May 27 Barbecue "Grigliata" at Caravaggio

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Today, the lab went on an excursion to Caravaggio, which is a rural area an hour away from the Politecnico. There is an area for "agroturismo," where we rented a place to grill meats and eat. In the same area were also animals to look at and various activities for families to do. This was also the first time I encountered squat toilets outside of China and Japan.

This was also my first time riding in a car in Italy. The professor Giancarlo was very skilled at navigating through the cars and people, despite driving a car with manual transmission. The many rotary roads ("rotondo") were particularly tricky roads. We were driving on an expressway, but it was simply weaving through one rotary road after another. I was only slightly surprised (based on the driving behaviors I have seen here so far) when cars pushed up against each other side by side, all technically in one lane, where there was a small jam. 

Luckily, it seems harder to get a driver's license here than in the US. The road test is done in a stickshift car and among the tasks are starting on an uphill and driving on the highway. It is particularly difficult in Milano, where there are also street trolleys, motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians. 

Pierangelo at the grill
Pierangelo at the wood-fired grill

Cool shape of grill funnels smoke to the top and away from the face

Pietro and Lorenzo cooking up salamele

Now for the food:

  • Pancetta - pork belly. It looked like bacon but had more chew and meaty flavor.
  • Costina di maiale - pork ribs
  • Salamela. They looked like burgers at first, but the meat was less finely ground and the fat mixed in, as well as the seasoning, made it very flavorful. Some people ate it in between bread like a burger, while others ate it with knife and fork like a sausage.
  • Carne - steak
  • Thin pork chops
  • Tomino - melted cheese. Like brie, except on the funkier side. Served with bread!
  • Insalata - salad
  • L'ananas - pineapple
  • Tortas
    • di limone - layer of lemon filling sandwiched between thin, sturdy cake/crust
    • al cioccolato - chocolate cake without the frosting
    • di albicocca - apricot jam sandwiched between thin, sturdy cake/crust. This was very fragrant and my favorite among the sweets
And the drinks:

  • Birra - beer. This was pretty light in flavor, not too much hops. At least the one we had
  • Spritz - with prosecco (which is "spumante," ie sparkling, wine), aerosol, and seltzer. It had a fruity flavor.
  • Vino rosso - red wine. The one I had was not too sweet, not too dry and floral under the tongue.

Also, I noticed that while Italians may use plastic bottles/disposables more than the average American, they are less likely to waste and throw away food.


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