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| Where vegetarianism is an exotic illness | Where vegetarianism is an exotic illness |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| By Dany Mitzman Bologna | By Dany Mitzman Bologna |
| Emilia Romagna is a region in northern Italy famous for its fine charcuterie, which can make avoiding meat dishes there particularly challenging. | Emilia Romagna is a region in northern Italy famous for its fine charcuterie, which can make avoiding meat dishes there particularly challenging. |
| One of the nicknames of my adoptive town is "Bologna la grassa", or "Bologna the fat". | One of the nicknames of my adoptive town is "Bologna la grassa", or "Bologna the fat". |
| The local diet is about as Mediterranean as chicken tikka masala. There is mortadella, a sausage known elsewhere as Bologna, the forefather of American baloney. | The local diet is about as Mediterranean as chicken tikka masala. There is mortadella, a sausage known elsewhere as Bologna, the forefather of American baloney. |
| Then there is Bologna's world famous ragu, the pasta sauce known in the UK as bolognese. This is a city where meat rules supreme. | Then there is Bologna's world famous ragu, the pasta sauce known in the UK as bolognese. This is a city where meat rules supreme. |
| But it is not fair to single out Bologna when really the entire inland part of Emilia Romagna, a region of northern Italy, could be dubbed Emilia la grassa. | But it is not fair to single out Bologna when really the entire inland part of Emilia Romagna, a region of northern Italy, could be dubbed Emilia la grassa. |
| An hour away is Parma, the home of parma ham. Even Modena, just 20 minutes from me, has its own porky specialities, traditionally eaten at this time of year. | An hour away is Parma, the home of parma ham. Even Modena, just 20 minutes from me, has its own porky specialities, traditionally eaten at this time of year. |
| This is probably the only region where you will find a central piazza boasting a bronze statue of a porker. | This is probably the only region where you will find a central piazza boasting a bronze statue of a porker. |
| Forget patron saints and heroes of the unification, round here the pig is king. | Forget patron saints and heroes of the unification, round here the pig is king. |
| For many visitors the meaty specialities are an attraction but, from a culinary perspective, I could not have chosen a worse place to live. | For many visitors the meaty specialities are an attraction but, from a culinary perspective, I could not have chosen a worse place to live. |
| The thing is, I do not eat meat. And for a local population where high cholesterol is in the DNA and pork scratchings are considered fine charcuterie, this is beyond comprehension. | The thing is, I do not eat meat. And for a local population where high cholesterol is in the DNA and pork scratchings are considered fine charcuterie, this is beyond comprehension. |
| They look at me with astonishment and pity. | They look at me with astonishment and pity. |
| "You do not eat meat?" they ask, with the same tone I remember using when a girl at school told me she was allergic to chocolate. | "You do not eat meat?" they ask, with the same tone I remember using when a girl at school told me she was allergic to chocolate. |
| "You choose not to eat meat?" they say, their perplexity now infused with just a hint of disgust. "Well, I do eat fish," I tell them apologetically, as if to save myself from being totally shunned. "I'm not a vegetarian." | "You choose not to eat meat?" they say, their perplexity now infused with just a hint of disgust. "Well, I do eat fish," I tell them apologetically, as if to save myself from being totally shunned. "I'm not a vegetarian." |
| Vegetarianism is considered an exotic illness here, while the word "vegan" is almost completely unknown. | Vegetarianism is considered an exotic illness here, while the word "vegan" is almost completely unknown. |
| In case you think I am exaggerating, my neighbour recently asked if I would take part in one of her market research surveys. | In case you think I am exaggerating, my neighbour recently asked if I would take part in one of her market research surveys. |
| "Dany, do you fancy doing a prosciutto cotto tasting?" Prosciutto cotto is cooked ham. | "Dany, do you fancy doing a prosciutto cotto tasting?" Prosciutto cotto is cooked ham. |
| "Gabriella," I smiled, "I do not eat meat, remember?" She looked at me genuinely nonplussed: "But it is not meat, it is prosciutto cotto." My smile burst into a laugh. | "Gabriella," I smiled, "I do not eat meat, remember?" She looked at me genuinely nonplussed: "But it is not meat, it is prosciutto cotto." My smile burst into a laugh. |
| Going to a traditional restaurant (or trattoria) is an amusing experience too. | Going to a traditional restaurant (or trattoria) is an amusing experience too. |
