The history of Lazio street food 

THE PORCHETTA OF ARICCIA

Don't blame the people of Romagna, don't blame the Tuscans (the people of Arezzo, in particular), but the porchetta of Ariccia is truly sublime. This small village south of Lake Albano, which in turn is south of Frascati which in turn is south of Rome, has been the undisputed capital of porchetta, since it became PGI in 2011.

The Cioli, the Lions, the Leopards are just some of the families of Ariccine that have brought to its maximum splendor the ancient art of boning a female beast of 30-40 kilos, seasoning it with salt, pepper, garlic, liver, spleen, fennel and rosemary.

The innkeeper, whether it is in a "fraschetta" in the Castelli, that is, in the area of Ariccia, Cecchina or Marino, cuts it into slices and serves it to you on a piece of paper or in a sandwich from Genzano. Here porchetta is an art, you eat it as soon as it is made, you lick your lips.

In some places that serve porchetta you may also find coppiette: here too we are talking about an ancient dish of those born precisely to be transported. In fact, coppiette are strips of horse or pork dried with chili pepper and fennel seeds. Couples, rather than eating each other, chatter: they are in fact tasty but difficult, not for all jaws. But munching on them while walking is a delight.

 

SUPPLÌ (AND OTHER FRIED FOODS)

A walking pleasure, the supplì (which owes its name to the Italianization of the word French) is exactly like the arancino: a fragrant, tasty rice croquette that is received in a bag or tray and can be eaten anywhere without even getting too greasy. Immortalized by the great Ada Boni in 1929 and loved by Joyce, supplì is very similar to arancino in shape and recipe but, to tell the truth, in the mouth the result is quite different: less exuberant, less seasoned. However, we are always at high levels: boiled rice with chicken giblets (or, now more widely, minced meat, sauce, mozzarella); all breaded and fried. And it must be said that this "basic" version today is flanked by all kinds, from the one with porchetta to the one with prawns. In Rome and Lazio you can find it in a rotisserie, in a bakery with a minimum of gastronomy or even in a high-end restaurant, where it is perhaps served as an appetizer together with fried cream and potato croquettes.

And here is another point of contact with Sicily: there are crocché, cazzilli, here they are called croquettes and are mashed meatballs with parmesan, butter, egg, salt and pepper and a heart of mozzarella, also breaded and fried. Ah, we forgot: we find it funny that supplì are called "supplì al telefono" because when you divide them, the mozzarella line looks like the cable between the base and the handset.

 

ROMAN PIZZA BY THE SLICE

If you say pizza, you think Naples. But if you say pizza by the slice, here comes Rome, which not only has a tradition that dates back to the fifties but, above all, in recent times has revived and made famous in the world an all-Capitoline version of the most famous national dish. Rome's pizza is by the slice, generously leavened and above all covered with delicacies of all kinds, ranging from classic potatoes, such as the yellow ones of Avezzano, and mozzarella to the most sought-after cured meats. This new wave of street cuisine started in the nineties but in a few decades it has been able to express itself in a big way.

 

THE TRAPIZZINO

A small concession to fashions, which are often also good ideas, sometimes you have to make it. So, this is not a historical street food but a very recent invention signed by Stefano Callegari. The trapizzino was created with the aim - a bit like the kebab sandwich - of being able to contain a lot of stuff without it dripping on floors, trousers, pots and staff. So here is a triangular pizza closed on the legs and open on the hypotenuse, with exuberant and typically Lazio fillings: oxtail, meatballs, chicken cacciatore, tripe, tongue.

Porchetta di Ariccia PGI is a cooked and seasoned pork product obtained from the processing of either a whole pig or the central part (“trunk”). The pigs belong to the Landrace, Large White or Pietrain breeds or their hybrids, and must be female. Porchetta di Ariccia PGI is produced within the entire territory of the Municipality of Ariccia, in the Province of Rome, in the Lazio Region.

PRODUCTION METHOD

The carcasses are deboned by hand (excluding the tibia, fibula and head bones) and the shoulder, neck and fillet are removed. The product is salted and then left to rest for 60 minutes before being massaged by hand in order to eliminate any eventual salt that has not been absorbed by the meat. This is followed by seasoning with rosemary, garlic and finely ground or coarsely ground black pepper. The meat is tied with a natural fibred string, which is stitched around a food tube, allowing the heat to arrive at the centre of the carcass. It is then put in the oven and cooked at a temperature of 160 and 280°C; 3-5 hours for whole pork and 3-6 hours for the “trunk”. Once removed from the oven, it is cooled at a temperature of between 10 and 30°C for 5-15 hours, in order to eliminate the fat and excess liquids; this part of the process allows for the formation of the characteristic crispy rind and for the meat to obtain its typical colour; it also preserves it during the days following preparation.

APPEARANCE AND FLAVOUR

Porchetta di Ariccia PGI is characterised by a brown, crispy rind and a softer under-side. The meat is pinkish- white in colour, interspersed with the brown colour of the spices. It has a strong flavour thanks to the rosemary, garlic and black pepper.

HISTORY

The production of Ariccia porchetta boasts a millenary tradition, most likely dating back to pre-Roman times and the Latin populations. In fact, not only can the custom of offering meat as a sacrifice to the gods be attributed to Ariccia, it is also retained that thanks to Roman nobility – who often transferred to Ariccia to hunt –the artisan mastery of preparing porchetta was able to develop. This traditional method has been passed down from father to son for centuries. The first Sagra di Porchetta di Ariccia was organised in 1950 by the town’s major, who wished to honour this famous and tasty product. Each year since then, this characteristic and atmospheric event has brought the streets of Ariccia to life, with porchetta being sold fresh from the stalls by sellers in traditional dress. Testimony to this is the Estratto dal Registro of the Town Council’s acts, from September 14th 1962, relative to the contribution towards the festival of Patron Saint Apollonia and the Sagra della Porchetta, found in the archives of the Town Hall of Ariccia.

GASTRONOMY

Porchetta di Ariccia PGI should ideally be eaten fresh but can be refrigerated at a temperature of between 2 and 6°C for a few days. In the Province of Rome it is traditionally diced and served with an appetizer or sliced and served cold as a main course. It is a perfect street food, making a delicious sandwich filling.

MARKETING

The product is marketed as Porchetta di Ariccia PGI in the following typologies: Intera (whole) or Tronchetto (trunk). It is sold whole, in pieces or in slices; it can also be found vacuum-packed or in modified atmosphere packaging.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

One of the distinctive features of Porchetta di Ariccia PGI is its crispy rind, which remains unchanged for several days, ensuring that the internal meat does not dry out.

Sandwich with porchetta. That is, street food!

Whatever they say, the best way to consume porchetta di Ariccia is inside a richly stuffed "porchetta sandwich". The question remains on the type of bread to adopt, there are those who prefer it soft like "ciriola" or "rosetta" which is a bread well known in Rome as in the Castelli Romani, or the traditionalists according to whom a good sandwich must not be separated from a homemade bread, better if a "loaf" visible below or slices made from a "loaf."

A sandwich with hot porchetta and homemade bread is the ultimate in Castellan street food, but also an excellent healthy and nutritious snack. For those who haven't tasted it, another possibility to taste porchetta inside a sandwich is to get some local castle pizza, heated with a toas plate, and put the delicious dish inside. The taste of hot pizza with crust will enhance you! The history of the porchetta of Ariccia has also been made by this simple food that is this "streetfood delight". To be understood in the strict sense of the word, to be eaten exclusively standing up, and to be prepared absolutely with homemade bread. I recommend that you don't do any "Americanization" like putting barbecue sauce inside...