Did you know Italians eat raw sausages? I didn’t. 
One of the most interesting foods I tried during my short trip in Alba was Salsiccia di Bra. Raw meat is nothing new to me since Koreans and even Japanese enjoy the delicacy but I had no idea it was available and enjoyed in Italy. Technically, it’s mostly in a sausage or a “salsiccia” form and is produced in the Piedmont region, particularly in the city Bra, hence the name “Salsiccia of Bra.” I’m a bigger fan of salsiccia than German wursts in general, but this was very special.
It was actually forbidden to eat around the country, only with the exception of Bra, which led to many Italians and tourists heading to the area and also nearby (including Alba) for the special meat dish. It’s like any other Italian sausage, mostly made from lean veal combined with pork belly, grounded together and seasoned with various seasonings. Since it’s a sausage, you can also cook or grill if you’d like, but it’s better to try it raw to really taste the flavor and texture. Besides, there aren’t a lot of places even in Italy where you can enjoy it.
알바에서의 여행에서 가장 인상깊었던 메뉴는 (물론 송로버섯도 있었지만) 육회였다. 정확히 말하면 생 소세지, 이탈리아어로는 살시챠. 이상하고 특이해서 브라 Bra라는 도시 이외는 금지되었던 음식인데 지금도 다른 곳보다도 이 도시에서 유난히 유명하고 쉽게 찾을 수 있다. 소세지기 때문에 구워서 먹을 수도 있지만 워낙 신선한 생고기로 만들기 때문에 주로 육회로 먹을 것을 추천. (개인적으로 독일의 소세지보다 이탈리아의 살시챠가 훨씬 맛있다고 생각.)
It’s a bit strange and it even feels wrong to nibble on a raw sausage but it’s like nothing else. It’s soft, tender, seasoned and cold and to be frank, it tastes exactly what you would expect it would taste like: raw sausage. I later tried the raw meat in a different form, not as a sausage, but as solely raw meat with really good olive oil drizzled on top, and I have to say I preferred that version. But yes, you can just go to the butcher and ask for a string or two of sausage and just eat it at the spot.
정육점에 가서 물어보면 그 자리에서 사서 바로 먹어 볼 수도 있다. 익숙한 그림의 육회가 아니라 소세지 형태라서 좀 껄끄러울 수도 있는데 생각보다 고소하고 간도 적당히 되서 일단 그 자리에서 다 먹어버렸다. 나중에 식당에서 소세지 형태가 아닌 그냥 접시에 예쁘게 담겨져서 참기름이 아닌 올리브유를 얹어서 먹었는데 개인적으로는 이 버전이 훨씬 나았다는 평가.
After a walk around the market and wine tasting at Salvano, we headed to a small yet modern restaurant called Osteria i Rebbi recommended by our wine master A. It takes about thirty minutes by car to get there from Alba and despite the beautiful views of the vineyards, hills, little houses and other Italian scenery, the ride is quite a bumpy and swirly one. I think we went up, down and through a couple of hills.
와이너리 아들 A와 함께 간 Osteria i Rebbi. 너무 꼬불꼬불한 곳에 위치하고 있어서 약간 멀미가 나는 어려움이 있었지만 주변의 경치에 집중하며 도착한 곳. 와이너리와 포도밭 곳곳에 이렇게 작은 레스토랑들이 많은 Alba인데 아무 곳에 가도 맛있는 이탈리아 홈메이드 식사를 할 수 있다고.
Grappa is a type of digestive brandy which you drink after a very full, hearty meal and apparently, there are various types of them depending on the type and quality of grapes and also the distillation process. Just like wine. As soon as I found this shelf in the restaurant, G nudged me to take a photo. I took it, not really knowing what it was, and later realized they were the different grappas made with different types of grapes.
무거운 밀가루 음식이 주류인 이탈리아 식사를 한 후에 에스프레소와 함께 마시는 소화주 그라파 Grappa도 와인처럼 포도의 종류와 질 그리고 만들어지는 과정에 따라 종류가 달라진다. 개인적으로 너무 강해서 즐기진 않지만 이렇게 많은 종류가 있는지는 처음 알았다.
Like any typical Italian restaurant, deciding on an order is a fun yet heart-wrenching moment. So we went all for it: the five course menu which included raw meat, ravioli, braised veal and the best panna cotta I have ever had in my life. Considering the area and the whole purpose of us being in Alba, there were a lot of sliced black truffle here and there as well.
제일 괴로운 순간이 있다면 메뉴를 정하는 시간. 뭘 먹을지 모른다기보다는 어느걸 먹어야할지 몰라서. 그래서 결국 5코스가 나오는 세트를 시켜버렸다. 육회, 라비올리, 그리고 내가 먹어본 판나코타 중 제일 맛있었던! 버터처럼 부드러운 판나 코타에 다들 놀라움을 금치 못했다.
