Table of Contents: Taste Milan
APPERATIVO.
MEAT.
PASTA.
PRODUCE.
CHEESE.
SWEETS.
PASTRIES.
Wines of Italy. Birra Italiana. Italian Spirits.
Why is Milanese cuisine different from other Italian cuisines.
This regional cuisine of Lombardy, which is not on the sea, uses what it has: maize, rice, beef, pork, and lard.
There are freshwater lakes and rivers, but not on the level to feed a hungry population.
Also, Milan is near the mountains. It gets cold in the winter.
The farms have milk cows, so look for recipes with milk, cream, butter, mascarpone, cheese, and ricotta.
Northern Italy’s cuisine has influences from countries to its north: France, Austria, and Switzerland.
Expect to find many more calories than in other Italian regions.
Olive trees do not grow as heartily in colder weather, so olive oil is not a significant ingredient, butter is.
I have no problem with that.
Apperativo.
You will find meat and cheese from nearby Parma. That alone is enough for me.
Suggestions:
- Polenta with local cheese. – (Gorgonzola). The tangy cheese plays off the sweetness of the cornmeal.
- Bruschetta – Even the bread tastes different in Milan. They top it with local cheese and salami or ham.
- Stuffed Michetta – The local puffy, bread, with meat, cheese, or vegetable stuffing.
- Mondeghili. – Milan’s take on the meatball. A peasant dish to avoid leftover food, they take beef, sausage, salami, and eggs, roll in breadcrumbs and cheese, and fry in butter.
Meat.
Milan lies between two great beef destinations, Tuscany and Piedmont, both with 1000+ years in the meat cooking business.
In a country of put up or shut up, Milan steps up to the plate.
Milan is a temple of quality beef.
Yes, they import Kobe beef. But one bite of the local and you will not even think of the imported stuff.
Veal appears in several traditional recipes, and the quality knocks the dish out of the park. All the other fresh ingredients don’t hurt the final product either.
Pork is a favorite meat in this area. Not just in smoked ham and salami, but the Black Duroc Pig turns out incredible ribs and steaks.
Chicken also shows up on menus, usually fried.
Peasant Food
And Milan is no different than any other part of Italy. Many recipes come from the peasants. In the hard times, you were lucky to find anything to eat, and cooks became creative.
You will see many menus with a “fifth quarter” dish.
The fifth quarter is all the other parts of the animal after butchering.
Most of these dishes require acquiring a taste. I am still “acquiring.”
But the locals take them very seriously as it is part of their tradition. You do not have to sample them but respect them.
Suggestions:
- Any beef dishes. – Northern Italy portions are usually large. Warning – cooking beyond medium-rare may get you “the look” from your waiter.
- Osso Buca. – are Veal shanks they braise with vegetables, in white wine and broth. Traditionally, they serve it with risotto (alla Milanese) or polenta.
- Alla Milanese – this style of cooking is also a descendant from peasant times. Thin slices of meat, breaded and into the frying pan with butter.
- Cotoletta (veal) alla Milanese – A breaded veal cutlet.
- Chicken alla Milanese – is a breaded chicken cutlet.
- Rostisciada – Sausage and pork loin sauteed in onions, white wine, and butter. Traditionally with risotto underneath.
- Cassoeula Milanese. – This dish is peasant cabbage stew with whatever parts of the pig they could find. Today, many use ribs and pork sausage.
- Cassoeula Coniglio. – Cassoeula (stew) Coniglio (rabbit.) All stews begin with simmering the meat in onion, carrot, and celery for about two and a half hours. Cabbage comes later.
- La Buseca – Tripe. This word appears on Italian menus and may catch Americans off guard. They slowly stew this traditional dish, a local favorite.
Taste Milan’s’ “Pasta.”
Rice tends to be more popular than pasta in Lombardy, in part because it absorbs more cheese, butter, and broth.
Rice is a side dish in other parts of the world. Not so in Italy.
Italians, and especially the Milanese, take it to primary meal status and call it risotto. Why? Well, as with most things Italian, it depends on who you ask.
If you ask someone in the south of Italy, you will hear about the Arabs. During their extended stay, they are mixing rice and saffron from their home country.
Today in Sicily, you can still find arancini, a savory rice cake they fry.
If you ask someone in the north, they will say they invented saffron rice. It matches the golden color of the Milan Duomo’s stained glass. Something about the craftsman who did the windows, and his daughter’s wedding reception.
Of course, it brings up the question, where did the rice and saffron start?
Regardless of origin, it is one of the most typical foods of northern Italy. As mentioned before, it gets cold in Northern Italy, and risotto is filling.
Today, a typical Milanese recipe includes saffron. But may also involve chicken stock (or other) butter, onions, white wine, and parmesan.
These are the base ingredients of Milanese risotto, but every chef, from Nanna to a Michelin-recommended restaurant has their recipe.
And then there are the highly controversial additions such as vegetables, seafood, even vodka.
Don’t misunderstand; you can find pasta here, however many are not native to Milan.
Ravioli and Pizzoccheri, (a short, flat tagliatelle, with 80% buckwheat flour) are primary ingredients in traditional dishes.
Suggestions:
- Zucca Mantovana. – This salty-sweet ravioli dish has a stuffing of Mantua pumpkin puree, nutmeg, and amaretti biscuit crumbs. The sauce has a butter-base.
