''Cassoeula'' or ''cazzoeula'' (), sometimes
Italianized as ''cassola'',
''cazzuola'' or ''cazzola'' (the word for '
trowel
A trowel is a small hand tool used for digging, applying, smoothing, or moving small amounts of viscous or particulate material. Common varieties include the masonry trowel, garden trowel, and float trowel.
A power trowel is a much larger ga ...
', etymologically unrelated), or ''bottaggio'' (probably derived from the French word ), is a typical winter dish popular in western
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, Italy, chiefly made from
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
and
Savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''sabauda'' L. or ''Brassica oleracea'' Savoy Cabbage Group) is a variety or cultivar group of the plant species ''Brassica oleracea''. Savoy cabbage is a winter vegetable and one of several cabbage vari ...
. The dish has a strong, decisive flavour, and was a favourite of conductor
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
.
One writer describes it as a "noble, ancient Milanese dish",
and writes of the inexpressible "pleasure that it furnishes the soul as well as the palate, especially on a wintry day".
Origins
One account of the origins of the dish associates it with the January 17 celebration of
St Anthony the Abbot, which coincided with the end of the pig-slaughtering season.
The parts of the pig used for the dish were those ready for consumption immediately after slaughter, whereas the better cuts of meat would be hung to improve the flavour.
Another legend traces the origins of the dish to the 16th century, when
Spain ruled Milan; it tells how an army officer taught the recipe to his lover, who cooked for a noble Milanese family, and the dish was well-received and became popular.
The Spanish period origin is put under discussion by the existence in the 12th century of a dish called ''mangiacaxöla'' in the Lombard ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) of
Busto Arsizio
Busto Arsizio (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the south-easternmost part of the province of Varese, in the Italy, Italian region of Lombardy, north of Milan. The economy of Busto Arsizio is mainly based on industry and commerce. It is the ...
, which leads to think the recipe is way older.
Ingredients
The meat used in the dish includes mainly
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
meat (usually least valuable parts like
ribs
The rib cage or thoracic cage is an endoskeletal enclosure in the thorax of most vertebrates that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum, which protect the vital organs of the thoracic cavity, such as the heart, lungs and great vessels ...
,
rind,
head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
,
trotters,
ears,
nose and tail),
Verzino sausage,
and sometimes other meats like chicken and goose. These are cooked in a
casserole
A casserole (French language, French: diminutive of , from Provençal dialect, Provençal , meaning 'saucepan') is a kind of large, deep cookware and bakeware, pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven; it is also a categor ...
(hence its name) with ingredients such as onion, carrot, celery and black pepper for about two and a half hours, after which
Savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''sabauda'' L. or ''Brassica oleracea'' Savoy Cabbage Group) is a variety or cultivar group of the plant species ''Brassica oleracea''. Savoy cabbage is a winter vegetable and one of several cabbage vari ...
is added and cooking continues for a further half-hour.
Usually, ''cassoeula'' is served with
polenta
Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled.
The variety of cereal used is ...
and/or a strong
red wine
Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...
. It is tradition for this dish to be eaten starting after the first frost of the season, to let the cabbage be softer and tastier.
Variations
Many variations of this dish exist across the territory, but all of them share the use of cabbage.
For example, in the
province of Como
The province of Como (; Comasco dialect, Comasco: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It borders the Switzerland, Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grisons, Grigioni to the north, the Italian provinces of Province of ...
the head is used, but not the trotters, in the
province of Pavia
The province of Pavia () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is Pavia.
, the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of ; the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205.
History
T ...
only the ribs are used, and in the
province of Novara
The province of Novara () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Novara.
In 1992, the new province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola was created through the fusion of three geographical areas whic ...
, Piedmont,
goose
A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egy ...
is added.
See also
References
{{Cuisine , state=collapsed
Cuisine of Lombardy
Pork dishes