Venu’s bellybutton
If someday in the future I was asked to tell my grandsons a story about Bologna, I know well who would be the king and the queen. The latter would definitely be a gorgeous woman all in pink, named mortadella. The king, on the other hand, would be a strong man called tortellino.
Since I haven’t yet created the whole script and I think that the grandsons will take a while to come, I take this opportunity to tell you a story (that I’ve not invented myself) about another tortellino. He’s not a king, but a symbol of Bologna – and one of my favorite dishes.
Tortellini
As it happens with so many dishes of the true gastronomic tradition, the origin of the tortellini is not exactly clear. For instance, there are some controversies regarding their birthplace, if Bologna or Modena. Also, as for the birthdate, no one is completely sure, but some say that the first record of something alike was a dish of “tortellorum”, served on Christmas, in the 7th century.
However, despite of the historical notes, one of the most interesting records regarding the tortellini is a poem dated from the 19th century. In that piece, the poet Giuseppe Ceri (1839-1925), inspired by an opera named “Secchia rapita” of Alessandro Tassoni (from Modena) in which in a war between Modena and Bologna, historical characters and gods from the Olympus fought bloody battles,
In Ceri’s creation though there were Bacchus, Mars and Venus who came to Emilia Romagna. The three of them came to help Modena in another war against Bologna and stopped to sleep in an inn in a nearby city, Castelfranco Emilia. During the night, the innkeeper, having been able to quickly see Venus naked, felt deeply in love with the goddess and, with the image of her bellybutton painted on his mind, tried to reproduce it with the pasta dough that he was preparing in the kitchen. Just like that, he created the tortellini.
Tortellini in brodo
Until today, in Bologna, the tortellino is known as Venus’ bellybutton. And even if that story is just a tale, it is undeniable that the dish itself is a true “food from the gods” – and that the tortellino is one of the main characters of the story of the town.
FloCiBO 