THE HISTORY OF THE TORTANO E OF THE CASATIELLO
And' Easter, Christ risorge. It was dead, it is now again alive. Together with him the hope revives, and with her the good mood. And with the good mood the appetite also returns. Because let's tell us him: on Sundays of Easter eat well, and abundantly. The Easter changes date every year, but to table it is always equal.
To Easter we feed there according to the tradition, and the tradition feeds him of symbols. We take one of the traditional dishes of the Easter of the south of Italy: the casatiello. But let's take few of it, because it is of a proverbial heaviness: "The' that casatiello!Naples is said to, speaking of a pedantic, wordy and boring person.
In the culinary tassonomia, the casatiello belongs to the family of the salty Easter cakes. As the tortano. (the more famous sweet Easter cake is certainly the pastiera).
The term casatiello derives from "case", that wants to say cheese in Neapolitan dialect, and it alludes to the conspicuous presence to its inside of cheese pecorino. Tortano could derive from cake-no, in the sense that is not a cake, but it is very more. But this origin doesn't convince.
Tortano and casatiello have the same I mix: flour, yeast, water, salt, pepper, lard (in Italian lard), firm eggs, salami, cheese and ciccoli (ciccioli) of pig.
The variations are numerous: regional, local, and family. There is who, instead of the (or together with the) salami in I mix him it puts us mortadella to dadini or cooked ham. As for the cheeses, fundamental it is the Roman pecorino in generous doses. To it a small percentage of parmesan cheese is often added, and there is who pushes up to the provolone semipiccante, e/o to the emmental.
For a so tied up dish to the Easter, and therefore to the Christian tradition, ago a certain effect to become himself/herself/themselves account that its ingredients respond to a pagan simbologia, very preceding to Christ: to start from the already evoked pecorino. The cheese pecorino does him with the milk of sheep. Of which he feeds the small one some sheep: the lamb. So, in the pagan rites connected to the spring resurrezione of the nature after her "death" winter you/they were sacrificed some lambs. With her to capital, the lamb is the symbol of the innocence: of the pure and candid creature. For this the Hebrews offered him/it in sacrifice during the Easter. And who. in the Christian vision. the lamb of God is more innocent than Christ that removes the sins from the world?
In the whole west, the Easter lamb that triumphs and you/he/she supports the flag of the victory on the death the Resurrezione represents, so much to be employed as amulet after having been modeled with blessed wax.
And' clear therefore because it is the pecorino the cheese that must be put in the casatiello and in the tortano? If you don't put him/it, it changes the whole sense of the casatiello (and also the taste, that apart every discourse, with the pecorino it is a whole other thing.) Other ingredient, other history: the cicciolis or cicoli, as the Neapolitans say. The cicciolis are the residues of the workmanship (fusion) of the fat of the pig: the lard, "to nzogna" of the partenopeis.
The cicciolis are introduced as irregular bits of meat, of light brown color, very rich of fat, and therefore tasty. They also postpone to an ancient rite, antecedent to the Christian era: the sacrificial killing of the pig, symbol of fertility and comfort. And the comfort indeed it brought him/it in the houses, the pig, with all the well of God that put on the tables of the farmers. Gratitude is not one of the human feelings more frequented, and the pig knows him/it: him sfama the man, and the man defames him/it. They so also made the Christians, for which the hog was the symbol of the greed and the ignorance: but curiously, in preceding epochs, the pig was connected to the rebirth. In ancient Egypt the sow that devours his small represented in fact Nut, the Goddess of the sky, whose children (the stars) die to the morning to revive the evening.
The tortano and the casatiello do him with the flour. As the bread: the Food for excellence, that stays such when, over that to enter the mouth, goes out becoming from there language: "in the expression "to earn him the bread", this last symbolizes any form of maintenance and food. Before becoming the Symbol of the King of the Kings, that is of Christ in the consecrate wafer, the Bread was - and it is - the King of the Foods.
There are then the eggs. The egg is the symbol of the primordial seed from which subsequently the world is born. How totality contained in a hull, points out the Creation already prefigured since the beginning.
The Christians compared Jesus, that risorge from the sepulchre, to the chick, that goes out of his/her hull. And when risorge Jesus? To Easter! Here explained the meaning of the egg of Easter, present in a lot of cultures.
