University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad: Introduction to the Rome Center Summer 2014 #hogsabroad

Hello, my name is Lauren Cambias, a Human Environmental Science Major with a focus in Dietetics. I am part of Dale Bumpers College at the University of Arkansas, and after being in Italy for one week, I think studying abroad was one of the best things I have ever decided to do. I hail from a small town called Batesville, Arkansas so I can confidently say that I’ve never been even a short-term resident of such a large city. Rome itself has around 5 MILLION people, which is greater than the entire population of Arkansas. I found this fact shocking. But rather than talk about the immense population, I’d rather talk about the immense amount of good food and culture that I’ve experienced in the first few days of my trip. I learned so much about the city of Rome and this vibrant country before I even started my classes.

In a presentation on Thursday by Signora Barbara, a guest speaker for part of our orientation, we learned about the cultural differentiation behind the commonly famous (and perhaps not so famous) foods found in regions throughout Italy. Being particularly interested in food, nutrition, and food culture, I thought it might be interesting to share some of what she told us. I also wanted to share a few of my own encounters with the local cuisine! And now on to facts about a few provinces…

#1: Valle D’aosta is the home to specifically Fontina cheese due to the plentiful population of cows used for milking found in this part of northern Italy! There is also honey and types of meats to be found there. Sometimes, people even eat honey on the soft cheese, a tradition that probably formed in the past when people wanted to combine available foods. A special dish from this region is called polenta, a winter food that is made from corn flour and cheese that is blended together, boiled, and cooked to perfection.

#2: Piemonte is another northern region where grissino originates. These are the thin, straw-like bread sticks that can be found in some Italian restaurants. This area is also part of wine country, producing mostly various types of red wines. Hazelnuts are also important to this region. According to the food history of Italy, during a period when chocolate was scarce hazelnuts were combined with chocolate to decrease the amount of this food that needed to be conserved. This lead to the signature gianduiotto hazelnut chocolates that are molded into the shape of boats and are well known as belonging to this area.

#3: The Liguria region is famous for basil and pine nuts. These are two of the most important ingredients in pesto, a paste that can be added to so many dishes to add a distinct flavor. Pesto is an important part of many dishes in Liguria.

#4: The southern island of Sicily produces pomodoro pachino which is a very very shiny, fresh tomato. Other than those, Sicily produces capers and almonds, as well as red oranges chocked full of many healthy vitamins. A wonderful and classic Italian dessert found on this island is canoli, the sweet cream-filled pastry. Yum.

After listening to this food talk, I was surprised to learn that there were so many foods that are uniquely Italian—much more than the typical spaghetti and meatballs. All of these variations in Italian cuisine are just one exciting part of all that I hope to experience while I live here in Rome this summer! You have to be thinking that there is so much more to this place than the food. There is art all around! History! Politics! Language! World Cup Soccer! But food is honestly as important to the whole of Italy as any of those pieces. I will leave this post with a quote from our wise informant: “Food is a mirror of tradition.” I believe that.

As for my own food experiences so far, I think these pictures will speak for themselves. Thanks for reading. Ciao!