- Pasta Milan. – Fresh penne or other pasta, with asparagus and peas in gorgonzola (now a suburb of Milan) sauce. Variations may include tomato.
- Pizzoccheri. – A thick mixture of potatoes, fontina cheese, real Parmesan, and chopped cabbage.
- Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi – is Pizzoccheri pasta with potatoes and Swiss Chard.
- Pan-Fried Saffron Risotto Patties. – Pretty much what it says, risotto patties fried in butter.
- Risotto Alla Milanese. – Traditionally, this is a serving of saffron risotto. Add porcini mushrooms, and it becomes Risotto ai Porcini. Add truffles, Risotto ai truffles, etc.
Taste Milan’s Produce.
Unfortunately, Milan does not have a fruit or vegetable to call it’s own.
Unlike the Sorrento lemon, Roma tomato, or Venato artichoke, there are no “only grows in Milan” produce.
The good news, there are many fruits and vegetables available seasonally.
Unfortunately, Milan does not have a central Mercato (market) like other cities. A place where locals go to buy their meat seafood and produce under one roof.
They have charming Macelleria (butcher) pescheria (seafood) shops around town that are fun to explore.
Each neighborhood has a local produce market open several days a week, which can be colorful.
However, to put together a picnic or enjoy a progressive lunch, takes more than one location.
Taste Milan’s Cheese.
Equally crucial as risotto, it is frequently the main ingredient holding many dishes together. Cheese, either new, aged, mild, or ripe feature prominently in Milanese cooking.
Italy is the third-largest cheese producer behind France and Germany.
The cheeses of Lombardy are some of the most important in Italy. Why? Lombardy has mountains and flatlands, creating perfect environments for the raising of dairy cattle.
Near Bergamo, you also find goat cheeses and here and there cheese from sheep milk or other animals.
Suggestions:
- Formai de Mut D.O.P – is cheese from high pasture land that they make with raw cow’s milk. They eat it both fresh and after aging.
- Grana Padano D.O.P. – It is the Milan Parmesan, but creamier and slightly less salty. The texture is grainy, and there is an unusual nutty aftertaste. This taste increases with time. Try with salami.
- Gorgonzola. – Cows milk with mold spores come in two versions: sweet (dolce)(younger) and spicy (piccante) (older). Try alone, or with a drizzle of honey.
- Mascarpone. – Cheese made from heavy cream and vinegar. (Italian cream cheese.) Spread it on bread or toast.
- Stracchino – offers a milky flavor and tender texture. With aging, it develops a tanginess and creamy softness. Spread on warm focaccia bread.
- Taleggio. – This semi-soft cheese gets creamier and more stinky with aging. Meaty and fruity at first, getting tangier as it ages. Try with a Volpicella, Pinot Nero, or Piave Merlot.
Sweets.
Panettone. – This traditional brioche bread with candied fruits, raisins, and oranges began in Milan.
You can find it everywhere at Christmas time. Some sweet wine or a hot beverage helps the panettone go down.
In Milan, you can find it year-round. A shop on Via Monte Napoleone 8 has been making it for over 200 years.
Colomba di Pasqua – The Easter cake. A similar dough to panettone, but without raisins and the addition of candied peel. The mixture is put into a dove (Colomba) shape, gets pearl sugar and almond bits on the top before baking. Very seasonal.
Crostata – The tart or small pie probably comes from Naples, but Milan puts their spin on it.
Crostata ai Mirtilli – is with fresh local blueberries. Ricotta and jams may also be a filling.
Barbajada – This Milanese drink, dating from the 19th century, combines cream, coffee, and chocolate in a warm beverage. Usually a dessert replacement, (or accompaniment.)
Taste Milan’s Pastries.
Unfortunately, Milan doesn’t have pastries to call it’s own. They have variations on delicacies from other regions. But outside of the panettone, no baked goods are traditional to Milan. Do not get me wrong; they have some incredible pastry and bakeries. I am always finding new ones.
Suggestions:
- Pasticceria Marchesi on Via S. Maria alla Porta has been in the same location since 1824. It is a 15-minute walk from the Duomo square but a step back 100 years. They have other stores, including Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Monte Napoleone, at Via Pietro Verri, but they don’t taste as good as the original store.
- Pasticceria Cucchi on Corso Genova (take a taxi) is also a step into the way-back machine. Here you can see traditional Italian coffee culture taking place. The ladies who lunch and gentlemen who belong to clubs must have (do) sip coffee here. The waiters are in uniform, and the crowd is eclectic. Pretend the pastries are traditionally Milanese.
- Pasticceria Cova on Via Montenapoleone celebrated its 200th birthday in 2017. It’s a pasticceria, a cafe, tearoom, or just great people watching all rolled up into one. For morning or afternoon breaks. It is not open in the evening.
Taste Milan Summary
So many people bypass Milan and I have no idea why. Great history, fashion, wine, and cuisine.
Who knew meat-eaters could find Italian food they like?
The wine region is right between Piedmonte and Tuscany. How could it be anything but tasty with neighbors like that?
So what are you waiting for?
See the Duomo, the Last Supper, a performance at La Scala, but set aside time to taste Milan.