User:Montecara/Sandbox 3: Difference between revisions

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{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Montecaran foods with protected designation of origin
|-
! Item
! Description
! Designation<br>granted
|-
| ''Conçàta''
| Cheese
| 1990
|-
| ''Dozòcoli''
| Cheese
| 1990
|-
| ''Livàni''
| Cheese
| 1995
|-
| ''Perùt''
| Cheese
| 1990
|-
| ''Luto da càbra''
| Cured meat
| 2000
|-
| ''Garganèga''
| Wine
| 1998
|-
| ''Spaiòl''
| Wine
| 1996
|-
| ''Verdùxo''
| Wine
| 1996
|-
| ''Xàca''
| Fortified wine
| 1988
|}


==Agriculture and fishing==
Montecara must import nearly all of its basic foodstuffs because of its lack of arable land. It does, however, harvest a great deal of seafood, which is reflected in traditional dishes. The limited farmland is devoted to high-value crops suitable to the climate, mainly grapes (mainly for wine production), citrus, olives, saffron (''zafràn''), and flowers.
== Ingredients ==
Montecara's island location and long culinary tradition has led to a great variety of specialties making use of local ingredients.
===Grains===
[[File:Pane carasau.jpg|300px|thumb|left|''Pitòçu'', a traditional flatbread]]
Pre-Solarian wild grains? Spelt? Einkorn? Wild rice?...
The Solarians brought their favored grains—{{wp|barley}}, {{wp|buckwheat}}, and above all the {{wp|wheat}} that they made into their favorite kind of bread—with them when they colonized Montecara. All of these plants were cultivated locally to some degree, but the vast majority of staple grain was imported even in ancient times. Montecara developed a native style of wheat flatbread, ''pitòçu'', perhaps under the influence of the {{wp|matzo}} that [[Atudism|Atudites]] brought with them when they settled in Montecara beginning in the high middle ages. It is a very thin and crispy bread that uses little flour and will last for a year if kept dry, making the most of limited grain supplies. Unlike matzo, it is made with leaven; after the first bake, the thin sheets are separated and baked again to obtain a toasted end product.
[[File:MC-fregula.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A modern preparation of ''tidìni'' with clams in saffron broth]]
Montecarans have also used their grain to develop native varieties of pasta. One, {{wp|fregola|''tidìni''}}, consists of tiny balls of rolled coarse dough that are then toasted in an oven. They are used a manner similar to the {{wp|couscous}} from which they are thought to derive: as an ingredient in soups and as a dish unto themselves, usually cooked in stock and left unsauced. The other principal variety, ''zanpi'' (meaning "(duck) foot"), is a flat, triangular pasta made from wheat flour and duck egg which is traditionally served with duck {{wp|ragù}}. As its name implies, it was according to legend created specifically to accompany duck meat and eggs as a way to "reunite" the animal. It can also be found as a variant, ''zanpi ripièni'' ("filled ''zanpi''"), in which a sheet of pasta is folded over to form a dumpling-like shape usually filled with braised duck meat or cheese. The ''zanpi'' are boiled in salted water (or, for a very rustic effect, seawater) and returned to a pan with the ragù or, if filled, a light sauce made with olive oil and herbs and tossed to coat. Montecarans favor very lightly sauced pasta; traditionally the sauce should merely coat the pasta but not pool, much like a salad (''alla salàta'').
