All Around Italia

Polenta Concia Valdostana

S P — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:57:21 +0000

For me, polenta concia is food that evokes a feeling. It takes me back to the warm, festive moment when I first enjoyed it in Valle D’Aosta.

Over the Christmas holiday, my husband decided to spend a weekend in Valle D’Aosta. I had never been and was excited to visit Italy’s tiniest region.

As we entered Valle D’Aosta, all street signs became multilingual in Italian and French, the region’s two official languages. Some also included directions in local dialect. Although not far from Piemonte – where my husband is from, it felt like we had entered a totally different environment.

Our first stop was Aosta, the region’s capital. Surrounded by mountains, the quaint city was cheerfully decorated for Christmas. Alpine choirs sang folk music in the streets, and little marketplaces scattered about featured locally-made gifts.

Walking around, we saw the Arco di Agosto and noticed multiple other Roman ruins. We discovered that, after Lazio, Valle d’Aosta is the Italian region with the most visible Roman ruins – earning Aosta the nickname of “the Rome of the Alps”.

After a long, cold day in Valle D’Aosta, we drove on to Courmayeur, a small town at the base of the largest Apline mountain peak – Monte Bianco. Upon reaching Courmayeur, night had fallen, and we were tired. Our plan was to find a place for a quick bite and then call it a day.

We ended up in a small restaurant’s basement, where I tasted my first polenta concia valdostana: a buttery, cheesy, absolutely delicious polenta served piping hot in a casserole dish.

In Valle D’Aosta, polenta concia is a simple, but rich, dish made with just four ingredients: cornmeal, water, butter, and fontina cheese.

Derived from the word “acconiata”, meaning “condita” or “flavored/prepared”, polenta concia is cornmeal polenta mixed together with generous amounts of butter and cheese. It is sometimes also referred to as polenta grassa, or “fat” polenta. Other regions – such as Piemonte and Lombardia – have their versions of the dish. The version valdostana is unique for the inclusion of the prized local cheese – fontina.

Since 1270, exclusively using raw milk from local cows, the people of Valle D’Aosta have been making fontina. In 1996, the European Union granted fontina a Denominazione di Origine Protetta (D.O.P.) status. Holding producers to strict traditional standards, the D.O.P. stamp guarantees quality and authenticity. The D.O.P designation also offers transparency to consumers and protection for the hardworking producers using traditional methods.

The name “fontina” is likely derived from “fontis” or “fondis”, rooted in French language and meaning “melt”. Fontina’s semi-soft consistency means that it melts evenly when exposed to heat, making it the perfect accompaniment to hot polenta.

Locals of the Alps have eaten (and still eat) polenta concia to warm up and fill up during frigid winter days.

Requiring just a handful of local ingredients, polenta concia is easy to make and has long been a part of the region’s culinary history, the cucina povera of Valle D’Aosta.

Cornmeal polenta is best made in a large pot for a big group as it typically requires constant stirring for 40 minutes or longer. As tedious as stirring for this long may sound, my family finds it festive. We make polenta when our kitchen is full of family members or friends. Everyone takes a turn stirring as we talk and spend time together. Then, adding fontina valdostana and butter, we sit down to fill our enjoy and re-energize with our polenta concia. Enjoying such a rich and delicious dish, it’s easy to close your eyes and imagine being at the foot of Monte Bianco.

Italian Vocabulary related to Polenta Concia

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to polenta concia. Have you heard these before?

mais – corn; another word in Italian for corn is granturco

La polenta concia è a base di farina di mais. / Polenta concia is made with cornmeal.

fondere – to melt

La polenta concia valdostana viene preparata fondendo la fontina e il burro nella polenta. / Polenta concia from Valle d’Aosta is prepared by melting fontina and butter into the polenta.

gelido – freezing cold

Le giornate in Valle D’Aosta sono spesso gelide. / Days in Valle D’Aosta are often freezing cold.

Make Polenta Concia

Bring Italian into your everyday life by cooking polenta concia.

The recipe for polenta concia valdostana is very simple. It just takes some time and arm strength to make – there is a lot of stirring! I like making this when we have company, and everyone takes a turn stirring.

In the original recipe, you add a mere two ingredients to the polenta – quality butter and Fontina D.O.P. cheese. It’s important that you get the real fontina hailing from Valle D’Aosta to make the polenta concia taste the way it should.

Today, you’ll also find recipes that add milk and/or toma cheese. Most commonly, you mix ingredients together on the stovetop. You can also add the cooked polenta to a casserole dish and bake in the cheese.

Below, you’ll find the recipe our family uses for polenta concia valdostana loosely adapted and translated from this one from sky.it.

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

3 ¼ cup cornmeal polenta flour – NOT instant (400 grams)

2 ½ cup cubed Fontina D.O.P. cheese (200 grams)

⅔ cup cubed high-quality butter (150 grams)

8 ½ cups water (2 liters)

salt

Preparation

Pour water into a large, tall pot (ideally a copper pot if you have one – I don’t).

Add some salt to the water and boil. When the water is boiling, slowly pour in the cornmeal while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Keep stirring with the flame on high for 5 minutes. Then, lower the flame but continue to stir every few minute so clumps don’t form.

After 40-45 minutes of cooking, add the cubed cheese and butter to the polenta pot while still on the burner.

Once melted in, enjoy! Or, if you prefer, transfer to a casserole dish, grate some cheese on top, and crisp in the oven for a few minutes before eating.

Buon appetito!

The post Polenta Concia Valdostana appeared first on All Around Italia.

Tiramisù: Italy’s Favorite “Pick-Me-Up”

S P — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 01:45:19 +0000

Tiramisù may be Italy’s most well-known dessert, but for me, it has been full of surprises.

Before living in Italy, I thought I knew what tiramisù was. I had tried it in a few restaurants, and my mom sometimes brought it home frozen from the grocery store. To me, tiramisù was a semi-frozen dessert rich with coffee and rum, often with a questionable consistency. I was convinced that I didn’t like it.

When offered tiramisù at my first dinner party in Italy, I politely declined … until I saw it. The soft, creamy dessert being passed around on plates looked very different from the rigid, stodgy slices that I knew. I changed my mind and decided to try it. WOW … that’s all I could say. Over my second helping, my friends shared the recipe with me.

Traditional tiramisù is made with eggs, sugar, mascarpone, savoiardi cookies, espresso, and cacao powder.

Until tasting my friends’ tiramisù, I realized that I had severely misjudged the dessert based on the non-authentic versions I’d tried. Real tiramisù did not have ingredients like cream cheese, whipped cream, or rum. Real tiramisù was not supposed to be frozen but, instead, refrigerated and promptly enjoyed. Real tiramisù was smooth and flavorful.

Although there is a right way to make authentic tiramisù, one of the best parts about the dessert is that it can be so easily customized. Just about every Italian I know has their own take on the recipe. You can get really creative with it. The best versions I have had, though, don’t depart too much from traditional ingredients.

One memorable evening, my friends organized a tiramisù-making competition. Interestingly, even the tiramisùs made exclusively with traditional ingredients still tasted very different from each other. Variations stemmed from how long the savoiardi had been soaked in espresso, how much the cream had been whipped, how dark the cacao was, etc. Satisfying modifications included adding chocolate flakes to the cream, substituting thinner Pavesini cookies for savoiardi, using pan di spagna instead of savoiardi. I could not choose a favorite.

I have continued to taste many tiramisùs over the years. I find it on menus all around Italy. Whenever organizing a potluck with my Italian friends, someone always ends up bringing one. It is truly a pick-me-up – just as the name tiramisù means.

Because of its widespread presence in Italy and around the world, I was surprised to learn that tiramisù is a recent addition to Italian culture - invented in the second half of the twentieth century.

Although the exact history of tiramisù is contested, there are two theories believed to be most probable.

The first story identifies Friuli-Venezia Giulia as the birthplace of tiramisù. In 1951, hotel-owner Norma Pielli allegedly modified an egg-based cream recipe documented by food writer Pellegrini Artusi to include marscarpone and savoiardi dipped in espresso. Pielli’s husband, Giuseppe Del Fabbro, called the recipe tiramisù because it was energizing and delicious.

The other main story attributes the invention of tiramisù to a pastry chef by the name of Roberto Linguanotto from the Veneto region. While working at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, Linguanotto supposedly wanted to create a family-friendly dessert. He took inspiration from ‘sbadutin’ – a traditional recipe from the Veneto consisting of raw eggs beaten with sugar. In 1972, tiramisù first appeared on the menu at Le Beccherie. Because the region of Veneto so vehemently defends this story, this is the version I’m going with.

