Sphere
#39
2015
21
>>
Different wines can be found throughout
Italy, and each region has local styles of
wine and great producers that specialise in
the area, but most important is the tradition
of hundreds of year of viticulture (grape
cultivation), winemaking and gastronomy.
Together with its local foods, each region
has established its own flavours and
combinations, offering a different, but just
as heavenly, experience for every palate.
“More than any other country, the wine
and food produced are interlinked and the
wines come alive with the local food,” says
Mr Stockman, “whether it be the cheeses of
the north with higher acidity reds, or the rich
tomato-based slow-cooked dishes further
south with Sangiovese grapes.”
Buon appetito!
Italian wine has evolved alongside regional
cuisines, and Italian food is considered some
of the finest in the world. Its most popular
dishes, such as spaghetti bolognaise, pizza,
lasagna and ravioli have dazzled the taste
buds of masses all over the world. However,
Italian gourmet food culture extends much
wider and deeper.
De re coquinaria
(On Cookery), also known
as the
Apicius
, dates from the first century
BC and is one of the very first cookbooks
known to man. The book is a collection
of recipes from Roman times providing
directions for experienced chefs, revealing
how pheasants, peacock, cured meats, pork
“No other country
has reproduced those
indigenous varieties to the
same degree of complexity.”
Jeremy Stockman,
General Manager for Watson’s Wine
sausage and seafood were all part of many
diets during the Roman Empire. Crops of
vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms,
broccoli, carrots, lettuce and other greens
were also grown while apricot and cherry
trees were cultivated for their fruit. After the
fall of the Roman Empire, each region began
to develop its own style of cuisine which
included meats, bread, pasta, cheese
and fruits.
A S Watson’s Western-themed, upmarket
international food hall, GREAT, in Admiralty,
Hong Kong, has consistently been curating
an exquisite selection of Italian gourmet
foods. One can confidently walk into the
food hall and come out with carnaroli rice,
dried porcini, shallots, white wine, chicken
stock, extra virgin olive oil, butter and
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – ingredients
to make an authentic wild mushroom
risotto.
As Timothy Broderick, Executive Chef of
GREAT Food Hall, explains, every ounce
of truffles from the Piedmont and Alba
regions, every drop of balsamic vinegar
fromModena, and every bottle of hand-
harvested olive oil, are the unique results of
centuries of culinary tradition. Each flavour
tells a unique story about the history behind
its making and its region of origin.
Pizza Pala, an Italian pizza takeaway counter
found within GREAT Food Hall, serves truly