[[File:Pannocchia di Maratelli.jpg|250px|thumb|left|''Casabèl'' rice]]
Since its introduction in the high middle ages, {{wp|rice}} (''rixo'') has been the supreme staple food for Montecarans. As with earlier grains, there has since the introduction of rice always been some domestic production, but Montecarans have relied on the sea trade for the bulk of their supply for centuries. The variety favored by Montecarans is ''casabèl'', a medium-grain starchy rice with a firm texture that holds up well to long cooking. It is well suited to Montecara's most iconic dish, ''rixòto'', a soupy preparation of rice slow-cooked in hot broth that takes on a rich and creamy texture despite containing no dairy. In the traditional fine-dining preparation, a {{wp|soffritto|''sofrito''}} of onion cooked in olive oil is made to which the dry rice is added and then stirred to coat each grain; dry white wine is added and allowed to absorb, then boiling fish broth to which saffron has been added is ladled in small amounts while stirring constantly to allow it to be thoroughly absorbed and the mixture to take on a creamy texture. The finished product should still be able to flow and is traditionally served on a plate, not in a bowl; a spoon drawn through it should part the ''rixòto'' briefly before it falls back in on itself. While it is traditionally a dish that is eaten plain, modern versions often include additions such as shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, or vegetables such as peas or finely diced squash.
Corn (''biàva'') was introduced from [[Marirana]] in the sixteenth century and became immensely popular for a time before developing a poor reputation due to its tendency to cause {{wp|pellagra}} in locals who relied on it as their staple food and who did not use the process of {{wp|nixtamalization}} that made it safe and practical for its origin population. It has enjoyed a resurgence since the late twentieth century in the form of ''polènta'', a creamy porridge made of coarse meal that pairs well with rich meat dishes and can also be thickened, cut into squares, and fried.
Although Montecara officially uses the {{wp|metric system}}, traditional units are still encountered in cooking. The standard measure of flour is the ''eto'', in modern times defined as 100 grams exactly. The typical ratio for making egg pasta (''pàsta ai'óvo'') is one egg per ''eto'' of flour, which yields a well-hydrated dough that develops a smooth and springy texture when kneaded to develop the gluten.
===Fats===
[[File:Museo Arqueológico de Jerez (33174743215).jpg|An exhibition of antique olive oil producing equipment and an olive tree at an agritourism villa, 2017|thumb|right]]
Cooking fat was historically an expensive commodity given Montecara's relative lack of arable land on which oily vegetable crops could be grown or milk-producing ruminants could be raised. When cooking fat was available to ordinary people, it was usually duck fat from hunted wild ducks or olive oil produced locally or imported from mainland Euclea or Coius. This lack of fat led Montecaran cuisine to rely heavily on water-based preparation methods like steaming, boiling, and stewing as well as dry methods like grilling and slow-roasting. Fortunately, these methods are well-suited to the delicate flavors of seafood.
In modern times, cooking fat is widely and cheaply available. The most common is olive oil, with duck fat a distant second. Montecara's olive oil supply is sourced largely from [[Tsabara]], where low labor and shipping costs and a favorable climate help to create a very affordable product. A liter of virgin Tsabaran olive oil at a Montecaran grocery costs approximately [[Montecaran libra|Ł]]16 on average (about €3.15), far cheaper kilo for kilo than any other kind of cooking fat. Bulk prices are low enough to be competitive with industrially produced vegetable oils from the [[Euclean Community|EC]], so generic vegetable oils tend to be used only for the lowest-end high-heat applications, like frying potatoes. The only commercial producers of olive oil remaining in Montecara are {{wp|agritourism}} farms where tiny amounts are produced using traditional methods for consumption on-site or as a souvenir; nevertheless, a group of such farm owners is in the process of applying for protected designation of origin status for Montecaran olive oil.
===Fruits and vegetables===
[[File:Quatresaisons.jpg|350px|thumb|left|A variety of local and imported fruits for sale at a market, 2006]]
Montecara's warm and mild climate is an ideal environment for growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Both wild and cultivated plants are used extensively in the national cuisine both as main ingredients and as essential elements for building and layering flavor.
Citrus does exceptionally well in the hot, dry summers and cool and wet winters that Montecara provides. All three of the original palatable species in genus ''{{wp|Citrus}}''—{{wp|citron}}, {{wp|pomelo}}, and {{wp|Mandarin orange|mandarin}}—are cultivated locally, as are dozens of hybrids and varietals.
produces and consumes {{wp|lemon}}, {{wp|citron}}, {{wp|pomelo}}, and most notably ''{{wp|Bergamot orange|xinòta}}'',
* Alia: Onion (varieties), garlic, shallots
* Tomato (introduced when?)