| I always know what I am going to have - tagliatelle with mushrooms. It is not because I have a passion for tagliatelle with mushrooms, it's just that I know it will be the only meatless dish on the menu. OK, there are ricotta-filled tortelloni, but I'm not that partial to them. | I always know what I am going to have - tagliatelle with mushrooms. It is not because I have a passion for tagliatelle with mushrooms, it's just that I know it will be the only meatless dish on the menu. OK, there are ricotta-filled tortelloni, but I'm not that partial to them. |
| Unlike ordinary locals, waiting staff barely flinch when I utter my near sacrilegious phrase: "I do not eat meat." Determined to appear unfazed, they chirp "no problem". | Unlike ordinary locals, waiting staff barely flinch when I utter my near sacrilegious phrase: "I do not eat meat." Determined to appear unfazed, they chirp "no problem". |
| Then follows a script I've heard so many times I laugh before the punchline. Firstly they say "no meat but a bit of affettati misti, si?" I explain that cold cuts are meat, even if the slices do not look like the original animal. | Then follows a script I've heard so many times I laugh before the punchline. Firstly they say "no meat but a bit of affettati misti, si?" I explain that cold cuts are meat, even if the slices do not look like the original animal. |
| Then they tell me plenty of their pasta dishes are vegetarian. | Then they tell me plenty of their pasta dishes are vegetarian. |
| "We have home-made tortellini," they beam. I explain that, even though you cannot see it, the meat stuffing inside those tiny pasta packages nevertheless exists. | "We have home-made tortellini," they beam. I explain that, even though you cannot see it, the meat stuffing inside those tiny pasta packages nevertheless exists. |
| But my favourite is when they tell me they have a delicious vegetable sauce. | But my favourite is when they tell me they have a delicious vegetable sauce. |
| "It is made with peas and onions. Well, there is a spot of bacon too, but just a tiny bit - you cannot even taste it." That is when I stifle a chuckle and order my tagliatelle with mushrooms. | "It is made with peas and onions. Well, there is a spot of bacon too, but just a tiny bit - you cannot even taste it." That is when I stifle a chuckle and order my tagliatelle with mushrooms. |
| Main courses are much more straightforward. There's absolutely nothing. | |
| Even if they list 10 options, they'll all once upon a time have had legs. Nowadays, I don't even ask, I just get a side order of grilled vegetables because, chances are, the potatoes are roasted in lard. | |
| And now Emilians are glorying in the meaty treats they got in their Christmas hampers. | And now Emilians are glorying in the meaty treats they got in their Christmas hampers. |
| There is cotechino - a huge sausage they boil and serve with lentils on New Year's Eve. Then there is zampone - similar but stuffed into a pig's trotter. | There is cotechino - a huge sausage they boil and serve with lentils on New Year's Eve. Then there is zampone - similar but stuffed into a pig's trotter. |
| It is a speciality of Castelnuovo Rangone - a little town near Modena which once had more pigs than people. | It is a speciality of Castelnuovo Rangone - a little town near Modena which once had more pigs than people. |
| Every winter they hold SuperZampone, a festival where local sausage makers try to break their own world record for the largest zampone ever. | Every winter they hold SuperZampone, a festival where local sausage makers try to break their own world record for the largest zampone ever. |
| Yes, you may have guessed - it is the town with the pig monument in the piazza. Right in front of the church, much to the priest's indignation. | Yes, you may have guessed - it is the town with the pig monument in the piazza. Right in front of the church, much to the priest's indignation. |
| He must be a vegetarian. | He must be a vegetarian. |
| How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent: | How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent: |
| BBC Radio 4: Saturdays at 11:30 GMT and some Thursdays at 11:00 GMT. | BBC Radio 4: Saturdays at 11:30 GMT and some Thursdays at 11:00 GMT. |
| Listen online or download the podcast. | Listen online or download the podcast. |
| BBC World Service: Short editions Monday-Friday - see World Service programme schedule. | BBC World Service: Short editions Monday-Friday - see World Service programme schedule. |
| You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook | You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook |
| What is your experience of avoiding meat in different countries? Tell us your stories and a selection will be published. |