If you’d like to learn more about the history of tiramisù, Gigi and Clara Padovani have written an interesting book in Italian on the topic: Tiramisù.Storia, curiosità, interpretazioni del dolce italiano più amato. Despite the mysteries surrounding the invention of the dessert, there is one undeniable certainty. Tiramisù is just so good that it took less than a century to take its place as Italy’s most prominent dessert.

Italian Vocabulary related to Tiramisù

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Erice. Have you heard these before?

la pirofila – baking dish, casserole tray

Al solito si fa il tiramisù in pirofila o in coppette monoporzione. / Usually tiramisù is made in a baking dish or single-serve cups.

Il contendente – contender

Ci sono due vere contendenti per il luogo di nascita’ del tiramisù: le regioni Veneto e Friuli- Venezia Giulia. / There are two real contenders for the birthplace of tiramisù: the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Montare a neve – beat/whisk to form stiff peaks (when baking)

Per ottenere la giusta consistenza della crema del tiramisù, montate a neve gli albumi prima di unirli ai tuorli montati con lo zucchero. / To obtain the right consistency of the tiramisù cream, beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks and add them to the egg yolks beaten together with sugar.

Make Tiramisù

Bring Italian into your everyday life by making tiramisù.

Making Italian treats is an easy and delicious way to add some Italian culture to your life (and share with friends). I’ve shared recipes for desserts such as Granita Sicliana, Baci di Dama cookies, Baci di Alassio cookies, and more. Now, it’s time for our traditional tiramisù recipe.

Our friend, Ettore, proudly shared this recipe with us years ago. It won’t win any awards for the healthiest tiramisù as it uses more eggs than other versions … however, it is always a huge hit.

As I do not give my toddler coffee in any form (I did once by mistake – never again!!!), we dip the savoiardi for her portion of the tiramisù in milk with cacao dissolved in it. A very satisfying, kid-friendly replacement – that sometimes I even prefer to the espresso.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks (pasture-raised eggs)

3 egg whites (use the extra egg whites to make Baci di Alassio)

500 grams of good-quality mascarpone cheese

120 grams of white sugar

3-4 espresso cups worth of good-quality espresso

1 package of savoiardi, or lady finger, cookies (about 30 cookies)

50 grams of good quality dark cacao

Kitchen Tools

Electric mixer

Preparation

Separate out 6 egg yolks and 3 egg whites. Put the egg whites in the refrigerator while you work on the other parts of the recipe.

Make the espresso and add it all to a bowl. Let it cool. (For the kid-friendly substitute, dissolve a tablespoon of cacao in hot milk and add to a bowl.)

Beat together the 6 egg yolks and 120 grams of sugar. Beat in the 500 grams of marscarpone. Create a uniform cream.

Take the 3 egg whites out of the refrigerator. Beat them until they form stiff peaks.

Gradually add the beaten egg whites into the cream, mixing slowly and carefully from bottom to top.

Very quickly dip both sides of the savoiardi in the espresso (and/or chocolate milk) and place them tightly next to each other in a casserole dish (roughly 15 inches by 12 inches or 38 cm by 30 cm). The cookies should not be soggy, just lightly wet. On top of each layer of cookies, add a generous layer of cream.

You should be able to get 2 or 3 layers of cookies. On the top, use a sifter to spread the cacao lightly over the top.

Cover and refrigerator the tiramisù for at least 4 hours.

Share with family or friends, and enjoy! Be prepared for an energy-burst after eating. It truly is a pick-me-up! Buon appetito!

In the comments below, let us know if you try the recipe out. Buon appetito!

The post Tiramisù: Italy’s Favorite “Pick-Me-Up” appeared first on All Around Italia.

Movies and TV Shows in Italian on Disney Plus

S P — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 19:18:43 +0000

Check out our list of movies and TV shows to watch on Disney Plus USA in Italian language.

For kids’ movies and TV shows in Italian, we highly recommend the Disney Plus streaming app. Although not everything on the app is available in Italian, there are dozens of great options – which we list out in this post. Because you can’t filter by language on Disney Plus (we’ve tried – it doesn’t work accurately), use our list of favorites to navigate directly to content with an Italian audio option.

Before we jump into the list, let us explain why we like Disney Plus so much.

In our family, most days, allowing our children a few minutes of screen time is inevitable. We have found that watching Disney Plus encourages our kids to develop language skills and practice their Italian. It’s made a bigger impact than we expected. Here’s why:

Most Disney movies have songs that kids love to sing.

Music is an effective, fun way to learn new words and practice a language. And, really, who doesn’t love Disney songs? At our daughter’s request, my family often sings and listens to Disney music throughout the day. Interest in this music is an awesome “side effect” of screen time with Disney Plus and keeps Italian present in our lives. For our favorite Disney songs, check out our Spotify playlist Disney Songs in Italian.

Parents are familiar with most Disney movies and can talk about them with their kids.

For language learning (and in general), it’s always best if you can watch TV with your children so you can discuss and interact together with the content. The reality with little kids is, though, that TV time is usually the only time mom and dad have for doing other things around the house. What’s great about Disney movies is that almost all of us adults have seen and remember them from our own childhood – Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, etc. Even when we can’t watch with our kids, my husband and I can still chat about what they watched afterwards and answer their questions about the stories. We’ve had surprisingly complex conversations with our 2-year old about Disney stories that never would have happened had we put on Peppa Pig or Cocomelon.

Disney movies inspire children to invent games.

For over a year, our daughter walked around with a Disney princess costume over whatever clothes she was wearing. Using the characters from Disney movies, she invented endless games, play scenarios, and performances. I love the memory of overhearing her while playing with her dolls the day after we watched Cinderella saying, “Principe, perche’ you steal my scarpa? Stop taking my scarpa.” Especially if you are able to get involved and guide your children in Italian, this type of play is not only fun but will help your kids use and remember vocabulary they heard in the movies.

Dubbing works well for animated movies.

As committed as I am to learning Italian, I often do not enjoy watching movies that are dubbed. Hearing an Italian voiceover for Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams when we tried to watch Enchanted in Italian just made me cringe. When actors are on screen, as skilled as the dubbers in Italy are, it’s impossible for the voice tracks to perfectly match what we see. For animated movies, however, dubbing works! Not only are many Disney cartoon movies interesting for kids and adults alike, it also seems like Italian could have been their original language.

So, now that you know why we like Disney Plus, here are the movies and shows available on the app in Italian. These lists are for Disney Plus USA.

Animated Movies in Italian on Disney Plus USA

Listed in alphabetical order, these animated kids’ movies are available on Disney Plus USA with audio in Italian. This list is not exhaustive – it just includes our favorites.

For these movies, you can also turn on captions in Italian. We have noticed, however, that the captions frequently do not match what you hear in the audio.

A Bug’s Life
Aladdin
Alice in Wonderland
Bambi
Beauty and the Beast
CINDERELLA #3
Dumbo
Encanto
Ferdinand
GNOMEO & JULIET
Hercules
Ice Age
Lady and the Tramp
Lightyear
Lilo and Stitch
Luca
Mulan #1 and #2
Peter Pan
Pocahontas
Robin Hood
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White
The Aristocats
The Emperor’s New Groove
The Jungle Book #2 (not #1)
The Lion King #1 and #2
The Little Mermaid
The Sword and the Stone
TURNING RED
Winnie the Pooh

Non-Animated Movies in Italian on Disney Plus USA

For older children, here is our list of favorite non-animated movies available in Italian on Disney Plus USA. As mentioned before, I don’t love watching dubbed movies when they are not animated. Nevertheless, these are nice options for exposure to Italian during screen time.

Freaky Friday
Holes
Home Alone #1 and #2
Homeward Bound
Honey I Shrunk the Kids
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
The Princess Diaries #1 and #2

TV Shows in Italian on Disney Plus USA

You can find these shows with an Italian audio option on Disney Plus USA. Bluey and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse don’t offer captions while The Simpsons does have them.

Bluey (for little kids)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (for little kids)
The Simpsons (for older kids and adults)

Currently Unavailable in Italian on Disney Plus USA

There are, unfortunately, many popular Disney movies still NOT available on Disney Plus in Italian. These films do exist in Italian – just not currently on Disney Plus USA. Here they are listed in alphabetical order.