* Vegetables for cooking: Asparagus, Artichokes, Eggplant
* Legumes: Beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils
* Vine crops: Table grapes, melons
* Citrus: Lemon, ''xinòta'', pomelo, citron
* Peppers: pickled and dried
* Non-citrus tree fruit: Figs, Strawberry tree, Quince, Olives
* Lettuces: cress, nettle, orache, borage (also as an herb and a companion to tomatoes), mallow
* Nut trees
The {{wp|wild service tree}}, known locally as ''sorbo'', produces fall fruits known as ''tornàli'' with a flavor similar to dates that are prized as a base for marmalade. Before the introduction of {{wp|hops}} they were also used before they were fully {{wp|bletting|bletted}} to flavor beer and lend it a mild bitterness; this traditional use has been revived by local brewers in recent years.
* Azarole (edible leaves, fruits made into marmalade)
* Judas tree flowers, made into a drink like jamaica
===Seafood===
[[File:Pesce al mercato 1.JPG|450px|thumb|right|A variety of fish for sale at the Mercàt pescherìa, 2017]]
Montecara has always enjoyed access to an enormous variety of fish and shellfish as well as aquatic plants, seaweed, and other forms of marine life. Indeed, it could be said that without seafood, there would be no Montecara: archaeological and anthropological evidence shows that the earliest human settlers were persuaded by the abundance of fish and shellfish they found to stay there permanently. Because Montecara lies in the middle of the [[Aurean Straits]], it is at a natural chokepoint for migratory fish species that makes their capture easy. Historically, this meant that Montecara had plentiful supplies of large species such as {{wp|tuna}}, {{wp|swordfish}}, and even {{wp|sharks}} and {{wp|dolphins}}, all of which were eaten in great quantities to the point that they were even shunned at times as food for servants and laborers. Additionally, migratory {{wp|sea turtles}} and their eggs were considered a delicacy for centuries until their consumption was banned in 1975 as some species were facing {{wp|extinction}}. Fishing employed a huge proportion of the local population from ancient times up to the middle of the twentieth century, when dwindling stocks and economic diversification forced a shift in the labor market.
Overfishing and pollution have, unfortunately, seriously reduced the availability of many types of seafood. Samples taken from the largest fish in Montecaran waters, particularly tuna and swordfish, show that {{wp|bioaccumulation}} of heavy metals and industrial toxins can and often does reach hazardous levels. While certain marine species such as mussels and squid have survived and even thrived in these difficult conditions, stocks of traditionally important fish like {{wp|branzino|''brançìn''}} have been seriously endangered. The Montecaran state works with its neighboring governments in the [[Aurean Forum]] to address these serious concerns.
Despite these difficulties, seafood is still the foundation of Montecaran cuisine. Most Montecarans eat some form of fish nearly every day, and even toddlers are given seafood dishes like octopus ''rixòto'' or soup made with fish broth. Saltfish (''bacalà''), usually made from {{wp|cod}}, was Montecara's first major export, produced in industrial quantities and transported on Solarian ships hundreds of miles to markets all along the [[Solarian Sea]], and even today retains its reputation as a particularly Montecaran ingredient. It is particularly enjoyed in a preparation where it is soaked in fresh water for up to several days to remove excess salt and rehydrate the flesh, with the water changed regularly, and then whipped with olive oil to form a light and creamy final product. Alternatively, the soaked filets can be left intact and cooked gently in stock or tomato sauce. Merchants often sell ''bacalà'' that they have already soaked for one to two days, saving home cooks the time and effort of doing it themselves.