Therefore, in the period of Easter eggs as if it rained (but better of no, especially to Pasquetta, there is the trip out handed). There are the decorated eggs, the eggs of chocolate and the eggs put inside the sweets and the cakes: to Naples, in the pastiera and in the dove, but also - and here the circle is closed - in the casatiello and in the tortano.
Besides the substance (rather substantial, it looks like), tortano and casatiello they have in common the form. To bun, empty to the center.
This form has a well precise meaning (because by now it is clear: in these foods of the days of party nothing is left to the case, and let's show up us to the casatiello): the bun has the form of the crown of thorns of Jesus Cristo. And' so that, eating her/it, he/she remembers us, without having awareness of it, but to deep level, of the ordeal of the Savior: and (his/her and our) suffering is calmed "destroying", with to eat her/it, one of its causes: the terrible crown of thorns, note.
But although equal for contained (I mix him it is substantially the same one), and for form (to bun), tortano and casatiello they are not synonymous.
No. The casatiello has something in more in comparison to the tortano. Further to have the firm eggs inside I mix him, it has out also her: four or more, complete of hull, you set in the bun. But not completely you sink in it, so that their superior part is visible.
The tortano (in which the firm eggs, you cut to segments, they are found only in I mix him) is in reality more ancient than the casatiello. What it represents an evolution of it.
A beautiful day dev'essere happened that one of that bakers that prepared the tortanis, to make them more appetizing, has tried to insert you inside of the raw, and whole eggs. Once removed by the oven this kind of supertortano (perhaps once alone it was not enough, and they wanted us more attempts), it realized that the eggs, below the hull, you/they had become firm. And you/they had taken a particular taste, because of I mix him in which were found absorbed.
You/he/she had been born so the casatiello, that he/she immediately met a lot of fortune. Because it satisfies the palate and the eye. It is also the religious sensibility: above every egg inserted in the bun you/they were systematized in fact perpendicular two strisciolines of pasta among them. To purely ornamental purpose? Obviously no: the two strips ortogonalis of pasta are not anything else other than the representation of the Cross.
Leaving aside the symbols, the casatiello is beautiful indeed to see him: a tall gilded ciambellone, from whose walls ambrates emerge to lines the cicolis, and on whose surface they still ogle the shut firm eggs in the caress of the hull.
The operation of sgusciamento of the set eggs is delicate: it needs in fact to separate with caution the fragments of the hull from the suffocating embrace of the pasta, that strongly sticks you to completed cooking.
Been Born as savory variation of the tortano, the casatiello has some for time lost terrestrial: for practicality and rapidity, the housekeepers have preferred to confine to the preparation of the tortano, that is not alone already a joke.
But the time is always gentleman, also when there is not. And' is really his/her lack to make to return in top the casatiello. And' happened because today by now in the houses there is not even the time to make the tortano. To this point, who wants you/he/she must go him/it him to buy him/it. And then, whether not to take the casatiello, with those beautiful eggs among the firm ground and does roast him, that so much Easter they do?
The bakers more warned have understood him/it very well, and you/they have decided not to put on from the part of the tortano anymore. This way they are passed by the part of the casatiello, that in fact he/she sells again today him as the bread. After having tasted him/it, as does it do him not to agree with him?
Era na’torta ch’era asciuta male:
nu poc’e nzogna, cicole ‘e maiale,
‘o lievito, a farina, e un buco in mezzo.
Na’ torta pezzottata, ‘e poco prezzo.
Venne Pasqua. Gesù, risuscitato,
s’accorgette di quant’era affamato.
“Guagliò, stongo dijuno a viernarì:
aggia magnà, sinò torn’a murì!
Se po sapè cherè chesta ciambella?
A vederla nun pare troppo bella,
ma è bona! Tiene proprio un gran sapore!
‘A voglio tutta, e po’ ne voglio ancore.
Stu tortano difiette nun ne tene:
l’aggia truvà pure l’anno che vene!
A LEGGENDA D’O TORTANO
Doppo sulo tre ghiuorne ch’era muorto,
a Pasqua, Gesù Cristo era risorto.
Currette tutt’attuorno nu’ sorriso:
ncopp’a terra, ma pure n’Paraviso.
Il Babbo (‘o Pataterno) è stracontento.
