The camalli were the laborers of the port who, thanks to their dedication and undoubted physical strength - when the machines were not yet present to facilitate the labors of man - provided the transfer of goods from the hold of the ship to the docks to be later shipped with trains to their destination.
They had the task of depositing the goods in the warehouses called raibe, a name of Arab origin and they simply used their shoulder and arm strength.
Also the term camallo is said to have originated from the Arabic word ‘hammal,’ which literally translates to fatigue.
Arabs had an influence on Genoa in the past and this is because the ancient maritime republic of Genoa had important commercial relations with Muslim traders, in particular with the Turks.
Obviously, the work of the unloaders was very physical, that is, it was carried out without the aid of machines and therefore extremely tiring.
They therefore needed considerable physical strength and commitment and they had to take many breaks and have many meals.
Today times have changed: there are machinery to facilitate loading and unloading operations in ports, but the work of dockers in general always remains among the hardest and most important in the logistics of a maritime port.
And the harder the work, the more a spirit of unity is created among the people working together.
Many are the associations of port workers existing in Genoa and, for the most part, they are clubs for afterwork activities.
My grandfather on my mother’s side, who worked near the port and had several friends working in this area, used to take me to the port to have breakfast with focaccia with onions and cappuccino and he used to tell me that this breakfast is the essence of feeling part of the Ligurian territory.
The focaccia with onions dipped in coffee and milk, (strange combination for an Italian to combine savory and sweet) was considered by him a hymn to life and my grandfather used to explain to me that the camalli would have focaccia with onions or bread with anchovies for breakfast and fried fish and gianchettu (white wine) for lunch.
Here is the recipe to the most traditional focaccia with onions which I have never shared here before and that my grandmother used to make when she was alive.
Focaccia With Onions
Ingredients:
1 kilo of flour
Warm water
20 grams of yeast dissolved in a little warm water
50 grams of extra virgin olive oil
20 grams of salt
A spoonful of malt
Two white onions cut into julienne strips previously marinated in water and salt
Mix all the ingredients except the yeast, once mixed, add the yeast and knead. Make a ball, cover it and let it rise for twenty minutes, roll it over a baking pan with plenty of oil, making it reach the surface of the dough and let it rise for an hour and a half. Finish spreading well and make holes with your fingertips. Pour in the marinated onions drained from the water. Bake at 250 degrees for about thirty minutes, take a look until the surface turns golden.
What do we drink with this focaccia, then? As I said, in the morning, for breakfast, you can dip it in a cappuccino if you are brave enough to try it ‘Ligurian style’ or instead, if you have it for lunch, you can drink a glass of white wine with it.
