Deli and Italy are for many synonymous
Italy is home
of pasta, vino, salami, mozzarella, pesto, focaccia, prosciutto, parmigiano-reggiano,
pepperoncini, panini, tiramisu…. and the deli, which sells all of these items. The Italian
deli is one of the greatest sensory shows on our food earth. Pungent
cheese mixes with the intoxicating smells of gigantic hanging hams just waiting
to be sliced. Lasagna fresh-from-the-oven
causes a Pavlovian reaction. Aisles are
filled with a Noah’s ark full of olives, olive oils, capers, balsamic vinegars,
and tins of San Marzano tomatoes. And,
let’s not forget the aroma of garlic---no vampire would get within 50 meters of
an Italian deli.
Every city in
Italy is replete with delis. Their
reputations are often based on their homemade ingredients which fill their
display cases. With both parents often
working in Italy, the deli has become the Italian healthy version of fast food: eggplant parm is a favorite item that can
quickly be reheated. Always popular meatballs,
made from closely guarded deli recipes been passed down for generations, can
become a speedy dinner by simply boiling water for pasta. Many delis are also known for their seafood
salad---calamari, shrimp and mussels dressed with olive oil and lemon (add a
loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine and this makes a perfect dinner for
time-bankrupt Italian households).
Eataly is a deli on steroids
There are many
fabulous deli’s in Italy. Eataly in
Turin (the brand’s original location) is totally awesome. This is a food emporium extraordinaire----a
deli combined with a butcher shop, bread seller, seafood market, pastry shop,
wine store, pizza parlor, foodie’s gift store, general grocery store, vegetable
market, and a culinary bookstore.
Peck has a nearly endless supply of gastronomic sweets
In my
opinion, however, the ultimate deli in all of Italy is Peck in Milan. Located not far from the city’s famous
cathedral, Peck has always been my favorite for takeout. Many times over the years I have taken the
train from nearby Lake Como to pick up ingredients for a picnic dinner on the
terrace of my hotel in Bellagio. Peck’s
seafood salad with lobster and scallops is off the Richter scale. If I’m feeling really decadent I buy a small
slice of foie gras with truffles. But,
Peck’s also sells pieces of magnifico
rotisserie chicken which I often pair with their pepperonata, a stewed mélange of multi-colored peppers with hints
of anchovy, garlic, olive oil and a drizzle of good balsamic.
All of this time I
have assumed that deli was an Italian word.
Wrong. Deli is from the word “delikatessen,” a German word. In 1700 the word was first used by a German food
company that sold bananas, mangoes and plums it had imported from exotic places
like the Canary Islands and China. The
company, Dallymar, is still in business today and remains the largest business
of its type in Europe.
Like many things in Italy, it's all about the heart & soul of the owners
Although the word
deli is not Italian, I think it sounds Italian. That made me think of the Italian word “delicato,” which stems from a Latin
word meaning “giving pleasure, delightful.”
So in my mind I’m going to keep my notion of deli as Italian. While the Italians may not have invented the
concept of a store selling a cornucopia of exotic foods, to me the delis of
Italy give great pleasure and are a culinary delight.
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