101 Dalmations
Brave
Cars
Cinderella
Coco
Finding Nemo
Frozen #1 and #2
Inside Out
Moana
Monsters Inc
Planes
Tangled
Tarzan
The Incredibles
The Princess and the Frog
Toy Story #1, #2, #3, #4
Up
Zootopia

The good news is that even if you watch these films in English, you can listen to the music in Italian afterwards (check out our Disney Songs in Italian Spotify playlist). Our daughter absolutely loves the Frozen and Moana soundtracks. We are always so impressed by her commentary on the Italian vs. English lyrics. A toddler talking about song translations? If that’s not promoting language skills, I don’t know what is.

Hope this information is helpful. If we’ve left out any of your favorites, comment below!

Do you want to meet other Italian/English bilingual families?

We are building a community! Leave us your name and location, and we will update you when next steps are possible.

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Procida

allarounditalia — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 01:49:02 +0000

Of all the magnificent places I’ve visited in Italy, there is one that captured my imagination more than any other. I revisit it often in my mind - Procida.

It was 2012 when my friend and I were organizing a trip to the Amalfi Coast over Easter weekend. It would be my first visit, and there was so much I wanted to do: go to the famous Positano and Amalfi, walk up to Ravello, take a day trip to Capri.

My friend, on the other hand, had only one request: to spend time in Procida, where Il Postino was filmed. She wanted to go on Good Friday as there was supposed to be a special procession on the island that day.

No one had ever recommended Procida to me, and I’d never seen Il Postino. Before we left, my friend procured me a copy of the DVD. After seeing it, I couldn’t wait for our visit.

On Holy Thursday, we rode from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. It was a rainy, windy day. Local passengers on the bus warned that our ferry to Procida wouldn’t depart the next day if there was mar mosso, a rough sea.

Waking up early in the morning, we were relieved to find that the wind and waters had calmed. We could go to the island.

As our ferry entered the port, rows of cheery pastel houses and brightly colored fishing boats welcomed us. The port was sleepy and calm, despite the Good Friday Procession - one of the island’s most important events of the year.

Started around the seventeenth century by the local order of the Jesuits – the Turchini brotherhood, Procida’s Good Friday Procession commemorates the Bible’s mysteries. Elaborate floats represent important events and miracles from the Old Testament and the New Testament including Stations of the Cross.

The floats are works of beauty. Some carry statues that have been part of the procession for hundreds of years. Others are designed and made new each year by groups of villagers with materials like paper mache and wood but also fresh fish and produce.

Accompanied by a funeral march in honor of Jesus’ Passion, the men and boys and Procida carry the floats from the abbey on the hilltop – L’Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo – to the Marina Grande. They are dressed in the traditional deep blue and white hooded robes of the Turchini brotherhood.

Watching the procession, my friend and I had no words. We were awestruck – carried away by sights, sounds, and emotions. The intricacy of the floats, the beautiful sunkissed people carrying them so proudly, the beating rhythm accompanying the march. We were so fortunate to have happened to be in Procida for this special day – an incredible glimpse into the heart and soul of the entire island.

As the Procession ended, we slowly shook ourselves out of our mesmerized state to explore the island.

Divided into nine districts across just 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles), Procida is brimming with natural beauty and culture.

Formed thousands of years ago by volcano eruptions, different rock formations and sands abound. Touring around, you see lots of flowers and vegetation as well as two delicacies grown in Procida – lemons and artichokes. Attached to Procida by a small bridge, you will find an uninhabited island nature reserve, Vivara.

Even though the island is tiny, the coastline is so jagged that it runs for around 16 kilometers (10 miles) and is full of beaches to visit. We began with the most famous – La spiaggia di Pozzo Vecchio, better known as La Spiaggia del Postino. Over a lunch of fresh fish and calamari at the bar where the movie’s main characters meet, we imagined what the beach was like during filming.

After lunch, it was time to explore the districts, which amazingly all have their own character despite being so close to each other. In the oldest village and highest point on the island, Terra Murata, we pondered what life must have been like as a prisoner in the ex-palace and prison Palazzo d’Avalos that stands guard over the island. In Sent’cò, we visited the Marina Grande. There were various churches to visit across the other districts – the majority of which are named after saints: San Leonardo, Santissima Annunziata, Sant’Antuono, Sant’Antonio.

Ending the day in the colorful fishing port of Corricella, we admired the hard work and spirit of the Procidians, many who dedicate their lives to the ocean, fishing and seafaring.

Getting back on the ferry to Amalfi, we were sad to leave Procida behind us. We’d just had the privilege to taste a life that wasn’t ours and experience the magic of it.

When Procida was declared Italian Capital of Culture in 2022, something strange happened – I began learning that many people I know had also been to Procida. None of us had ever talked about it before. It was as if we’d all had the same reaction: our experiences there had almost been too memorable and special to share. We had kept Procida for ourselves, maybe hoping it could really be a place that would never change.

Italian Vocabulary related to Procida

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Procida. Have you heard these before?

l’aliscafo – hydrofoil, a higher-speed ferry boat

Abbiamo viaggiato da Amalfi a Procida in aliscafo che è più veloce del traghetto. / We traveled from Amalfi to Procida by hydrofoil, which is faster than a ferry.

frastagliato – jagged

La costa dell’isola di Procida è molto frastagliata. / Procida’s coast is very jagged.

una contrada – district, quarter; this word has Medieval origins

La piccola isola di Procida è divisa in nove contrade. / The little island of Procida is divided into nine districts.

Watch Il Postino

Bring Italian into your everyday life by watching the movie Il Postino

Because of its great beauty and allure, Procida has received quite a lot of attention from writers, filmmakers, and artists.
The island has been the setting of various films such as: The Talent Mr. Ripley with Matt Damon, Francesca e Nunziata with Sophia Loren, and Un detenuto di attesa di giudizio with Alberto Sordi. The film that has achieved most success – and my personal favorite – is Il Postino.
Il Postino is a charming story of love and friendship set in Procida in the 1950s featuring Massimo Troisi, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and Philippe Noiret (whom you may remember from Cinema Paradiso – another favorite of mine). Troisi plays Mario Ruoppolo, a local of Procida, who befriends a Pablo Neruda (Noriet), a Chilean poet exiled to the island for polical reasons. During filming, Troisi was seriously ill and passed away from a heart attack before the film’s release. Understanding Troisi’s incredible level of commitment to the movie makes it all the more powerful.
You can view the movie on Youtube here.
Buona visione!

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Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels

S P — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 04:45:35 +0000

Until I read Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, it had been a very long time since a book kept me up to the wee hours of the night.

Beginning with L’amica geniale, Ferrante’s four-book series chronicles the fictional friendship of two Neapolitan women, Elena and Lila. Their story spans from the 1950’s to the early 2000’s. Readers journey through an era of contemporary Italian history.
Born in the same poor neighborhood of Naples, Elena and Lila grow up together. After elementary school, Lila is forced to stop school and start working. Elena, on the other hand, continues her education. She ultimately goes to college and never returns to live in Naples. Meanwhile, Lila never leaves Naples.
Despite their different paths, Elena and Lila remain closely and strangely connected throughout their lives. They care for each other deeply. At the same time, however, they are jealous of one another and destructively competitive.

Elena and Lila’s story is complex, disturbing, and completely captivating. Exactly like the city of Naples.

I am fortunate to be able to visit Naples fairly often, and it never ceases to amaze me. Naples has a rich and varied history, fabulous food, breathtaking views, and a lively and beautiful culture. At the same time, it is dirty, dilapidated, chaotic, hard to navigate, and can be eerie and unsafe.

As demonstrated through Elena’s experience, Naples suffers from a poor reputation in the rest of Italy. When I was preparing for my first trip there, many of my friends told me it was too dangerous and not worth going. Interestingly, none of them had ever visited.

It turned out that my friends were wrong about Naples. It’s true that it’s no Florence, no Capri. Naples is not a place that caters to tourists or tries to make people feel good all the time. Instead, what you’ll find in Naples is complete authenticity. And I love this.

No matter who you are, Naples will immerse you in its realities and contradictions – both the bello and the brutto. Everything there hits hard and comes fast. If you let the brutto knock you down before you can soak in the bello, you will miss out on experiencing a truly amazing place.

Ferrante’s series mirrors the magic of Naples - capable of capturing the hearts and minds of anyone and everyone who gets to know it.

