BY THE WAYSIDE

Pig’s blood, chicken crests and all types of offal define Italy’s forgotten dishes

- EMIKO DAVIES

Tuscany may be famous for its succulent, prime beef steaks, bistecca alla fiorentina omnipresent on every menu today, but once equally loved were all the “lesser” cuts of meat, in particular offal. For centuries, Tuscans, out of necessity and tradition, have appreciated and known what to do with offal, ingeniously turning things such as chicken livers, crests, pork back fat, blood or lampredotto (the fourth stomach of the cow) into delicious specialties. And, until recently, these cheap yet nutritious parts have been an important mainstay of Italian home cooking. Many of these dishes, however, are slowly disappearing as tastes and habits change and as their main ingredients, in turn, become harder to find.

“Del maiale non si butta via niente,” the old saying goes in Italian, meaning: nothing of the pig gets thrown away. It references the usefulness and deliciousness of the whole animal. This includes even pig’s blood, which was considered not only tasty but an important part of the diet – it is a rich (and cheap) source of iron and protein.