Buon Appetito

Italian cuisine is quite common in our kitchens, but before we discover how pizza ended up on our tables, we will look at the influences of Italy.

When the Romans conquered Southern England, they brought with them ingredients that are common in the kitchen today, including vegetables such as garlic, onions, shallots and leeks also fruit; cherries, apples and grapes. At the time of the Fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was known as Rectrix Mundi (Queen of the World), and the different regions around the country separated and formed their own traditions, primarily regarding cuisine. In the rice growing area of northern Italy,
Milan was famous for its risottos, Bologna, for tortellini, meanwhile in the south Naples was and still is renowned for its pizza. The first true pizzeria opened in Naples in 1830 and is still in business today (pic right).
Ravioli or rauioles as they were then known are mentioned in one of the earliest cookery manuscripts The Forme of Cury, The Method of Cooking (pictured left) which is a collection of recipes from the 14th century collected by Samuel Pegge and published in 1780.
During the Elizabethan period, we see Italy being mentioned in many of the plays penned by Shakespeare, for instance Romeo and Juliet (1595-1597). Trade with Italy was established introducing some produce to the UK for the first time, including oranges, lemons, nutmeg, ginger, dates and figs to name but a few. During the Fire of London, 1666, diarist Samuel Pepys wrote about burying his Parmesan cheese in the back garden.
In the late 18th century and early 19th century Italian craftsmen, musicians and performers, marble/tile workers and ice-cream traders started to come to Britain. They first settled in and around the Holborn area of London. It was here in central London, that Joseph Moretti opened the first recorded Italian restaurant in about 1805. We will come to ice cream a little later on.
First for some figures
At the time of the 1851 census, there seems to be 4 Italian born residents in Swansea, one being John Brown, a 31-yearold, who is listed as a musician. A decade later in the 1861 census he is a Victualler, residing at Jockey Street. Brown is one of 15 Italian born residents in Swansea at this time. In the 1871 census there are 59 residents.
Also listed are Italian ships that docked in Swansea, one being the Indepenzo with a crew of 12 all Italian born.
In the 1881 census the number seems have dipped to 20 Italian born residents. Bertollines Levarllo was a 15-year old seaman who is a patient at Swansea Hospital, St. Helens Road. The number rose by the 1891 census to 31. A decade later there are 23, and finally in the 1911 census there were 47.
Two of those residents are Giuseppe Fecci, a 19-year old ice cream vendor, residing at 3 Alexandra Buildings, and Luigi Cascarini, a 45-year old working in refreshments, who was residing with his family at 174a High Street.
During the Victorian period, Italian ice cream vendors became known as Hokey Pokey men (pic right), a slang term from their distinctive cries ecco un poco! (here is a little). 
They would be seen pushing their distinctive carts, selling their delicious wares, around the town. Here in Swansea they would also have been seen on the beach. Victorian residents of Swansea, who bought an ice cream at the beach, might have seen a Punch and Judy show. Punch (left) can trace his roots back to the 16th century Italian Commedia dell’arte.
Italian ice cream did succeed in Swansea, the aforementioned Luigi Cascarini came from the Abruzzi Mountains area, to the east of Rome. He arrived in Swansea during 1898 and opened a shop, serving rich roast coffee. One shop became a string of shops; one at 85 St Helen’s Road opened in 1922 and was run by his son Joe. The rest as they say is history.

So, when did the first pizzeria open in the UK? It was after the Second World War, when the Allies who were based in Italy started to enjoy pizza and other Italian foods. Returning soldiers brought the taste back home, but it would take a further 20 years, in 1965, when the first pizza restaurant, Pizza Express (pic right,) opened its doors in Wardour Street, Soho, London.
The last time I was in the capital I got very lost and ended up going around in ever increasing circles, if I had realised how close I was to Wardour Street I could have photographed the very first pizzeria.

Copyright - Bay Magazine, October 2019



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