Since the Neapolitan novels’ main characters are female, I assumed the books would mainly appeal to a female audience. Just like my experience with Naples itself, Ferrante’s books proved that stereotypes are often wrong.
On the subway, I started to notice men reading the Neapolitan novels. During Covid quarantine, I watched my husband dive headfirst into the series. When the TV rendition L’amica geniale came out, he urged me to watch new episodes with him at the moment of release (despite it being difficult for me, nine months pregnant, to stay up late). My dad and uncle also found the series and loved it.
Finally, the Neapolitan novels’ unique trajectory to fame yet again offers a parallel with the city they represent – a tendency to do things spectacularly and differently.
Largely before Ferrante became a household name in Italy, the translations of her books gained fame abroad. I initially heard of L’amica geniale from a friend who’d read the English translation. When I asked my friends in Italy for a copy in Italian, none of them knew of the book – not even those from Naples.
As Ferrante fever grew worldwide, the demand for input from Ferrante herself increased. But that was not possible! Ferrante is a pen name, and the author has kept their identity secret. This choice propelled the books’ translators into the spotlight – a really cool side effect – as translation is typically an underappreciated profession that goes under the radar.
As you can see, I am in love with this series and so impressed. Perfectly personifying one of Italy’s most unique cities, the Neapolitan novels demonstrate that special power Italy has: the ability to surprise, connect, and ignite passion in people all over the world.

Italian Vocabulary related to the Neapolitan Novels

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Neapolitan Novels. Have you heard these before?

il rione – neighborhood, district, quarter
Elena e Lila crescono insieme nello stesso rione di Napoli. / Elena and Lila grow up in the same neighborhood in Naples.

ambientare – take place
I libri e la serie televisiva sono ambientati principalmente a Napoli. / The books and TV series take place primarily in Naples.

raccontare – tell, recount, narrate
La quadrilogia di Elena Ferrante racconta la storia di due amiche napoletane. / Elena Ferrante’s four-book series tells the story of two Neapolitan friends.

Read the Neapolitan Novels

Bring Italian into your everyday life by reading or watching L'amica geniale series.

If you haven’t done so already, get immersed by reading the books and/or the watching the TV series.
Personally, I read the Neapolitan novels in Italian. For those advanced in Italian, I highly recommend the Italian versions. The story is full of dialogue and accessible to language-learners. Although there was at least one unfamiliar vocabulary word on every page, this didn’t inhibit my ability to understand and read on.
If you’re not comfortable yet to read in Italian, Ann Goldstein’s English translations are highly praised. I have heard Goldstein speak at various conferences, and there is nothing closer you could get to the originals in Italian.
Once you start the book, the first 50 or so pages may seem overwhelming because of the multitude of characters. Persist! As soon as you get past the beginning chapters, you will get consumed and start flying through.
As for the TV series, I also highly recommend it. The RAI/HBO partnership is producing a thoughtful, beautiful, and true-to-the-books representation of Ferrante’s work. They have sought out undiscovered actors who speak Neapolitan dialect, and the result is so convincing. Italian or English subtitles will probably be necessary due to the amount of dialect spoken.
If you’d like to share the series with your children, know that there are definitely some mature themes and disturbing moments. I think that before their teen years might be too early.
Whether you’re starting the books or TV series, just make sure you choose a period where you’ll have some time to dedicate to them … you’re going to get hooked!
Buona lettura e buona visione!

The post Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels appeared first on All Around Italia.

The Best Italian Songs for Kids

S P — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:46:06 +0000

Learn our favorite Italian songs for kids, and share language through music.

My family loves Italian children’s songs! Music is a wonderful way to learn a language, and there are so many fun Italian songs for kids. In this post, we share our favorites. These songs are perfect for singing and dancing together. If you’re looking for lullabies, you won’t find many options in this post (but you will here!).

All the songs featured are uniquely Italian. They don’t have English versions that you already know. To make it easy for you to follow along and learn the words, every song is linked to a Youtube video with lyrics or closed captions. You can also find all these songs – and many more! – on the All Around Italia Spotify playlists.

Table of Contents

Papaveri e papere

Papaveri e papere seems to be one of those songs that every Italian knows. When my husband held our newborn daughter, he began singing “e tu sei piccolina, e tu sei piccolina”. And that’s how I discovered the song!
This lively tune is about a duck and a poppy flower who show an interest in each other and then get married. Soon after, the poppy blows away in the wind. Upon doing research, I learned this is symbolism: things don’t work out when a commoner (little duck) mixes with a powerful politician (tall poppy). When we sing with my daughter though, it’s really just about a duck and a poppy.
Papaveri e papere was composed by Mario Panzeri, Nino Rastelli, and Vittorio Mascheroni. It was originally sung by Nilla Pizzi, the artist who won Italy’s first Festival of San Remo in 1951.
If you want to put your Italian pronunciation to the test, sing this song! It is fast-paced and full of clever variations of words with a root of “pap”. The bouncy and measured rhythm make Papaveri e papere the perfect song for marching around with your little one (my daughter loved doing this!).
Chorus:
Lo sai che i papaveri son alti, alti, alti,
e tu sei piccolina, e tu sei piccolina.
Lo sai che i papaveri son alti, alti, alti,
sei nata paperina, che cosa ci vuoi far …

La zia di Forlì

A traditional Italian kids’ song, La zia di Forlì is about an auntie from Forlì (a town in Emilia-Romagna) who goes dancing! The auntie moves her feet … her knees … then her arms … then her head. She moves them in a specific way, “così, così”. With every addition of a body part, the music speeds up. It ultimately becomes a crazy fast dance!
When singing La zia di Forlì with your kids, add more body parts to the sequence. It’s a great way to teach your child the names of body parts in Italian.
In particular for younger kids, La zia di Forlì is bound to be a hit. I was introduced to this song during my time assistant teaching Italian at a public school in Boston. The first time I walked into the pre-K class with the teacher, one child stood up, started pumping his arms and chanting “così, così”. In no time, the whole class was demanding we sing the song … hilarious. Clearly, it’s a winner with the little ones!
Chorus:
Io ho una zia, una zia che sta a Forlì
E quando va a ballare con “il piede” fa così
Così, così, con “il piede” fa così
Così, così, con “il piede” fa così

Il coccodrillo come fa

Il coccodrillo come fa? What sound does a crocodile make? In this silly song by Oscar Avogadro and Pino Massara, the bambina singing is very perplexed by this question. She knows dogs bark, cats meow, cows moo, etc … but what does a crocodile do? No one seems to have the answer!
As the chorus goes – the crocodile eats too much, never wears his winter jacket, bites with his teeth, cries often, gets mad but doesn’t yell, drinks chamomile, and walks around half-asleep. A very busy (and interesting!) creature. But it remains a mystery what sound he makes!
A popular children’s song in Italy, Il coccodrillo come fa is catchy and upbeat. Sing, dance, and ponder the mystery of the crocodile’s noise together as a family.
Chorus:
ll coccodrillo come fa?
non c’è nessuno che lo sa.
Si dice mangi troppo,
non metta mai il cappotto,
che con i denti punga,
che molto spesso pianga,
Però quand’è tranquillo
Come fa ‘sto coccodrillo?

Il coccodrillo come fa?
Non c’è nessuno che lo sa
Si arrabbia ma non strilla
Sorseggia camomilla
E mezzo addormentato se ne va

Un cocomero tondo tondo

Since I learned this song, I can never look at a watermelon again without starting to sing …
Un cocomero tondo tondo is about a round, round watermelon that wants to be the best in the world.
Each time the song’s chorus repeats, the watermelon adds a new action to its repertoire: singing (la la), eating (gnam gnam), swimming (splash splash), skiing (Tomba Tomba – Tomba is an Italian skier as a FYI), sleeping (ronf ronf), drinking (drink drink).
As the watermelon does all these things, you must – of course – act out its actions as well! If you’re singing the song, get creative and have the watermelon do other things too. Un cocomero tondo tondo is a fun way to teach your child action verbs in Italian.
For dance parties, the best version of the song is the Piccole Ore version on YouTube or Spotify. To learn the lyrics (although they are simple), the Music for Happy Kids Youtube version with closed captions is good.
Chorus:
Un cocomero tondo, tondo
Che voleva essere il più forte del mondo
Che voleva tutti quanti superare
Un bel giorno si mise a …

