28/09/2020
Mushroom Risotto! This is an iconic Italian dish. But what are it's origins? Let's find out!
The tale of risotto, of course, begins with the story of rice and how it spread from Asia to Europe. While there are many conflicting opinions on the historical intricacies, rice was first introduced to Italy - Sicily to be precise - by the Saracens during the Middle Ages. From Sicily, the cultivation of rice spread to Naples and then the Po Valley, 27,000 square miles of fertile agricultural land in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
The humidity of the Mediterranean was quickly found to be perfect for growing shorter-grained rices, and enormous profits were made by those selling rice in Genoa, Venice and the surrounds. The popularity of rice grew through Italy, though primarily among the wealthy owing to the still-exorbitant prices of the product.
It was in Milan where the rice met its delicious destiny. Milan had been under Spanish rule for almost two centuries and rice had become a staple. Slow simmering and using locally-sourced wine, cheese, and saffron resulted in “Risotto Alla Milanese” created by chef Felice Luraschi in 1829.
Today the dish is served extensively, almost unchanged, in the kitchens and restaurants of the world. Ingredients as varied as mushrooms, scallops, lobster, truffles, veal, squid ink, snails, asparagus, duck, sausage, pumpkin and almost anything else are paired with this classic dish.
Elegant, rich with flavours, the mushroom risotto is quintessentially Italian!