Grolla anyone?
This week in school we started our 6 week journey thought the provinces of Italy. 20 in all, we started in the north with Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont and Lombardy. 2 jam packed days of history, food, wine and one homesick Italian; I can't wait to go back.
On Monday, we ended class with drinks from a grolla. Upon first sight, we joked that it looked like the Italian version of a scorpion bowl. Turns out, we weren't that far off.
In doing some more reading about it today, it seems as though the grolla is perhaps the strongest visual symbol of Valle d'Aosta. Its origins are a mix of religious (a reference to the Holy Grail) and communal, as it is designed to share a drink with friends and family.
Grolle (the plural) originated in the Valle d’Aosta, a small region in the Alps of northwest Italy (north of Piedmont) bordered by both France and Switzerland. The grolla is considered an icon of the region, and a number of local craftspersons earn their living making them. Usually they are carved from a single block of wood, though some are made from pottery. While ornate looking, a grolla is simply a covered wooden wine goblet, usually with four spouts, typically used for sharing a grappa and coffee mixture.
Grappa is an alcoholic beverage from the same area that contains about 35%-60% alcohol. Made from the skins, pulp, seeds and stems it originated as a way to prevent wasting these wine making leftovers.
Generally speaking, it's harsh stuff.
You take strong coffee, add some grappa, some juniper berries (I think she put them in there), citrus and some sugar. Heat all that together while you soak the grolla in water(it is wood after all). Pour the hot liquid into the grolla that has been 'rimmed' with sugar and light it on fire to burn off some of the alcohol. Cozy on up and take a sip, taking precautions to not inhale the grappa fumes (unless your goal is total drunkeness).
Anything that is designed to share with friends is a-ok in my book. Except for the burning sensation of the grappa.
We have close family friends down in Texas. When we would visit them, my father would mentally prepare for his grappa drinking. The deal was homemade pasta for shared grappa. While Bob would just sip it down with a smile on his face, my father (politely) got through it. When I was little I used to tease him that he was a wimp. I take it all back.
Maybe next time I visit the Catani's I'll bring a grolla to start a new traditions. And this time, I can help make the home made pasta.
On Monday, we ended class with drinks from a grolla. Upon first sight, we joked that it looked like the Italian version of a scorpion bowl. Turns out, we weren't that far off.
In doing some more reading about it today, it seems as though the grolla is perhaps the strongest visual symbol of Valle d'Aosta. Its origins are a mix of religious (a reference to the Holy Grail) and communal, as it is designed to share a drink with friends and family.
Grolle (the plural) originated in the Valle d’Aosta, a small region in the Alps of northwest Italy (north of Piedmont) bordered by both France and Switzerland. The grolla is considered an icon of the region, and a number of local craftspersons earn their living making them. Usually they are carved from a single block of wood, though some are made from pottery. While ornate looking, a grolla is simply a covered wooden wine goblet, usually with four spouts, typically used for sharing a grappa and coffee mixture.
Grappa is an alcoholic beverage from the same area that contains about 35%-60% alcohol. Made from the skins, pulp, seeds and stems it originated as a way to prevent wasting these wine making leftovers.
Generally speaking, it's harsh stuff.
You take strong coffee, add some grappa, some juniper berries (I think she put them in there), citrus and some sugar. Heat all that together while you soak the grolla in water(it is wood after all). Pour the hot liquid into the grolla that has been 'rimmed' with sugar and light it on fire to burn off some of the alcohol. Cozy on up and take a sip, taking precautions to not inhale the grappa fumes (unless your goal is total drunkeness).
We have close family friends down in Texas. When we would visit them, my father would mentally prepare for his grappa drinking. The deal was homemade pasta for shared grappa. While Bob would just sip it down with a smile on his face, my father (politely) got through it. When I was little I used to tease him that he was a wimp. I take it all back.
Maybe next time I visit the Catani's I'll bring a grolla to start a new traditions. And this time, I can help make the home made pasta.
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