La canzone della felicità

For when your child needs some cheering up, you’ll want to know the traditional Italian happy song – La canzone della felicità. Written especially for those moments when they’re feeling a little blue, the song has a soothing, easy melody.
La canzone della felicità redirects your child from their boo boo or trouble. It asks them to pretend to be a little animal or maybe a butterfly: beat your wings, move your antennas, give me your paws, and fly around.
A nice song to have in your repertoire for the moments you will need it!
Chorus:
Se sei triste
Ti manca l’allegria
Vuoi scacciare la malinconia
Vieni con me
Ti insegnerò
La canzone della felicità dù dù dà dà

Batti le ali
Muovi le antenne
Dammi le tue zampine
Vola di qua e vola di là
È la canzone della felicità dù dù dà dà

La casa (via dei Matti)

La casa by Sergio Endrigo (lyrics by Bardotti and de Moraes) is about an imaginary house – a beautiful one though! The address? Number Zero on Crazy Street. This house has no ceiling. It doesn’t have a kitchen. You can’t go in because there is no floor. There’s no roof, so you can’t sleep there. It doesn’t have a bathroom. But … it’s a beautiful house!
How could you not be charmed by this song?
Depending on how fast and enthusiastically you sing, La casa could be a dancing song or a lullaby. The Youtube version sung by Papà di Viola leans toward being a lullaby but is perfect for learning the song’s lyrics. The version we love by Franco Tuffano is more upbeat – find it here on Youtube and Spotify. Overall, a great song for any time of the day!
Chorus:
Era una casa molto carina
Senza soffitto, senza cucina
Non si poteva entrarci dentro
Perché non c’era il pavimento
Non si poteva andare a letto
In quella casa non c’era il tetto
Non si poteva fare pipì
Perché non c’era il vasino lì

Ma era bella, bella davvero
In Via dei Matti numero zero
Ma era bella, bella davvero
In Via dei Matti numero zero

Viva la pappa col pomodoro

Viva la pappa col pomodoro – long live Tuscan tomato soup! This catchy tune by Lina Wertmüller and Nino Rota was introduced to the world through a 1965 television mini-series – Il Giornalino di Gian Burrasca.
Based on the book Il Giornalino di Gian Burrasca by Florentine author Vamba, the series recounts the adventures of Gian Burrasca – a mischievous little boy who is played by the singer Rita Pavone. Gian Burrasca is sent to boarding school. There, in the cafeteria, they serve an inedible soup made with dirty water. Outraged, Gian Burrasca leads a revolution to replace the nasty soup with pappa col pomodoro.
Viva la pappa col pomodoro was an immediate success and is now a popular children’s song in Italy. When my toddler was learning to talk, she loved repeating the “pappappappa” part of the chorus.
If this song becomes a family favorite (which I bet it will), there are lovely opportunities to do activities around it when your kids are a little older – such as making pappa col pomodoro together or watching the mini-series.
Chorus:
Viva la pappappappa
col popopopopopopomodoro
Viva la pappappappa
che è un capopopopopopolavoro
Viva la pa papappappa
col popopomodor

Stendi i panni

Stendi i panni – a traditional Italian kid’s song that gives us an entertaining way to teach the vowels in Italian.
The chorus is simple: hang the laundry; the sun dries it; who wants some nice vegetables; the dog Fido barks.
The first time, you sing the chorus normally. Then, you sing the chorus again but substitute all the vowels for a single vowel. You do this until you’ve sung the chorus once with each vowel exclusively: A, E, I, O, U (in no particular order). It’s a bit hard to explain in writing, but if you listen to the song, you’ll catch on immediately!
For learning the song, the Happy Kids version with closed captions on Youtube is good. For listening and dancing with your kids, we much prefer Fabio Cobelli and Giada Monteleone’s version which you can find here on Youtube and on Spotify.
Chorus:
Stendi i panni, stendi i panni
Stendi i panni, stendi i panni
Asciuga, il sole asciuga
Asciuga, il sole asciuga
Chi la vuole la bella verdura?
Chi la vuole la bella verdura?
Bau bau bau bau bau bau Fido
Bau bau bau bau bau bau Fido

Il caffè della Peppina

Only in Italy would a children’s song about coffee become a huge hit! Il caffè della Peppina, a song about Peppina’s peculiar coffee, is by Alberto Anelli, Tony Martucci, Nicola Pinnetti, and Walter Valdi.
The basis of Il caffè della Peppina is a lady named Peppina making coffee. Her coffee, however, is no normal coffee. It’s undrinkable coffee! Peppina makes her coffee with chocolate, jam, onions, candy, and butterfly wings. Her coffee has rosemary, cheese, a turkey foot, a feather, and flour. Finally, she adds salt, pepper, water, salad, oil and vinegar, and even an explosive … which makes her jump into the air with her crazy coffee. Che caffè! What a coffee!
Ma perché, perché, perché? Why does she do it? We will never know, but we will have lots of fun singing about it over and over.
Chorus:
Il caffè della Peppina
Non si beve alla mattina
Né col latte, né col tè
Ma perché, perché, perché?

Le tagliatelle di Nonna Pina

Le tagliatelle di Nonna Pina – what better subject could there be for an Italian children’s song? When I first heard it, I thought it must have been written by a Bolognese. In fact, it was – Gian Marco Gualandi.
A bit more complex than the other songs in this post, Le tagliatelle di Nonna Pina is sung from the perspective of a child who is overwhelmed by school and her extracurricular activities. Fortunately, though, she has a secret and infallible cure for her stress …
What is the cure? Nonna Pina’s tagliatelle, of course! Eaten with ragù, they are full of vitamins and better than any medicine. They give you energy for the entire week. What could be better?
When I listen to this song, I hear the voice of the middle-school girl that I used to tutor in Bologna. Oftentimes, she endearingly expressed feeling stressed by her commitments. The song also obviously makes me think of tagliatelle al ragù, a typical and delicious Bolognese plate, taking me back even more vividly to my time living in Bologna.
Even if you haven’t lived in Bologna, how could this song not bring a smile to your and your child’s face? Don’t we all wish we could have the magic tagliatelle di Nonna Pina?
Chorus:
Mi serve una ricarica per tirarmi su
Ma un sistema rapido, infallibile e geniale
Fortunatamente io ce l’ho
Se me lo chiedete per favore
Il segreto io vi svelerò
Ma sì, ma dai! E diccelo anche a noi

Sono le tagliatelle di nonna Pina
Un pieno di energia, effetto vitamina
Mangiate calde col ragù, col ragù!
Ti fanno il pieno per sei giorni ed anche più
Perché le tagliatelle di nonna Pina
Son molto più efficaci di ogni medicina
Sensazionali a pranzo, a cena e credi a me
Son buone anche al mattino al posto del caffè

These Italian kids' songs are sure to become family favorites.

All these songs and many more are included on our Italian Music for Kids Spotify Playlist. For Disney music in Italian, check out this playlist. Also, make sure to see our post about Italian lullabies.
Are we forgetting any of your favorite Italian songs for kids? Comment below!
Buon ascolto e buon divertimento!

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The Best Italian Lullabies and Ninne Nanne

S P — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 02:25:57 +0000

Learn our favorite ninne nanne to rock your baby to sleep in Italian.

During those precious minutes while you rock your baby to sleep, Italian lullabies – or ninne nanne – are a lovely way for you to share the Italian language. For most parents and children, the songs routinely sung at bedtime become extra special and memorable.
In this post, we share our favorite Italian lullabies. Every song is linked to a Youtube video with lyrics or closed captions – just click the song title. You’ll be able to easily follow along, learn the songs, and start sharing them with your baby!
For even more bedtime songs in Italian, check out our Italian Lullabies Spotify playlist or Italian Lullabies YouTube playlist.

