Buonasera from Italy! So these past few days have been great! Our first week in Italy was all architecture and art related. This week was getting into the food class! Thank goodness we average about 6 miles walking every day because I eat like crazy! The some big trips of the week were going to Loreno Winery (*for all my wine peeps, this is where they make the famous Cianti Classico!*), the Panforte Factory, and Spannocchia Farm.
Let's go over the winery. Now, I don't drink wine. It is goes against my religion and personal beliefs. However, I did try to fully immerse myself in the wine process and experience. My professor had textbook readings about the Cianti Classico wine made there and I tried to familiarize myself with that as much as possible. The winery also made their own Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so I was very appreciative to be taste testing that while the rest of my group would taste the different wines. By the time the wine tasting was done, I had smelled and examined every wine as much as I could without drinking it and I got a lot out of that. Making wine is a huge ordeal and it's amazing that they are so dedicated to making these beverages.
Panforte factory! Now this was a very interesting experience. Like I've said before, Italians and the Sienese people truly enjoy their foods that have been around for centuries. One of those foods we learned about in our walking lecture and textbook readings was the panforte. This is a spiced bread that was invented around the 15th century. It's pretty much bread crumbs, honey, dried fruit, and a CRAP ton of spices. Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, red pepper, walnuts... you name it. There's actually 17 specific ingrediants and in our textbook readings, it also mentioned including "love, virtue, patience" hahaha! Not even joking there. When I tried it, I quickly realized that it tasted like carrot cake from the U.S with a little hint of black licorice, and a lot less sugar/ frosting. I guess back in the day, this bread was also used as some sort of energy bar and still can be used that way today. Best part? You can buy it in the U.S! That's right ladies and gentlemen, for only $6 you can buy your own Panforte in your local World Market!! But in all reality, it's amazing to see this factory thriving on the high demand coming from its city.
Spannocchia Farm was like a magical wonderland. A wonderland with pigs that is. Spannocchia Farm is known for saving and breeding the local Cinta Senese Pig that was about to go extinct a few centuries ago. We got to have an hour walking tour around the Villa (not the Villa American's have defined. An actual Villa is the home of the landowner. The other houses we Americans think of as Villas were for the workers, and those are called podere). We then got another hour walking tour of the pigs, olive trees, and their private winery. Overall a gorgeous place with tons of history. I've never been to a place in the USA that raises and slaughters an animal that were almost extinct at one point. Also, lemme just mention the hike there. Wow. An hour hike just to get to their beautiful vegetable gardens. I definitely felt in my element here. Not so "in my element" when I was eating pig face though. However! Study abroad is meant to get you out of your comfort zone a bit. So my advice you ask? Try the pig face! Take an hour hike all uphill in 100% humidity! Try ordering a drink in the language of the country! Growth comes when you get out of your comfort zone.
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