After lunch, which lasted about 3 hours, we, well me and the others debated whether or not we should take a nap before we head out for dinner. I was about to burst, and I thought taking a nap would be like just stuffing your stomach with yet again more food. I suggested taking a short walk first, but then everyone, including or even especially G, argued that that’s the Italian way: eat hearty, really good food with really good wine and take a nap and just soak it all in. Literally, soak it all in. So after considering the few hours we slept the previous day and the dinner that will include yet another couple of tiring yet incredible courses of wine and food, I gave in. In true Italian fashion.
전통적으로 이탈리아인들은 점심을 먹고 나면 꼭 낮잠을 자는 버릇이 있다. 이 버릇은 아무리 생각해도 이해가 안되는 것인데 너무 더워서, 혹은 먹어줬으니 쉬어줘야해서, 또는 저녁을 위한 준비 운동이라고 주장하는 이탈리아인들을 보면 한심하면서도 고개가 끄덕여지는 상황. 안돼!를 반복하다가 전날 새벽 3시에 자고 그날 저녁에 있을 저녁 포식을 위해서 에너지를 아껴둬야한다는 주장에 그만 넘어가고 말았다.
사실 낮잠보다도 개인적으로 이해가 안되는 이탈리아 버릇 또 한 가지는 늦은 점심 혹은 저녁 시간. 기본적으로 점심은 레스토랑, 집 할 것 없이 1시 혹은 2시에도 먹기 시작하는데 자연스럽게 저녁도 그만큼 늦어진다는 것. G의 친구들을 만나면 저녁식사는 기본적으로 11시, 심할때는 자정에 시작하기도 한다. 그렇다고 결코 가볍게 먹는 사람들이 아니고 피자 한판씩, 디저트는 꼭 젤라또, 와인, 맥주 등등. (나라마다도 점심 시간이 다르다. 독일은 12시에 시작, 이탈리아는 1시에 시작. 결과적으로 G처럼 독일에서 이탈리아에 있는 이탈리아인들과 일을 하다 보면 점심 시간 때문에 놓치는 일들이 많아진다고.) 몇일전 뉴욕타임즈에 늦게 먹는 사람들의 건강에 대한 기사가 떴는데 바로 이탈리아인들의 생활 습관이 떠올랐다. 기사에도 역시나 유러피안들이 등장하는데 문제는 메뉴. 햄버거 혹은 튀긴 음식이 아닌 조금 더 건강한 음식을 먹으면 좀 낫지만 종합적으로 늦게 먹는 습과는 나쁘다는 결론. 하지만 많은 이탈리아인들에게는 씨도 안먹힐 기사.
These habits, mostly related to eating, in Italy baffle me sometimes. Another interesting habit is the time Italians eat their meals. A typical lunch starts around 1 p.m. or even 2 p.m., both in restaurants and at home. In Korea, lunch times starts at noon on the dot. Sometimes even 11:30 a.m. Meal time is also different depending on the countries. G used to complain or rather comment that sometimes it’s hard to finish up some work when you are working from Germany with Italian customers in Italy because while the German lunch hour starts at noon for an hour, the Italian one starts at 1 for an hour (officially) or more (because you have to have espresso and digest).
My issue isn’t really about lunch. It’s mostly when I’m in the southern part of Italy and when we are having dinner. The normal households have dinner at 8 p.m. or even 9 p.m. When we are meeting G’s friends for a pizza, we meet at 10:30 p.m. or sometimes even 11. When everyone’s there and we finally sit down at a restaurant, it’s already near midnight. And after pizza, there’s the espresso, the gelato and sometimes even more dessert. By the time we are back home, it’s around 2 or 3 a.m. I’m more than happy to take it all in, the pizza, beer, wine, gelato and desserts, but I do sometimes feel a pang of guilt before sleeping. Full belly, heavy heart.
In fact, there was an article on the NYT about late eating and although it does mention the contents of the meal does count, the bottom line is that it’s not so recommended in (Western) medical circles.
Dinner was at Alba’s city center. And cf course during the White Truffle Festival, the entire city is a festival. And in Italy, festival basically means food. Such a feast! And since it’s all about the truffles, they sell everything from fried eggs, cheese and pasta with a sprinkle of sliced (mostly) black truffles. And being a very good tourist as I am, we tried everything. I am so planning to go next year.
점심은 4시에 끝났지만 저녁을 위해 8시에 만났다. 송로버섯 축제인만큼 도시 전체가 축제 분위기. 도시의 중심가에는 이미 축제가 한창. 거의 모든 음식들은 송로버섯이 아름답게 얹혀져서 나오는데 있는대로 다 먹어봤다: 송로버섯을 얹은 계란후라이 토스트, 송로버섯을 얹은 치즈 토스트, 송로버섯을 얹은 파스타 등. 다음날 떠나면서 내년에는 좀 더 길게 즐기기로 약속.
- Salsiccia di Bra
- Osteria i Rebbi (Loc. San Sebastiano, 52, SP9, 12065 Monforte d’Alba, Cuneo, Italy)
All photos by rachelsanghee. October, 2014.
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