Table of Contents

Ninna Nanna Ninna Oh

Ninna Nanna Ninna Oh may be the most famous lullaby in Italy. In this traditional bedtime song, the singer asks, “questo bimbo a chi lo do / who should I give my baby to?” and then hypothesizes.
If I give my baby to the Befana or Christmas witch, she will keep him for a week. If I give my baby to the Bove Nero or Black Ox (or the Uomo Nero or Bogeyman in many versions), he will keep him for a year. If I give my baby to the Lupo Bianco or White Wolf, he will keep him for a long time.
The most common version of the song ends with the baby falling asleep – il mio bimbo addormentate. Presumably, the singer has decided to keep their baby (phew!).
Ninna Nanna Ninna Oh is slow, melodic, and soothing. A must-have in your lullaby repertoire.
Chorus:
Ninna nanna, ninna oh, questo bimbo a chi lo do?
Se lo do alla Befana, me lo tiene una settimana
Se lo do al al Bove Nero, me lo tiene un anno intero
Se lo do al Lupo Bianco, me lo tiene tanto, tanto
Ninna nanna, nanna fate, il mio bimbo addormentate

Brilla Brilla La Stellina

You may have guessed it. Brilla Brilla La Stellina is the Italian version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. You already know the tune to this one.
As for the lyrics, they are not directly translatable with the English lyrics, but the idea is certainly the same. A little star is twinkling in the sky above us. The singer wonders who the star belongs to. Now, the star comes closer.
A nice, calming, simple song that your child will probably end up learning in both English and Italian. The stars really do unite us no matter where we are!
Chorus:
Brilla brilla la stellina
Su nel cielo piccolina.
Brilla brilla sopra noi,
Mi domando di chi sei.
Brilla brilla la stellina,
Ora tu sei più vicina.

Farfallina Bella e Bianca

Another traditional Italian lullaby, Farfallina Bella e Bianca is usually a favorite of both babies and parents. I learned about this song from my aunt, who remembered it from her childhood.
During the first six months of my daughter’s life, this is the only song that would make her fall asleep for naps in the baby carriage.
As the title suggests, the song is about a beautiful, white butterfly. The butterfly flies around without tiring. It finds a red, sweet-smelling flower. Then, it finds a sunflower. When the sun comes out, the butterfly falls asleep.
A simple and sweet song that will remain in your head long after your baby falls asleep.
Chorus:
Farfallina bella e bianca
vola vola mai si stanca
vola qua, vola là

Ninna Nanna degli Animaletti

In Ninna Nanna degli Animaletti by Mario Pagano and Luciano Simoncini, children have a wonderful dream about being with their animal friends. As the children are sleeping, the animals are also sleeping: the groundhogs, mice, and the little bear. In the lair, the hare sleeps. In the fountain, the fish sleeps. Soundly sleeping are also the elephant, monkey, frog, and spider.
In the stall, the donkey dreams of being a butterfly. Under the stars, the gazelle fell asleep. The ant, squirrel, and bunnies sleep. So do the whale, shrimp, ostriches, and codfish.
The moon shines on the snails. Under a head of lettuce, the turtle sleeps.
Although it may be a bit harder to learn than some of the other lullabies, Ninna Nanna degli Animaletti is really a cute song. As your child will probably love animals, this lullaby is also nice way to teach them the Italian words for many different types of animals.
Chorus:
Dorme ogni bimbo di questo mondo
Sogna di fare un bel girotondo
Insieme a tutti gli animaletti
Il più bel sogno farà

Ninna Nanna del Chicco di Caffè (Ninna Nanna Mamma)

I love the lullaby Ninna Nanna del Chicco di Caffè by Franca Evangelisti and Mario Pagano. It is written from the perspective of a child.
In the first verse, the child tells their mom that they will stay in bed with her and sing her a lullaby. In the second verse, all of the houses are sleeping, the city is sleeping, even the ants are resting. But mamma never rests. In the last verse (the sweetest one), the child tells mamma that they will buy her beautiful things when they are older. For now, mamma should close her eyes and dream about everything she would want.
What is the chorus about? Seven bowls on the king’s table. There isn’t salad. In the bowl for mamma, there is just a coffee bean. Confused? Remember this sung is from the perspective of a child – it doesn’t have to make perfect sense to us adults!
Fortunately for mamma, at the end of the song, the child says they will put whatever she wants in her bowl on the king’s table – ci mettiamo su tutto quello che vuoi tu.
For the standards of lullabies, this one has a bit of a faster pace. The silly lyrics and catchy tune make it fun to sing.
Chorus:
Ninna nanna mamma
Insalata non ce n’è;
Sette le scodelle sulla tavola del re.
Ninna nanna mamma
Ce n’è una anche per te
Dentro cosa c’è
Solo un chicco di caffè

Stella Stellina

Stella Stellina is a traditional lullaby and rhyme that is well-known all across Italy. It is about nightfall. There is a star, a little star. The flame of the candle is going out. In the stall, all of the baby and mother animals are getting ready for bed: the cows, the sheep, the hens. Everyone has their mamma, and everyone is going to sleep.
As most children tend to love animals, once they start really understanding the words of your lullabies, they will probably like this one in particular. If all of the animals are sleeping, maybe they’ll be convinced to drift off too …
Chorus:
Stella stellina
La notte s’avvicina
La fiamma traballa
La mucca è nella stalla
La mucca e il vitello
La pecora e l’agnello
La chioccia e il pulcino
Ognuno ha il suo bambino
Ognuno ha la sua mamma
E tutti fan la nanna

Ninna Nanna di Frà Simon

When you’re ready for a break from repeating the words “ninna nanna” or singing about animals, this is a nice option.
Ninna Nanna di Frà Simon is a simple tune about two friars who rang Brother Simon’s church bell. Din don, din don went the bell. The friars asked for bread and wine. At night, they rang the bell. The day was finished, and it was time to go to bed.
This traditional lullaby is easy to memorize and to rock to rhythmically – just like Brother Simon’s chiming church bell.
Chorus:
Din don, din don
La campana di Fra Simon
Eran due che la sonavan
Pane vin i’ domandavan
Din don, campanon
La campana di Fra Simon
La sonavan nott’e dì
Che il giorno l’è finì
Ed è ora di dormir
Din don, din don

Dormi Piccino

Dormi Piccino by Carlo Rossetto was written especially for mamma to sing. As the song’s repeating line goes, la mamma è con te – mamma is with you.
Mamma invites her baby to dream with her of a land made of toys. She wants her baby to have a sweet sleep and to enter into a dream world, a place where you can even fly. Mamma is watching over her baby, and she will stay with them until the morning.
As the song finishes, it turns into repetition of whispers of “dormi, dormi”. In particular, I feel like this song is meant for the littlest piccini – during those first very delicate months of baby’s life.
Chorus:
Dormi, dormi
La mamma è con te

These are just a few of the many wonderful Italian lullabies.

To listen to over 1.5 hours of lovely bedtime songs, check out our Italian Lullabies Spotify playlist or Italian Lullabies YouTube playlist.
If you prefer to listen to music on Youtube, I recommend this playlist of traditional regional Italian lullabies. As your baby falls asleep, these are nice to have on in the background. My favorites are: Fate le Ninne from Abruzzo, Fate la Nanna Coscine di Pollo from Tuscany, Scende la Notte from Molise, and Ninna Nanna Monelletto from Umbria. You can find most of these regional Italian lullabies on our Spotify playlist as well.
Are we forgetting any of your favorite Italian lullabies? Comment below to let us know.
For the daytime hours, see our post on Italian songs for kids that are perfect for singing and dancing.
Happy listening, happy singing, and buona notte!

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The post The Best Italian Lullabies and Ninne Nanne appeared first on All Around Italia.

Baci di Alassio

S P — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 15:36:20 +0000

Delightful cookie kisses from Ligura

During a family vacation in Liguria’s province of Savona, I ventured off the beach to buy focaccia for lunch.
At the panetteria, some chocolatey-looking sandwich cookies immediately caught my eye. When it comes to desserts, I like to think of myself as somewhat of an intenditrice or connoisseur … which really just means I have a huge sweet tooth. These cookies, though, I had never seen before.
Pointing to cookies, I asked if they were chocolate Baci di Dama.
“No, no, no,” the shopkeeper responded. They were not Baci di Dama, which are typical of Piemonte. They were Baci di Alassio, typical of Liguria.
Of course, I had to try them.

Although Baci di Alassio resemble Baci di Dama, their look, texture, and taste are quite different.

Upon looking more closely at the cookies I had just purchased, I realized that Baci di Alassio are ruffled while Baci di Dama are rounded and smooth.
Tasting the cookies, my husband and I expected what we were used to – crumbly, nutty, buttery Baci di Dama. Instead, Baci di Alassio are chewy and dense. Their filling is chocolatey and decadent. Finally, they are not too sweet.
After a bite or two, we decided that we really liked them – even better than Baci di Dama! We proceeded to get them for breakfast – convincing ourselves they were good for breakfast because they aren’t too sweet.

Baci di Alassio were invented around 1910 in the town of Alassio, in Liguria’s province of Savona.