Inkfish like cuttlefish, octopus, and squid are local favorites, and recipes often make use of the ink (''sèpia'') as part of a sauce or for color. Cuttlefish are served braised in their own ink, squid (''calamàr'') ink is used to produce a black ''rixòto ai nèro'' in which the flesh is gently cooked, and octopus is grilled and served as a second course after pasta dishes that use the ink to color the dough. Squid is also mixed with thinly sliced onion and served breaded and fried as a snack paired with tomato sauce.
Montecarans have long appreciated the {{wp|bivalves}} that thrive in the [[Bay of Montecara|bay]] at the center of their island and in the rocky shoals that surround it, namely {{wp|clams}}, {{wp|oysters}}, {{wp|scallops}}, and {{wp|mussels}}. The native mussel species, known as ''peòcio'', is hardy and pollution-resistant and is now farmed off the coasts of [[Auratia]] and [[Etruria]] in addition to being harvested from the wild. Of the locally available clam species, the most treasured is traditionally the ''cùçica'', harvested from deep waters far off the coast and valued both for their mild and tender flesh and for their propensity to grow {{wp|pearls}}.
Aquatic plants
Fish per se... served hot, cold, and at room temp
{{wp|Spirulina}} was at various times harvested from brackish water and dried into sheets as a {{wp|famine food}} but is no longer eaten.
* fried sardines
* ''bixàto'', or roast eel, are all typical dishes.
* ''gó'' (a small, local fish, often fried)
* small soft-shell crabs which are eaten after molting
* sea urchin.
* Whitebait/fry
* Spiny lobster, langoustine
===Meat and fowl===
[[File:Chickens in market.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Freshly butchered chickens at a meat market, 2008]]
Montecara has very little land suitable for pasturing, so large ruminants like cows have never been economical. Sheep were introduced to the island by the Solarians and were mainly used for their wool and milk, with lamb and mutton rare delicacies that only the very rich could afford. Goats were introduced from Coius at some point in the third to fifth century and have thrived in the marginal, dry, and hilly areas that have little other use. Goat milk was long the most common form of animal milk and goat meat the most widely available form of land-animal food, a situation that has changed only very recently with the advent of cheap refrigerated shipping. Horse and donkey meat were once eaten by the poor but are now virtually impossible to find due in large part to their reputation for unpleasant flavor and texture and association with hardship. Montecarans had to make full use of the animals that they did have, and to this day offal remains popular; ''fegato'' (the liver of a lamb or young goat) is a traditional delicacy.
Methods of preservation... cured mutton, merguez-style sausage, lucanica di capra, etc...
[[File:Ham hanging in a shop in Trevélez 2014.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Luto da càbra'' for sale at a market, 2014]]
''Luto da càbra'' is a traditional cured meat made from goat shank. The animal is allowed to forage on native herbs and shrubs before it is slaughtered at the age of six months to a year; the meat is then brined in seawater to which laurel, hyssop, celery seed, and juniper are added. Once brined the shanks are hung up in a cave or cellar to cure for at least 60 days before being thinly sliced and served. It is often consumed plain but can also be served with raw bitter greens with or without a lemon vinaigrette as an appetizer or salad.
Much more common than red meat, both historically and up to the present, is fowl, both wild and domesticated. Montecara has access to a huge variety of birds as it is on a major {{wp|flyway}}, and for centuries locals took advantage of this situation by putting up stakes covered in {{wp|birdlime}} (''vignòla'') to catch birds. Many of the captures were songbirds, which were eaten in large numbers up to the 1980s when their capture was banned by environmental legislation in the face of rapidly dwindling populations; though illegal, it is reportedly still possible to find some chefs who will prepare songbirds in the traditional manner. Far more common, though, were the two major domesticated bird species: ducks and chickens. Ducks and duck eggs were up until recently cheaper and more accessible than chickens for most people, as duck farmers could let their birds eat for free by allowing them to feed in shallow coastal waters. Chickens, on the other hand, had to have their diet supplemented by grain given the lack of open land or forest where they could eat their traditional diet of insects, seeds, berries, and leaves, which drove prices up. This was reinforced by the reputation of chicken meat as so delicious that the rich were willing to pay a huge premium for well-raised birds.
