Do you remember the commercials from the late eighties and early nineties advertising “Pork. The Other White Meat”?
It was a response to “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner”.
They were trying to convince us that pork was as healthy as chicken and as tasty as beef.
Of course, there was no need to tell the Italians about how good pork is. They have a history of utilizing all of a pig’s parts. Supporting evidence can be found throughout Italian cuisine: prosciutto, culatello, mortadella, lonza, speck, pancetta, coppa, salame, porchetta, salsiccia, cotechino, and so on. Nothing goes to waste!
Well, I recently came across an Italian article that likens pumpkin to pork, with an added bonus – health benefits! It was once called “pork for the poor people” because it was filling and all of its parts could be used. The seeds, pulp and even the flowers that sprout from its vine are all used in both sweet and salty Italian recipes.
Even the pumpkin’s grind was valuable. Once having cleaned the pumpkin of all its seeds and pulp (the edible parts), the Romans would dry up the outer shell and use it as a container to hold items such as salt and grains.
It is believed that the Romans may have been introduced to pumpkin from the Middle East or India. By the time all of Europe was introduced to pumpkin when Christopher Colombus brought it back with him from America, Italians began to investigate its nutritional value and appreciate the numerous ways it could be used in the kitchen.
Check out how Simone Bissolati makes it look like a fine art.
Knowing that the pumpkin is full of vitamins and minerals helps to alleviate some of the guilt from enjoying it in delicious dishes such as pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin tortelli, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin pie or even just a simple pumpkin sauce over pasta.
But then again, there’s nothing to feel guilty about. This is all healthy and nutritious.
It leaves you with a lighter belly and a heavier wallet.
It’s Pumpkin. The Other White Meat.