The cookies are made with cocoa and with hazelnuts, which were abundant at the time in the neighboring region of Piedmont. Both sugar and honey sweeten them. Instead of butter and flour, whipped egg whites hold the cookies together – resulting in the rather delicate and chewy texture.
They are filled with a chocolate ganache – made of dark chocolate and cream.
According to the story, in the early 1900s, tourism to the Ligurian coast was beginning to pick up. The creator of Baci di Alassio, Rinaldo Balzola, had a pastry shop in the Ligurian coastal town of Alassio. To attract tourists, Balzola wanted to create a cookie that could also serve as a souvenir. The delicious Baci di Alassio were born!
Over a hundred years later, Baci di Alassio have become famous on the Ligurian coast. Pastry shops and bakeries all over the region make and sell them. Tourists – like me – are happy to enjoy Baci di Alassio during vacation but also as a tasty souvenir to remember their time on the Ligurian coast.

Italian Vocabulary related to Baci di Alassio

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Baci di Alassio. Have you heard these before?

l’albume (m.) – egg white, also known as bianco d’uovo
I Baci di Alassio si fanno con albumi montati a neve. / Baci di Alassio are made with beaten egg whites.

morbido – soft
La consistenza dei Baci di Alassio è semi-morbida. / The consistency of Baci di Alassio is rather soft and chewy.

la riviera – coast
I Baci di Alassio furono inventati appositamente per i turisti sulla riviera ligure. / I Baci di Alassio were invented specifically for tourists on the Ligurian Coast.

Recipe - Make Baci di Alassio

Bring Italy into your everyday life by baking Baci di Alassio.

The original recipe for Baci di Alassio is a secret! Many, however, have taken their best guess and produced delicious results. To make the Baci at home, I have tried a few recipes. I like this recipe from Il Club delle Ricette but have reduced the amount of sugar.

Below, see my English translation of the recipe. I added measurement conversions for the United States.

Ingredients (for roughly 25 cookies)

1 cup of whole hazelnuts (250 grams)

½ cup of sugar (100 grams)

2 ¼ teaspoons of cornstarch (10 grams)

1 tablespoon of honey

2 egg whites – whipped with an electric blender to have stiff peaks

2 tablespoons of dark chocolate cocoa powder (20 grams)

½ cup of heavy cream (100 milliliters)

¾ cup of dark chocolate chips or chunks (130 grams)

Kitchen Tools

Food processor

Electric mixer

Pastry bag with a star tip (if you want them to look like the Baci di Alassio you find in Liguria)

Preparation

To prepare the Baci di Alassio, start by putting the chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat with a low flame until a uniform ganache forms. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Set aside and cover with plastic wrap directly on top of the ganache.

Put the hazelnuts and sugar into a food processor. Blend into a fine powder. Don’t leave large pieces or the recipe won’t work. Sift in the cocoa powder and cornstarch. Add the honey and stiffly whipped egg whites. Mix together to create a dry and solid dough.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch or 15 millimeter star tip. Pipe the cookies (you may have to press hard) evenly distanced on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool.

Once cooled, add some chocolate ganache between each pair of cookies. Once ready, serve your Baci di Alassio … maybe with a good tea!

Samantha’s Notes: This is a fun and relatively easy recipe to make with your family.

Sometimes, the dough doesn’t get quite as solid as it should. Other times, I don’t have a pastry bag on hand and just use a gallon freezer bag with a hole cut out. When these things happen, I get flat and round cookie sandwiches, but the taste (which I care about most) is still Baci di Alassio – delicious and refined!

Buon appetito!

The post Baci di Alassio appeared first on All Around Italia.

Baci di Dama

S P — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 15:34:50 +0000

My first trip to Piemonte started with a kiss ...

When I was living in Bologna, one of my friends from Piemonte invited me and my study-abroad friends to see his region. Since none of us had ever been, we eagerly accepted. After work and classes on Friday, we planned to do the three-hour drive together.
On Friday, we got a late start. After stopping for gas, making a wrong turn, and getting lost … it ended up being quite a long trip! When we finally arrived, we were all tired and a little grumpy.
Opening the door to our apartment, the mood immediately brightened when we saw the tray of cookies on the kitchen table.
Sono Baci di Dama, our friend told us. Hmm … what were these inviting-looking Baci di Dama? Delicious is what they were! In a manner of minutes, the cookies were all gone.
After a lovely first impression, I have since gotten to know Piemontese Baci di Dama very well.

Baci di Dama have been around for a while… since 1852 to be exact.

As the story goes, King Victor Emanuel II requested the creation of a new sweet treat to give as a gift to a beautiful lady. Reflecting the king’s intent to win over love, the pastry chef created a cookie resembling a Bacio, or a kiss. Depending on your perspective, these delicate cookies could be seen as either two mouths kissing or the lips of a lady about to give a kiss.
Whether or not that legend is true, it is quite certain that Baci di Dama were invented in the town of Tortona in Piedmont’s province of Alessandria. Instead of Baci di Dama, the cookies are sometimes referred to as Baci di Tortona.

The original Baci di Dama recipe used hazelnuts - plentiful in Piemonte.

Eventually, almonds began to replace hazelnuts in many versions of the cookies. If you ask any true Piemontese, however, they’ll tell you that Baci di Dama should only be made with hazelnuts. And not just any hazelnuts – but the best type – the ones from their region – nocciola piemonte I.G.P. (Didn’t know there are different types of hazelnuts? Check out this article in Italian about the 15 varieties in Italy alone!)
In addition to hazelnuts, Baci di Dama are made with butter, sugar, egg and flour. In the middle of the cookie sandwiches is a dollop of melted and hardened chocolate. The result is a crumbly, buttery, nutty and very addictive cookie (be warned!).
Today, you can find Baci di Dama all around Italy, and many spin-offs exist. One of the most famous is Liguria’s Baci di Alassio. Baci di Dama, however, still reign king and are one of the prides of the Piemonte region.
If you’re dreaming of going to Italy and finding love, head to a good panetteria piemontese. There, you’ll surely be able to get a kiss – a lovely Bacio di Dama!

Italian Vocabulary related to Baci di Dama

All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Baci di Dama. Have you heard these before?

la calotta – semi-sphere
I Baci di Dama sono composti da due calotte di biscotto unite da una striscia di cioccolato. / Baci di Dama are made of two cookie semi-spheres held together by a layer of chocolate.

nocciola – hazelnut
I Baci di Dama tradizionali si fanno con le nocciole piemontesi. / Traditional Baci di Dama are made with Piedmontese hazelnuts.

il dono – gift; synonyms in Italian include regalo or pensierino
Secondo la leggenda, i Baci di Dama furono inventati per re Vittorio Emanuele II da offrire in dono ad una bellissima donna. / According to the legend, Baci di Dama were invented for King Victor Emmanuel to offer as a gift to a beautiful woman.

Recipe - Make Baci di Dama

Bring Italy into your everyday life by baking Baci di Dama.

Baci di Dama are surprisingly easy to make at home. They do take a little bit of time though because you have to let the dough sit in the fridge for two hours. If you use quality ingredients, the result is not very far off from what you might find in Italy.
I like this recipe from il cuore in pentola. Below is my translation from Italian to English with added measurement conversions for the United States.

Ingredients (for about 20 Baci di Dama)
1 cup of toasted hazelnuts or almonds (150 grams)
⅔ cup of butter (150 grams)
¾ cup of powdered sugar (150 grams)
1 egg
1 ½ cups all purpose flour (250 grams)
1 pinch of salt
½ cup of dark chocolate chunks or chips (120 grams)

Kitchen Tools
Food processor

Preparation
Put the toasted hazelnuts in the food processor, and blend to a fine powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of the mixer, sift in the flour and the cold butter cut into pieces. Run the mixer until the mixture is evenly crumbly. If you prefer, you can mix by hand.
Mix in the powdered sugar, hazelnuts, and pinch of salt. Add the egg, and mix until a dough forms. Remove the dough from the bowl. Work it with your hands until it becomes smooth and homogenous – like a short crust pastry dough. Wrap in plastic wrap, and put in the fridge for two hours. The dough needs to become hard.
After two hours, remove the dough from the fridge. Without further rolling or stretching, divide it into pieces that are around 1 inch and even in thickness (7-8 grams).
Roll into small balls and put onto a baking tray, evenly distanced.
Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) for about 12 minutes. The cookies should be light-colored/white on the top and slightly golden brown on the bottom. When cooled, they will harden.
For the filling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted, let cool until it becomes a dense cream.
Put the melted chocolate into a pastry bag and pipe onto half of the cookies. If you don’t want to use a pastry bag, you can just carefully dollop the melted chocolate on with a spoon.
Use the remaining cookies to create the Baci.
Once the chocolate is hardened, you can move your Baci di Dama to a cookie tin. They will be good to eat for a few weeks.
Buon appetito!