More exotic large birds were consumed with at least some regularity in the past. Goose was once a popular food and its rendered fat even moreso; it still makes an appearance on certain tables at {{wp|Christmas}}. Swan was eaten from Solarian times up to the middle of the twentieth century but was always regarded as the height of rarity and luxury, so much so that even the ultra-rich merchants of the fourteenth century made a point of eating it no more than once per year, usually at {{wp|Easter}}.
=== Cheese ===
[[File:Tronchetto cheese.jpg|250px|thumb|''Conçàta'' cheese; indentations from aging in wicker are visible on the exterior]]
Although a lack of pasture land has traditionally limited the local production of milk and therefore cheese, farmers have been able to coax enough product from their herds to sustain a cheesemaking tradition that goes back millennia to pre-Sotirian times. Milk from sheep and goats was historically preserved in {{wp|rennet}} and either {{wp|Brined cheese|brined}} in seawater or aged in one of Montecara's many caves. These methods are still in use to make heritage cheeses today.
Most favored are sheep's-milk cheeses, especially those aged long enough to take on a finely grained texture. Goat cheeses enjoy somewhat less prestige but even greater popularity thanks to their lower price and multitude of styles. Perhaps the most common is a local variant of a crumbly brined-curd cheese originating in northwestern [[Coius]] known locally as ''livàni''. It is one of the four Montecaran cheeses that enjoy {{wp|protected designation of origin}} status, along with ''dozòcoli'', a firmer brined cheese made of a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk; ''conçàta'', a highly complex cheese made from 100% sheep's milk formed in wicker baskets and cave-aged for at least 12 months; and ''perùt'', a strongly flavored goat cheese with a moldy rind.
=== Herbs, spices and flavorings ===
[[File:Salt pans at Żonqor Point 06.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Salt pans in the [[Lacùna da sel]]]]
The importance of trade to Montecara's culinary history is clearest in the use of spices. Montecara has had more and longer access to the spices of Coius than anywhere else in Euclea, and it accordingly developed a much more heavily spiced native cuisine than is typical for a continental Euclean culture.
The all-importance of salt
Domestically cultivated species...
Imports...
* {{wp|Mastic}} (''lentìscio'')
* Saffron (''zafràn'')
* {{wp|Mahleb}} (''sbolsafrìn'')
* {{wp|Ajwain|Carom}}, a now little-used herb with a strong fragrance of thyme and pungent flavor
* {{wp|Hyssop}} (''ìsopo''), in fatty lamb dishes, baked goods, and as an herbal tea
* {{wp|Lemon verbena}} (''melìsa''), especially in sauces and marinades for fish
* {{wp|Rue}} (''rùa''), as a flavoring for liquor and egg dishes or battered and fried shoots
* Garlic
* Lemon zest
* Bay leaf
* Marjoram
* Tarragon
* Basil
* Anise
* Liquorice
* Fennel
* Myrtle
* Nigella
* Sage
* Savory
* Sumac
* Thyme
* Samphire
* Calamint
* Pine nuts
* Capers
* Purslane
* Mint (esp. with tomatoes, capers)
== Meals ==
Montecarans generally have a light breakfast on the way to work or school at cafés or stalls located throughout the city. This often consists of a pastry, sandwich, or fruit accompanied by coffee or juice. There is a traditional mid-morning break for coffee around 11:00, and shops and offices often close briefly to allow for this. Lunch, usually the largest meal of the day, is eaten around 14:00 to 15:00, and workers generally take a full hour to do so, often eating at home. It usually consists of a main dish and at least one accompaniment, such as a salad or antipasti. Dinner is eaten at about 21:00.
