The “Rencocciata” Polenta Festival will take place in License, in the province of Rome, on Sunday 24 February 2013.
In a day of fun, visits to the historical beauties (the ancient village, the Orsini Castle, the Oraziano Museum), archaeological (the ruins of the Villa of the Latin poet Horace) and natural (excursions in the Park) the Ass.ne Pro Loco, it sets up food stands with the distribution of polenta (hard) sautéed on the grill "rencocciata" to eat as a kind of bread, with the most varied dishes. Music, dances, games for a beautiful day.
Licentiate was once famous for its sheep farming and olive oil production; it is a small town just fifty kilometers from Rome, with an ancient peasant tradition, immersed in the greenery of the Monti Lucretili Regional Natural Park. The surrounding landscape is so pleasant that it was chosen by the poet Horace to rest from the hardships of the city.
POLENTA STRIKES AGAIN ...
A very recent study, conducted by the “Licenzaro delle Recchie Gialle Institute” *, has ensured the extraordinary therapeutic qualities of “POLENTA LICENTINA” and invites you to consume as much of it as possible. The correspondent M. VALGIOTTA went in a special capacity to visit the enchanting village of License to steal its secrets.
Here, at the meeting point, the "Piazza delle Libertà", he conducted some interviews with the population, especially taking advantage of the words of the founders of the "Istituto Licenzaro delle Recchie Gialle"; seniors.
Thanks to their stories it was possible to go back to the traditional preparation of polenta. In ancient times this dish was cooked "NELLU CUTTURU", the classic non-tinned copper cauldron, which either "CLICKED TO THE CHAIN DELLU CAMINITTU", that is, hung from the chain, or placed on top of the "TREPPEI", a triangular wrought iron instrument made by three legs under which the embers were placed.
"U cutturu" was filled with water (about 1 and 12 liters) and as soon as it boiled, the corn flour was gradually poured into it and "VUCICA '" was immediately started, that is to say, to mix "COLLU SQUAGLIARELLU", a long wooden stick "COI RAPPI", some lateral branches placed at one of the two ends. Our correspondent was even able to discover the secret of a preparation with flakes .................. .. always turn the polenta in the same direction so that it does not "S 'APPALLOCCASSE", that is, that no lumps are formed!
How long did it take for it to cook properly? About 45 min ... the more polenta cooked, the more digestible and good it was, like today. Once cooked it was poured with a sharp blow on the typical “SPINATORA”, the pastry board. It was also said that in License there were essentially two different ways of tasting this dish: either the "MOLLA" polenta was prepared, that is slow, which spread on the pastry board or directly on the plate, or it became more dense and consistent .
Even the latter was "REVOTECATA", poured on the pastry board forming "U MASSONE" which was cooled a little in such a way as to make it more compact. Sewing thread was used to cut it, which was stretched between the fingers and then plunged into the polenta; In this way, well-defined and clean slices were obtained. The polenta cut in this way was consumed with different dishes and side dishes: sauce with pork ribs or with wild boar, "I FAZOLI", beans, "E SARAGHE", herring, ricotta and various cheeses, "LE CICERCHIE", chickpeas, lentils and various legumes, sautéed wild herbs and smothered broccoli.
Some of these side dishes had a curious preparation: the suffocated broccoli, for example, could be cooked or by boiling them first in water and then sautéed in a pan with oil, garlic and a little vinegar or cooked directly in a pan, with the same ingredients, adding a glass of water from time to time. The curiosity lies in letting them simmer with a lid to suffocate and take the aroma of the vinegar.
Our correspondent also became aware of a particular Licentino anecdote concerning "e saraghe": these were first dried and then "hung" to a beam with a long wire that hung in the center of the table and at mealtimes each he took his slice of polenta and “mpegneva”, that is, he dipped, on the saraga. We also know that leftovers of polenta could be kept for a few days; in fact, they say that the polenta was "RENCOCCIATA", that is, heated on the braticola. This happened because in ancient times polenta was an everyday meal, inexpensive but also very filling, in fact it was specially cooked in large quantities and even used as bread, accompanied each time with a different side dish.
The population of License, proud of the tradition, still continues today to preserve these particular procedures so much so that on the last Sunday of February the town comes alive with the "Sagra della Polenta Rencocciata": a day entirely dedicated to the memory of traditions, in where you can taste the authenticity and simplicity of the typical polenta. In conclusion, we at the newspaper invite you to make a gift to your taste buds but above all to your health.
We also remind you that License offers reasons for leisure with long walks not only through the narrow streets of the town but also throughout the territory of the PARK OF THE LUCRTILI MOUNTAINS, a spiritual meeting place in the two recently restored churches, such as the CHURCH OF THE SS.ma CONCEZIONE, defined commonly CHURCH NEW by the population and the CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN IMMACULATE, defined instead CHIESA VECCHIA, and finally also cultural reasons with archaeological and monumental visits to the VILLA D 'ORAZIO, the NINFEO DEGLI ORSINI defined by the illustrious poet Quinto Orazio Flacco FONS BANDUSIAE, the ORAZIANO MUSEUM and the BARONAL PALACE OF THE ORSINI. For further information, please contact the local area.
* The institute takes this name about 20 years ago, when for the first time there was also talk of a "polenta festival". In fact, it is said that as soon as the elderly heard the news they came out with exclamations such as: “Oh my God! I keep and recchie yellow by force of magnà polenta! "; that is, being a poor dish, as we have already said, since they were children they did nothing but eat polenta. In short words; they couldn't take it anymore. Still attached to their origins and happy that we began to talk about the past, they decided to found this research institute which today employs numerous young scientists renowned all over the world.
(February 2, 2013)