The post Baci di Dama appeared first on All Around Italia.

How to Learn Italian Fluently in Italy

S P — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 03:46:34 +0000

How to make the most of your time in Italy to become fluent in Italian.

The time has come! You’re in Italy! Now, you can finally learn Italian and become fluent. Let the magic begin!

Wait a second … what magic?

Unfortunately, just being in a country does not mean you will learn the language.

Take me, for example. Upon arriving for study abroad in Italy, I couldn’t wait to become fluent in Italian. The problem was, however, that I could hardly express myself in basic conversations. It only took a week or so to realize that just being in Italy and “soaking it in” was not going to be enough.

I made a plan to improve my Italian, and I enthusiastically and rigorously followed it.

Over the course of my semester in Italy, I went from barely being able to communicate to doing presentations in Italian in front of an Italian audience. My language skills improved leaps and bounds. I achieved fluency – not perfection – but true fluency: the ability to communicate and understand just about anything on the fly.

If you too are serious about improving your Italian during your time in Italy, this is my guide to set you up for success. It is based on what I did and also what I wish I had done. Following these steps, you will elevate your language skills and improve your fluency!

Table of Contents

Choose the Right Study Program

The study program you select will likely make or break your entire experience in Italy and will definitely influence your ability to learn the language. So, do your best to choose the right one for your situation.
There are many factors to consider when deciding which program is best for you. What city or town is the program in? What is that city like? Where will you live? Where and what will you study? How long will you be in Italy? Who else signs up for the program? And more!
To guide you through the decision-making process, see the post Study in Italy to Learn Italian: How to Choose a Program. Again, you reallllly want to get this right!

Brush Up on Your Italian Before Arriving in Italy

Whatever background in Italian you have – classes at your university or just Duolingo – make time to practice before you go. While in Italy, you’ll want to make meaningful improvement in your comprehension and communication skills, not still be trying to memorize basic verb conjugations.
In the post Study in Italy to Learn Italian, I suggest selecting a program that requires you to do some homework before you arrive. Do this homework, and take it seriously. It will help you get ready.

Build a Support Community with Fellow Participants

When you choose a study abroad program where everyone (or nearly everyone) is serious about language improvement, you should have a relatively easy time building relationships as you share a common goal.
If your program shares a list of participants before you arrive, reach out ahead of time to start getting to know each other. If not, start from the day of your arrival in Italy!
Your fellow participants have the potential to be the main force cheering you along and assisting you on your language journey. Beware, though, that they also have the potential to completely derail your progress. If you spend all your time with your fellow program participants speaking English, you will not learn Italian.
On the other hand, if you decide to only speak Italian with each other, to organize trips to museums together, to study together, to make introductions to each others’ Italian friends and acquaintances, you will all benefit and learn (and really enjoy doing so!).

Make Sure Your Housing Works for You

In the post Study in Italy to Learn Italian, I stress the fact that your living mates can help you drastically improve your Italian.
By speaking regularly with your Italian roommates or host family during the ordinary moments of the day (cooking, eating meals, cleaning the house, studying, relaxing), you will get a lot of practice. When you have questions or concerns, you will likely turn to your living mates to discuss.
Ideally, you will form good relationships and also start doing things together out of the house – grocery shopping, going to the movies, running in the park, getting an aperitivo, taking a weekend trip.
If, for whatever reason, your housing situation is not working like this for you (roommates are never home, personalities clash, difficulty sharing common spaces if some people smoke cigarettes and others don’t, etc.), I strongly suggest you talk to your program coordinators ASAP to try and change where you live.

Set Routines for Daily Life Activities

Once you arrive in Italy and get settled, establish some routines. Generally speaking … do your grocery shopping at the same places, get your breakfast at the same bar, take the bus from the same stop at the same time every morning, try to sit next to the same people in class, etc.
Creating a rhythm of seeing the same people will allow you to make acquaintances and build relationships, providing opportunities to have conversations, even if they are brief.

Start Conversations

No matter where you are – in a place you go to regularly or not – try to strike up conversations with whomever is around you.
Instead of looking at your phone, ask for directions on the street. If you have a slight doubt or curiousity, ask a question in class. Even if you think you already know what you want to order on the menu, ask the waiter for their recommendation. Just talk! This is how you get practice!
I am not an outgoing or talkative person, but with the “excuse” of wanting to learn Italian, it suddenly became easy (and also fun) to start chatting with everyone I met.

Get Involved in the Community

A great way to meet more people, and thus have more opportunities to practice, is to find ways to participate in what is going on in your city or town.
Maybe you can translate for a local publication. Or teach English and get to know a local family. Maybe you want to attend a religious service. Or join a volunteer group. Maybe you want to join a gym. The point is, get out there and get involved!

Accept Invitations

If you’re doing a good job starting up conversations and meeting people, what hopefully will happen is that you will receive invitations for a caffè, aperitivo, or cena with your acquaintances.
When you get an invitation, accept it! There were times I was super tired and aquaintances invited me out, and I still said yes. There were times I felt like I wasn’t jiving well with the acquaintance who invited me out, but I still said yes and just brought another friend along too.
I put in the work to “make my friends”, but they are ones who put in the work that allowed me to really improve my language skills. I learned thanks to their extreme patience and generous willingness to answer my questions. Getting to know people, and ultimately forming true friendships with a few people, can change everything.

Study

Yes, it’s easy to slip into “vacation mode” during study abroad, but I don’t recommend it. Although there is probably no need to be pulling all-nighters to study, if you want to get better at Italian, you should definitely go to class and do your school work.

Go to Class

If you’ve chosen a program that offers classes directly at an Italian university (as recommended in the Choose a Study Abroad Program post), you will likely learn that class attendance at Italian universities tends to be optional. I repeat, you should definitely go to class.
Why go to class if you don’t have to?
First off, it gives you the opportunity to listen to lectures and lessons in Italian which will help your language skills and deepen your understanding of the culture.
Second, it gives you the opportunity to strike up conversations and make friends with classmates.
Third, you are going to have to take the exams (even if they will be for pass/fail credit at your American university), and attending class will boost your possibility of passing

Pass Your Exams

Forgot about exams? Yep, they exist even during study abroad. At Italian universities, exams are primarily oral “interrogations”. Knowing that I would be “interrogated” by the professor in front of my Italian classmates was super motivation to boost my language skills!
Studying for exams is a great exercise in expanding your vocabulary. Write down words you don’t know, and find out the meanings. Study with classmates to get comfortable speaking about the material.
If you get through oral examinations at an Italian university, you will feel more confident in your language skills. When you are more confident, you naturally take more risks and try out more complex ways of expressing yourself. This is how you get better. Nothing boosted my confidence like knowing I was capable of passing exams about sociology, literature, political science, etc. in Italian!

Stay in Italy

You may be tempted to jet set out of town every weekend. Seeing all of Europe when studying abroad is a great opportunity, don’t get me wrong, but seeing Europe is a different goal than improving your Italian.
If you want to be fully dedicated to your Italian language improvement, it doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Just travel to places where Italian is spoken – the 20 regions in Italy! This is what I did, and I was blown away by the differences between the regions. There is so much to see, experience, listen to, and taste. My experience travelling the regions is what inspired this blog!
Remember that experiencing culture is an important part of learning language. The more of Italy you get to know, the better you will understand and be able to use the language.

Make Lots of Mistakes

The last but absolute most important tip! To have success with all the above, you cannot be self-conscious about your language skills. You don’t have that luxury if you want to improve.
Instead, embrace the fact that you are not perfect in Italian. Not being a native speaker is an amazing excuse not to take yourself too seriously and to make lots of mistakes. This is precisely why learning a new language is beautiful – it takes you out of your comfort zone.
Also, it doesn’t hurt that Italians tend to appreciate your effort with their language, encourage you, and compliment you even if you don’t really deserve it.
While in Italy on a mission to improve my Italian, I realized that showing your vulnerability is a positive thing. It can really open up doors … not just for language learning but for life in general!
If you have other tips, please comment below! Buono studio e Buon divertimento!

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