=== Courses ===
[[File:MC-popina.png|250px|A dinner menu from the fine-dining Restaurant Popina, 2018|thumb]]
A full meal with all the traditional courses consists of the following:
;Aperitìv : Sparkling wine, liqueur-based cocktails and accompanying snacks such as nuts or dried fruit
;Antipasto : Cold, light pre-first course
;Primo : Starchy first course
;Secònd : Meaty second course
;Contorno : Accompaniment to the second course, usually cooked vegetables
;Salàta : Salad
;Formàxi e fruti : Cheese and fruit
;Desèr : Dessert
;Cafè : Coffee or orzo
;Digestìv : Stronger, bittersweet liqueur
=== Traditional dishes ===
* ''Sardi a saor'', a dish consisting of sardines in a sweet-sour sauce
* Sauces... (''tonàdo'', tomato, garum, etc.)
Sweets:
* ''xinòta''-flavored marmalade and hard candy
* ''formàxo giàço'', a frozen dessert and snack similar to ice cream that is flavored with soft cheese and usually served in a split-open sweet bun (''brioxa'')
* Confit nuts
* Fruit ''mostàrda''
Special foods are eaten around {{wp|Easter}}. These include ''galani'', a rum-flavored fried pastry served with lemon zest, and ''pandòr'', a sweet egg bread. Easter lunch traditionally includes a feast of seven different types of fish, the exact components of which vary but which generally include clams, scallops, salt cod, anchovy, and sea snails.
== Drinks ==
[[File:Grappoli di uva vespaiola in appassimento tradizionale.jpg|thumbnail|Spaiòl grapes drying indoors]]
=== Wine ===
[[File:ClosLaPlanaEdit.jpg|300px|thumb|left|A winery in the foothills of [[Monte Cara]]]]
History:
Wine grapes (vitis viniferia) thought to originate in SE Euclea
Vines have been cultivated in Montecara for at least 2,500 years...
Phylloxera, destruction of vines in war and for other land uses
Sulfur and Bordeaux mixture as antimildew measures
Popularity of wine, consumption stats...
At 32 degrees north of the equator, Montecara is one of the most southerly wine-producing places in the northern hemisphere. Conditions at sea level are unfavorably hot and dry for the production of quality grapes, but at elevations from approximately 500 to 1,000 meters the native grape varietals thrive.
Macro, meso, microclimates
Climate change
Water...
harvested rainwater
boreholes
levadas
recycled wastewater
public water supply
24,000 hectares of agricultural land:
12,000 of arable land + pasture + all permanent crops but grapes (mostly olives and citrus) + kitchen gardens
10,000ish hectares of wine grapes, yield is between 35 and 175 hectoliters per hectare (40 to 60 hl/ha for quality wine) (296 to 1,482 cases or 3,558 to 17,791 bottles)
Total yield is roughly between 35,000 and 175,000 hectoliters. (0.035 to 0.175 million hl)
Workforce: raw numbers, national origin, percentage of agricultural workers
The extinct volcano [[Monte Cara]] has left a blanket of dark, rich, and porous soil on its slopes that is ideal for winegrowing. Because volcanic soil holds moisture well, grapes can thrive in Montecara's very dry summers, and the mineral content contributes savory and earthy flavors and acidity to the naturally sweet and lush hot-weather fruit. The result is a fresh and exuberant selection of wines.
Alc content tends to be high due to high sugar content
Terraces, limestone, soil erosion exacerbated by dry season and lack of irrigation. Lately organic fertilizers (manure) mandatory due to concerns over inorganics leaching into groundwater. Issues with salt toxicity causing leaf burn. Buffering to control pH...
Regulation, gov regulatory body
Regulatory environment: EC and local regs, trade barriers or lack thereof
Quality grading system
Organic, biodynamic certification?
"Montecara" is a single denomination of origin recognized by EC?
Modern, internationalized varietals are rarely planted; most production is of the heirloom grapes that are adapted to the local climate, and changes to Montecaran agricultural policy beginning in the 1970s have further encouraged the cultivation of native vines. Among these, the most economically significant and best-known are varietals are ''garganèga'', ''verdùxo'', and ''spaiòl''.
