“Nothing of the pig is thrown away”. And it is absolutely true. The Lombards know this well, and among the typical dishes of the tradition they boast a specialty of the poor culture: the Cassoeula, a beloved warm winter dish, based on cabbage and meat which once celebrated the period dedicated to the slaughter of the pig that every family had raised. Due to its high caloric intake and the sense of satiety it generates, Lombard cassoeula is to be considered a single dish. It can be made in many variations, in fact the recipe for cassoeula varies from province to province. But in any case it is a seasonal dish born from leftovers - in particular rind, nose, feet, head and ribs - a perfect expression of peasant tradition and domestic reuse.
Not only that, the religious bond is also strong. The dish is linked to the rituals of the popular cult of Sant'Antonio abate, (January 17), considered the protector of domestic animals so much that he is usually depicted with a pig next to him with a bell around his neck. A figure for which in Lombardia and in different areas of Italy there is an ancient and well-rooted devotion. In fact, the feast of Sant'Antonio abate put an end to the slaughter of pigs according to the calendar.
The origins of the Lombard cassoeula
The origins of the dish travel through time. Once upon a time, the first cold temperatures of the year were very intense and even at the table people felt the need for hearty, energetic dishes that would help sustain themselves during the long working days. One of these dishes was undoubtedly the cassoeula. The cuts of meat used were the cheapest ones and were intended to flavor the cabbage, a basic winter element of Lombard peasant cuisine in past centuries.
The legend
There is no certain origin of this dish, but according to the legends of the time, the cassoeula would have been born in Milan during the early 500th century, under the Spanish domination, thanks to a soldier in love with a cook employed by a local noble family. The woman, finding herself without ingredients in the pantry, accepted the young soldier's suggestion: to use the scraps of the pig and the few vegetables from the garden, creating a dish highly appreciated by the diners, so much so that the young woman, grateful, decided to marry him. Beyond the legends, the first official written testimony dates back to the fifteenth century in the recipe book of Rupert of Nola, at the service of the Aragonese court of Naples, which in its "Llibre del Coch" describes "the cassola de meat", a dish very similar to the current version of the dish. In the 1826th century, it is found in the work "The chef without pretensions" by Odescalchi from Como (XNUMX), "A well-done cockroach is a good meal".
The name
But where does its name come from? There are several theories: there are those who believe that it derives from cassoeu, a dialect word which indicates the spoon with which it is mixed during cooking, while many argue that it refers to the pan in which the meat is cooked. According to the most accredited hypothesis, however, the name derives from trowel, the tool used by masons to spread the mortar between the bricks: according to which the workers, in the absence of a real ladle, used the trowel to mix the preparation during cooking.
Another name by which the typical Lombard dish is known is "Bottaggio", which would derive from "botte" or more probably from the French "potage", soup. It should also be noted that there is a traditional German dish, the “Kasseler” (“càssola” in the Italian pronunciation), which indicates a cut of salted (seasoned) and lightly smoked pork served with savoy cabbage.
The thousand flavors of Lombard cassoeula: the variations
Despite its Lombard origins, the variations in which this savory and tasty winter dish is declined are endless: a How to Live Aligned with the pig's head is not used but the feet, while a Novara leaner goose meat (ragò) is also added. TO Milano head instead. In Brianza ears, pig's nose, foot, tail are also used and it is accompanied by polenta and vegetables which are cut into small pieces. Again, in the area of Bergamo the dish is drier and is prepared with savoy cabbage and cabbage, instead in Pavia only tacks are used, and finally Varese Verzini are added, small salami made with sausage dough. A variant can also be found in Sardinia, where it is called "cassola", especially near Sassari.
Looking beyond national borders, in the popular European culinary tradition there are other dishes with similar ingredients, such as the different forms of "hotpot” French (cabbage and pork based soups) or la Alsatian choucroute, itself derived from the German Sauerkraut (both dishes are based on sauerkraut and pork). And again, the national dish of Poland is the “bigos“, also based on cabbage.
