Exchanging Traditional Recipes?

[Rosie]

The Italian cuisine is, as I've said it before, amazing. It actually still "wow"-s me, there's always something new, something I've never tried before, every region has it's own traditions even (I've eaten a food called chisulèn for the first time last year, it's just milk and flour, fried in fat... sounds gross, but it's amazingly good )

So, many times when I ask about these foods and traditions, Italians usually ask me the same thing. What's food like in my country and stuff like that. Well, since sometimes for lunch (at work) we bring food from home and eat it among us, colleagues, I once brought some eggplant salad. Italians have never tasted it, I know that for sure because each and every one of them who have tried it were like "omg! so good! what is it?" So, now I'm practically famous for a really simple recipe, but gooood! I bring it almost every week, when I'm on the same shift with my favorite colleagues ('cause not everyone is worthy of my cooking lol)

What about you?
Did you ever impress any Italians with your traditional recipes from home? Did they like it?

 

[VeeTee]

I once brought some eggplant salad. Italians have never tasted it, I know that for sure because each and every one of them who have tried it were like "omg! so good! what is it?"

I'm really surprised to hear that! I've always had what we call melanzane. It's basically a pickled eggplant and is an Italian recipe.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

A lot of time Italians like to keep their recipes secret. Especially if it is a dish that everyone loves. Have you experienced this? I am lucky that my family is very big on sharing recipes. My aunts are always trying to teach me how to make certain dishes. I also like finding recipes in Itlaian cook books and tweaking them a little bit to become my own.

 

[Juno]

A lot of time Italians like to keep their recipes secret. Especially if it is a dish that everyone loves. Have you experienced this? I am lucky that my family is very big on sharing recipes. My aunts are always trying to teach me how to make certain dishes. I also like finding recipes in Itlaian cook books and tweaking them a little bit to become my own.

I noticed this as well. However, I think the practice of keeping family recipes within the family is a tradition in a lot of cultures. There is also the case of those who just want to own the best recipe and not let anyone else know how it's done so they can enjoy the attention.

 

[pwarbi]

Getting an Italian to give you their recipe is almost like getting blood out of a stone! A lot of these recipes though have been handed down from generation to generation and kept in the family, so I guess you can't blame them for not wanting to share.

 

[KimmyMarkks]

Getting an Italian to give you their recipe is almost like getting blood out of a stone! A lot of these recipes though have been handed down from generation to generation and kept in the family, so I guess you can't blame them for not wanting to share.

Yes, I agree. Many of their recipes have been handed down for generations. A lot of them area all by memory too, there is no paper trail of them. Most of my realities don’t even use measuring tools in their recipes. They do everything by sight.

 

[OhioTom76]

If you want to learn some of their recipes, you may want to offer help them prepare a meal if you're all having a get together. I'm half Italian myself, and I even had a hard time getting some of my other Italian friends to share their recipes with me, until I started offering to come over and help them cook everything. Of course a few glasses of wine may help loosen them up too, lol. Just be sure to promise them you'll keep their recipe a secret going forward.

Sometimes part of the reason they may be reluctant to share their recipes, is because they may have some "shortcuts" or cheats they may not want others knowing.

 

[pwarbi]

Yes, I agree. Many of their recipes have been handed down for generations. A lot of them area all by memory too, there is no paper trail of them. Most of my realities don’t even use measuring tools in their recipes. They do everything by sight.

Not using exact measurements is often quite common in these old recipes and its usually just a case of a pinch of this or a little bit of that.

A lot is done by taste, so if you don't know how the dish is supposed to taste, then you've no chance of knowing just how much of an ingredient you need to put in.

 

[pwarbi]

If you want to learn some of their recipes, you may want to offer help them prepare a meal if you're all having a get together. I'm half Italian myself, and I even had a hard time getting some of my other Italian friends to share their recipes with me, until I started offering to come over and help them cook everything. Of course a few glasses of wine may help loosen them up too, lol. Just be sure to promise them you'll keep their recipe a secret going forward.

Sometimes part of the reason they may be reluctant to share their recipes, is because they may have some "shortcuts" or cheats they may not want others knowing.

So let's get this straight, what your saying is lure them into a false sense of security, think your being a nice guy by offering to help. Once they accept, you then get them drunk and steal their recipe and ideas?

I like the way you think my friend, hahaha!

 

[ellyjude]

I'm learning a lot from the comments of people in this post. The recipe the Italians use are quite similar to what we use in East Africa. It is just that we have different names for them.

 

[pwarbi]

I'm learning a lot from the comments of people in this post. The recipe the Italians use are quite similar to what we use in East Africa. It is just that we have different names for them.

A lot of countries I've found have more or less the same dishes, just like you say they'll have different names for them and sometimes slightly different ingredients.

Different countries will have access to different foods and sometimes if a dish contains a certain ingredient that can't be found in your country, then you'll often find a substitute to replace it with, without it impacting too much on the taste of that particular dish your making.

 

[notyourcommodity]

Getting an Italian to give you their recipe is almost like getting blood out of a stone! A lot of these recipes though have been handed down from generation to generation and kept in the family, so I guess you can't blame them for not wanting to share.

You made me laugh out loud because my Nonna was 100% like this. People would ask for her recipe for her tomato sauce that she would use as a pizza base, or as a base for her Bolognese, and she would always, always refuse!

I do think it's quite family-based - there's that pride of having a well loved family recipe, but that it has a level of exclusivity in that it's only for the family to use!