternoon it's an occasion to meet with friends and colleagues. Nowadays coffee is a tradition spread worldwide, but it should not be forgotten that the traditional caffè espresso originates in Italy.
But why is coffee called "espresso"? One of the main characteristics of espresso coffee, a drink known and appreciated everywhere in the world, is the very short preparation time, because it's made through pressure-infusion: exactly like with the coffee pots which can be found in any Italian kitchen, which filter the pressed coffee-powder. But the important thing here is that this process wasn't invented to create a concentrated type of coffee, that is with little water (although that's what eventually happened), but to have a way of making coffee in less than a minute. This quickness is what gave espresso coffee its name.
SPAGHETTI "ALLA PUTTANESCA"
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is an Italian pasta recipe which was invented in Naples in the mid XX century; it's made adding tomato, olive oil, anchovies, olives, capers and garlic to spaghetti. But why this bizarre name ("puttana" is not a nice word in Italian)? Arthur Schwartz, author or "Naples at the table" states that the origin lies in the owner of a brothel in the Spanish harlem, who gave its clients this dish to eat to regain their strength, since this recipe is easy and quick to prepare, and substantial. Others think that this name derives from the colorful undergarments of the ladies who worked in brothels, the colors of which bring mind the ingredient of this dish.
No matter which hypothesis is correct, surely spaghetti alla puttanesca got their name from brothels, which were widespread in Italy until the middle of last century. Regardless of their funny name, they are a must in the Italian cuisine.
GLI "STROZZAPRETI"
Do you ever wonder why strozzapreti are called like this? Strozzapreti are a traditional hand-braided pasta of elongated shape, typical of some regions of Italy: Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria.
There are several legends about the origin of this peculiar name. According to one, in the past, clergymen (which were some of the few people who could afford such delicacies) loved this type of pasta so much that they ate it very quickly, voraciously, to the point of choking. Another explanation concerns the "azdora" ("housewife" in the romagnolo dialect), who braids the strips of pasta in a way that it looks like they're strangling someone. It's said that "in that particular moment the azdora shows such a rage and an energy (probably triggered by misery and the difficulties of her life) that she could strangle a priest".
Another legend has it that wives used pasta as a partial payment of their land rents (in Romagna the Catholic Church owned many lands, part of which were rented to farmers). The name surely reflects the anti-clericalism which characterized people in Romagna and Tuscany in those days. There's one last possible explanation for the weird name of this type of pasta: it actually looks a bit like a clerical collar.
IL "PROSECCO"
Prosecco is a typical Italian white wine, obtained by a variety of grapes called Glera, previously also known as Prosecco, but it can also include other varieties. The following varieties are traditionally used along with Glera to a maximum of 15% of the total: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevignana, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero.
Although there is a town called Prosecco near Trieste, and the Castle of Moncolano, also known as "Torre di Prosecco", that's not from this locations that this famous Italian white wine took its name. Where from, then? Fynes Moryson, an English gentleman fond of travelling, wrote in his diary: "Histria is divided in Forum Julii and Histria as such. Here grows vino Pucinum, nowadays called Prosecho, which was praised by Plinio". He was talking about that famous wine produced from grapes Glera, near that famous tower.
PELO NELL'UOVO
The last weird, Italian Food expression we want to talk about is "cercare il pelo nell'uovo" (looking for hair on an egg), which means being very fussy, picky, finding flaws in everything at any cost. But what do eggs have to do with being fussy?
This expression refers to the behavior of picky people, who look for something which doesn't exist, because, of course, eggs don't have hair. It can also be said "trovare il pelo nell'uovo" (finding hair on an egg), referring to a pedantic attitude, clearly with the goal of finding any excuse to sabotage any plan or project
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Marcello Cuccorese
I deal with administration, organization and logistic control, I have been with Bell Italia since 2015.
Source: https://www.bell-italia.com/blog/en/food/pasta-al-dente-and-other-5-expressions-related-to-italian-food
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