Garganèga is used to make still wine noted for its lemon and almond notes, Verdùxo is favored for the sparkling white Caràxa, and Spaiòl is used to make both a golden {{wp|dessert wine}} with notes of honeysuckle and apricot and a light, acidic still wine. Under Montecaran law, only wine that is produced from 100% domestic grapes can be sold as "Montecaran wine" (''vin Montecarà'').
A particular specialty of Montecaran wine culture is ''xàca'', a {{wp|fortified wine}} made from white grapes. ''Xàca'' can range in color and sugar content from nearly clear and dry to almost black and very sweet.
=== Liquor ===
* Local version of anisette
* Fernet
=== Beer ===
''Bìra crùd''
=== Coffee ===
[[File:Bilbao - Café Iruña 05.JPG|300px|thumb|left|''Cafè Morèsco'', founded in 1790, is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Montecara]]
Coffee (''cafè'') is immensely popular and is consumed at nearly all times of the day and night. It is consumed at home, at coffee bars and cafes, at restaurants, and at work and school. Coffee, which originates in the mountains of [[Dezevau]], was introduced to Montecara around 1530 as part of the regular trade with the [[Gorsanid Empire]]. Montecara was the first Euclean country to have coffee; from there, it was spread to the rest of eastern Euclea by the middle of the seventeenth century. Cafés were established not long after coffee's introduction and proved especially popular as places for merchants to meet and discuss business, particularly as the beverage they served sharpened the wit rather than dulled it as did the wine that taverns served. Soon cafés became destinations traders and those eager to invest in shipping, especially in the nascent {{wp|joint-stock corporations}} of the day that sprung up to allow for investments to be spread out over many ships. Cafés posted information on ships' comings and goings, the prices of goods, and stock information, which added to their appeal. This informal coffeehouse network grew into the first stock exchange, the [[Borse Mercànte de Montecara]], founded in 1563. Early coffee was finely ground in a mill and boiled with sugar in a small, long-handled open pot over coals, moving it as needed to keep it from boiling. This "{{wp|Persians|Pardarian}} coffee" remained the typical style of the drink until well into the nineteenth century and is still considered something of a local specialty in Montecara, especially if brewed with ground {{wp|cardamom}}.
[[File:Moka KILT. 13.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The traditional stovetop ''cafetièr'']]
Most coffee consumed in Montecara is sourced from eastern [[Coius]], especially [[Terangau]], [[Mabifia]], and [[Dezevau]]; coffees from this region are known for their juicy, fruity, and sweet-savory qualities. Beans are typically imported washed but raw and then roasted locally; the best cafes roast their beans on-site to their own specifications. Montecarans generally favor a darker roast, resulting in a more bitter but less acidic coffee. Quality roasters stop just short of an oily, black bean, which should result in a coffee with well-developed caramel and chocolate notes but no burnt or ashy flavor. The most popular method of preparation by far is the ''esprèso'', in which hot (approximately 93 to 95 {{wp|Celsius|degrees}}) water is forced under intense pressure (usually around 9 {{wp|Bar (unit)|bar}}) through a compressed "puck" of finely ground coffee. When done properly, this method extracts desirable flavors while leaving overly bitter compounds behind. It requires expensive specialty equipment and is therefore usually not made at home. Indeed, coffee was not usually consumed in the homes of ordinary people until the invention of the now-ubiquitous ''cafetièr'' in 1933. This device allowed the home user to make a good-quality coffee similar to the ''esprèso'' that was served in cafés.
Coffee is usually consumed immediately after it is made, often with a small amount of sugar and optionally a thin peel of lemon for added brightness. Milk is not a typical addition, though some specialty ''esprèso'' drinks involving steamed or foamed milk have become popular since they were introduced beginning in the 1980s. Coffee with milk is considered strictly a morning drink and is not generally consumed after about 11:00.
