The Italian Society sampled traditional Italian food on Friday 11 November. Review by Hamza Syed (Year 12):
The first Italian Society session was about the history of Italian food. We learned of the geography of Italy and all the different regions and foods which came from each locality. In Northern Italy, Emilia-Romagna is the home of 'Parmigiano Reggiano' (Parmesan cheese). The name is legally protected and, in Italy, exclusive control is exercised over the cheese's production. Lombardy is famous for risotto especially a dish called ‘risotto alla milanese’ cooked with saffron. We were also given crunchy, long, Italian biscuits containing almonds called 'Cantucci', typical of the central Tuscany region, which Italians like to eat dipped in the dessert wine, 'Vin Santo'.
We all had a chance to practice our Italian during presentations on what we had learned, in front of several native speakers. It was an interesting experience and we look forward to many more meetings to come!
