Five of our products that seem like a joke but aren't.

At Carnival, anything goes: and here are our pranks! Which in reality… are not. Yes, because their name sounds funny and like a “joke,” but in reality, they are true gourmet delicacies. We are talking about five of our products that have attracted quite a bit of attention from you lovers of traditional flavors: Crema di Blu all’Oseleta, Culatta, Crema di Topinambur, ‘o Siscariello, and Visciole.

The Crema di Blu all’Oseleta is a dairy masterpiece from a great Veneto affineur, Giuseppe Bernardinelli of I Sapori del Portico. It is a soft and sweet blue cheese that is placed in containers along with red wine from Verona made with Oseleta grapes. The result is an intense spoonable cheese with an intoxicating aroma, highly sought after and rather difficult to find. The funny thing about this product is the name of this grape, which instead is well-known among oenologists and wineries in the Valpolicella region. One of the wines produced from this type of grape is one of the best reds in Italy: we are talking about Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG. Oseleta has small, stocky, and short grape clusters with very compact berries. The amount of juice in each berry is quite limited, but it has a lot of sugar and excellent tannin. The term “oseleta” has a dialectal origin, specifically from the Veneto "oselét", meaning little bird. The term is likely used for two reasons: it is said that this very sweet type of grape is favored by small vineyard birds, but others prefer the version that connects its small shape to that of a small bird.

Don’t laugh, but the Culatta (you can find culatta and culatello) almost sounds like a swear word. In reality, it is a typical cured meat delicacy from the Bassa Parmense. It is the best part of the heavy pig's hind leg, typically used to make Culatello, the king of cured meats. The substantial difference between the two types of cured meats is that Culatello is completely skinless and stuffed into the bladder, while Culatta retains a natural “stuffing” on one side with the skin and on the other with lard. Keeping these natural parts allows Culatta to endure even long aging, achieving a unique fragrance. Despite its not particularly elegant name, Culatta is a top-tier cured meat product, often used by numerous chefs for their gourmet creations. Don’t ask us why it’s called that, as it’s easy to figure it out on your own. Okay, we’ll tell you: the part of the pig's leg used to make Culatta is… the rump! But let's move on.

The Crema di Topinambur is something absolutely delicate and delicious! Don’t know what Topinambur is? It's a tuber rich in nutrient and beneficial properties. It is also called “German turnip,” “Jerusalem artichoke,” or “Canadian sunflower,” and is considered a dietary tuber suitable for diabetics due to its low glycemic content. A cream very suitable for preparing delicious risottos, for use as a dressing for nutritious salads, or to enjoy with a soft potato purée. Its name is quite strange and it is this that makes it funny: it is pronounced correctly with the accent on the final U. Its etymology is thought to derive from the Portuguese noun “tubinambor,” which denotes the tupinamba potato. Others believe it derives from a tribe of Indians from Brazil, a country from where it was mistakenly thought to originate. This plant, in fact, is a close relative of the sunflower and belongs to the Compositae family native to the southern United States.

“O Siscariello” is immediately perceived as a Neapolitan dialect word. Its name is quite curious and amusing, but it simply means “whistle.” Very famous in its most well-known version made from durum wheat semolina from Gragnano, it is a particular type of pasta shaped like a small tube obtained from a smooth air-filled interior and a ridged exterior. A pasta shape that resembles the whistle and used to delight at the table, especially for Neapolitan children who, while playing, always finished their plate without making mom and dad angry.

Let’s wrap up with our last “prank” and bring to your tables a nice jar of visciole in syrup. Many know what visciole are, but many others do not and, from the name, might perceive it as something not particularly good, maybe “slimy.” In reality, the visciola is one of the finest fruits that we have the honor to see grow on our Peninsula: it is a variety of wild sour cherry very ancient, which already in ancient Roman times grew along the Via Flaminia. Considered the best sour cherries, visciole are a real “drug”: they have an intense, sweet flavor, providing a nice fresh and tart sensation that facilitates swallowing and the desire to start eating one after another. You can’t do without them. The visciola is the fruit of the visciolo, also known as the sour cherry tree. It may be sour, but it gives us a wonderful fruit!

And if at Carnival anything goes, we can say that our pranks are delicious!

Fabio De Vecchi

S&M