Italy doesn’t have a period it calls “rainy season,” but it seems to me that up until a few years ago, February was a really rainy month. Maybe it’s climate change, but it seems like even the four seasons are disappearing lately, leaving just two per year—a hot season and a cold season.
The summers in Milan are hot.
The Alps border Milan to the north, putting the city in a valley with summers that are very hot. Though Milan doesn’t have the humidity that Japan has, the heat island effect makes it hotter here than in other provinces.
When the mercury topped 30ºC for several days in a row this year, the Milanese already seemed to be suffering from summer malaise. I think the fact that people were so weary from the heat caused all the traffic accidents in my neighborhood. Or else they were just messing with their cell phones while driving…
Either way, the heat saps your appetite. We Japanese turn to cold ramen or chilled somen noodles in the summer, but what about the Milanese? What do they eat in Italy to make it through the heat?
Well, they may not have cold ramen, but they do have cold pasta. They cook it and then chill it, usually tossing it with things like grape tomatoes, tiny mozzarella balls, and fresh-picked basil.
Another classic summer dish whose name literally translates as “rice salad” is a kind of veggie rice made from chilled cooked rice mixed with cubed vegetables like carrots, pickles, and olives. It has a light flavor with a vinegary kick. And yet, it just doesn’t have that wonderful feeling going down the throat that cold ramen or somen noodles do. You don’t get that delightful effect of slurping it down. It’s more like stabbing it with your fork and chewing.
Now I have something to tell you that will convince the kids here who love treats or the grown-ups with a sweet tooth that Italy is truly a paradise.
Italian gelato is regarded as one of the nation’s most magnificent culinary creations, and it certainly feels amazing going down the throat. It comes in popular flavors like hazelnut and pistachio, but there are all kinds of others, including other nut flavors. Because they’re made with fresh fruit and dairy, they have a lot more nutrients than the ice cream you’d buy in a supermarket, for example.
For this reason, even doctors recommend gelato, especially when digestion slows during the hot summer months. They say it’s better for your digestion to eat two or three of your favorite gelato flavors than the typical Italian pasta, pizza, grilled meat, or even salad.
Paradise, right?
I tried eating gelato once when I didn’t have a lot of time to sit down to a meal, and I was actually able to do my job without worrying about getting hungry. It really worked!
Of course, I’m not sure that means we’re supposed to all run out and eat gelato three times a day…