Va guardann’o rilorgio ogne mumento:
“Mo’ vene!” Pe l’accogliere, a Maronna
s’a miso ‘o meglio manto, e ‘a meglia gonna.
Pe stu guaglione, quanto hanno penato!
S’è sbattuto, ha pregato, ha predicato
(pe c’aiutà perdette pur’ a voce,
e nuje, pe’ premio, l’ammo miso ‘ncroce).
Mo’ c’arriva, se fa ‘na granna festa:
c’a carne, ‘o pesce, e cicere, e a menesta;
s’abballa fino all’alba, mmiez’e stelle,
ch’e Sante, l’angiulille e l’angiulelle!
Ma pass’o tiempo, e Cristo nun se vede.
“Gesù. Chesto si o conto, nun se crede.
E che miseria. Né, tu si risorto:
e vuò sagliere ncoppa, a chi t’è…..?
Ecco qua, mò pur’i aggio iastummato.
Pietro, nunn’è c’avesseno sunato?”
Oramai s’era fatto un certo orario,
e tutt’e sant’e copp’o calennario
s’offretteno pe scennere quaggiù
p’avè quacche notizia di Gesù.
“Pe quant’è vero ca me chiammo Dio
nun ce mann’a nisciuno: ce vac’io!”
Scennette a volo. Sorvolaje l’Inferno,
e cu’ nu naso fine ‘e Pataterno
ca ngarra sempe, e nun se sbaglia mai:
Napoli, via San Biagio dei Librai.
Era nu’ vico scuro, luongo e stritto.
Dio, senza fa remmore, zittu zitto,
c’a guida ‘e certi vvoce, dint’a niente
fernette int’a na casa chiena ‘e gente.
Tranquillo, a caputavola assettato,
parlanno mò cull’uno, e mò cull’ato,
Gesù, ca mazzecava un grosso pezzo
‘e na ciambella con un buco in mezzo.
Dio lle dicette: “Figlio! ….di mappina,
nuje te stammo aspettann’a stammatina,
e tu si ghiuto a cena cull’amice?
Sì na carogna, tu, e chi nun t’o dice!
Gesù, verenn’o Pate, s’era aizato.
“Babbo caro, perdonami. Ho sbagliato,
ma ‘a colpa è stata ‘ a lloro: ‘e sti’ perzone.
Per festeggiare la Resurrezione,
m’hanno fatto ‘na torta sopraffina
c’e cicole, cu ll’ova e c’a farina:
‘o tortano. Sta ccà, fresco sfurnato:
guarda che meraviglia del Creato!
Quanno resuscetaje, sentette addore….
Se dice: vide Napule e po’ muore,
e - tu lo sai ca i’ sò straordinario-
aggio voluto fa tutt’o cuntrario:
primma so muorto, e doppo so’ venuto.
Vaco ncielo? Ma no, aggio riflettuto:
pè sta assieme cu mamma e cu papà,
i’ tengo, d’oggi in poi, l’eternità.
Succede na’ tragedia (manc’e cane)
se invece ‘e saglì mò, salg’ dimane?
Seguenno stu prufummo, là pe’ là
me trovaje miez’e strade ‘e sta città.
Ccà se fanno ‘e pasture ‘e terracotta,
(a Natale ce sta nu votta votta….)
Sì, so’ e presepie e San Gregorio Armeno:
ce stongh’i, ‘appena nato, dint’o fieno.
(L’asino e’o bue, papà, m’hanno scarfato:
si era pe’ te, murev’assiderato…..
Ce steva san Giuseppe, cu Mammà.
‘O ssaccio, e chesto nun ne vuò parlà….)
Turnann’a nuje: ve site preoccupate,
ca chi ‘o ssape che m’era capitate…
Va buono, mò è fernuto ‘o melodramma.
Saluto a chest’amice, e ce ne jamme.
Fratelli: fate il Bene, e non il Male:
ce vedimme al Giudizio Universale.
Stu’ tortano, guagliò, se po’ ncarta?,
pecchè pure Mammà l’adda pruvà.
Papà, dacce nu’ muorzo, pe’ favore,
e mi perdonerai di tutto cuore:
m’aggio creduto, appena l’ho assaggiato,
ca ‘n Paraviso, i’ già c’ero arrivato!