=== Orzo, herbal tea and other hot drinks ===
Originally developed as a coffee substitute during wartime, toasted barley (''cafè di orzo'', usually just called ''orzo'') is now enjoyed as a drink in its own right. It is especially popular with children and people avoiding caffeine. It is usually made in the style of ''esprèso''. Tea (''thè'') is uncommon, but dried hyssop (''ìsopo'') is used as an herbal tea.
== Markets ==
== Eating establishments ==
[[File:Italy-0339 (5154206528).jpg|300px|thumb|Ruins of the ''taberna'' of Graccus, Montecara]]
Eating meals outside the home has been a tradition in Montecara since the days of the Solarian Republic at least. Solarian Montecara had many taverns (''tabernae''), usually located in the ground floors of a typical apartment building (''{{wp|Insula (building|insula}}''), where cheap and simple food and wine was available. As the poor and middle classes who made up the vast majority of the population lived in small dwellings without their own kitchens, the tavern was the main source of food for most. Typical dishes included soups and stews served out of large cauldrons, fresh and dried fruit, olives, nuts, cheese, bread, and grilled or roasted fish, goat, or pork. It was typical for urban dwellers to meet for a meal and conversation at the neighborhood tavern at least once a day.
The tradition of dining out seems to have faded during the post-Solarian period as supply lines and the complex urban life they supported withered. Even as Montecara recovered and prospered, fine dining was limited to the homes of the elite who could afford well-equipped kitchens and professional cooks. Evidence suggests that commercial dining establishments were not common again until the thirteenth century at the earliest, when the concept of a public tavern where food was prepared and served daily was revived. These taverns usually served essentially a {{wp|Table d'hôte|prix-fixe}} meal with no choice on the customer's part, usually at a common table. As Montecara prospered during the high middle ages, dining reached new heights of sophistication.
The first restaurants in the modern sense, with a menu of options at various prices and private tables, appeared in the seventeenth century amid the craze for new imported luxury foods like coffee and chocolate.
=== Ristorànt ===
=== Tratorìa ===
=== Osterìa ===
=== Paninerìa ===
=== Bars ===
[[File:Tapas bar in Barcelona.jpg|300px|thumb|A selection of ''chixèti'' at a bar, 2010]]
Montecara has a rich and storied bar culture. Bars (''bacàri'') range in size from gardens that can seat hundreds to tiny nooks that seat four or five, and in opulence from vast gilt and marble rooms at the finest hotels to street-facing windows that might not even provide seating. Social drinking is well-integrated into Montecaran culture and is not considered scandalous or shameful; parents routinely bring their young children with them to bars, and it is not unusual for children as young as eight or nine to be offered a small taste of wine. There is no legal minimum drinking age in Montecara, but the legal purchase age for alcohol is sixteen for on-site consumption and off-site wine and beer sales and eighteen for off-site liquor sales. This has led to the social norm for friends to gather at bars without their parents starting around the age of sixteen.
Bars, by definition, emphasize drinking over food. However, nearly all offer some type of snack (''chixeto'') to complement the drinks. ''Chixèti'' are eaten with fingers or a toothpick, never cutlery, and are usually priced at [[Montecaran libra|Ł]]5-15 each. They include:
* Marinated or fried:
** Artichoke
** Zucchini
** Mushrooms
** Cheese
** Squid
* Arancini di risotto
* Fried polenta alla marinara
* Bean paste on toast
* Bacalà on toast
* Grilled or boiled baby octopus
* Boiled duck eggs
* Oysters
* Clams
* Charcuterie
* Cheese
* Olives
* Snails
* Sea urchin
* Radish with salt
* Crudi of scallops or shrimp
* Special drinks / cocktails
A bar specializing in beer is a ''birrerìa''.
=== Street food ===
[[File:MC-kiosk.jpg|300px|thumb|right|A traditional kiosk in the Plàça Siròca, 2019]]
Traditionally served from carts in the shadow of towers and big buildings in public squares. In some areas, upgraded over time to permanent booths with one vendor inside. These one-man kiosks are now considered icons of Montecaran life.

Latest revision as of 17:53, 21 March 2024

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