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Tripping inside Florentine nightlife Take a night off
[Maddalena Delli]
The word aperitif comes from the Latin "aperire", to open. You should remember that traditionally, Italians do not drink in order to get drunk: rather, alcohol fulfils a complementary role in the dining process. An aperitif is meant to cleanse your palate and whet your appetite for the upcoming meal. But in fact, an early evening aperitif has now come to mean so much more than just that: it is a popular ritual, a way of passing from work to leisure while sipping a mild beverage, enjoying a few savory snacks, and sharing time with friends. The typically French and Italian rite of aperitif offers a taste of la bonne vie for those who enjoy nothing more than raising a glass in the company of friends. It's an inspiring process and one that surely epitomises the continentals' particular brand of effortless cool. What better way to unwind at the end of a long day in the office? Even the music mix is also specially chosen with smooth, soothing sounds providing a suitable backdrop for a relaxed chat among friends. Of course, the die-hard workholics still turn the aperitif hour into yet another chance for a business meeting; but that's another matter...
In the past few years the ritual has become so popular that many bars in Florence now offer a sophisticated choice of finger foods and snacks to accompany your aperitif. Arrive between 7pm and 9pm, buy yourself a drink and you can expect to stock up for free on a good spread of complimentary nibbles.
The aperitif buffet often includes delicious, usually freshly cooked food ranging from appetizers to classic Tuscan dishes like ribollita or pappa al pomodoro, crostini and crostoni, fondue, salamis and hams, cold meats, hot and cold pasta, focaccia squares, mini pizzas, carpaccios, sushi, crudités with olive oil dips, fresh fruit salads and much more.
Typical aperitif drinks can be wine, champagne, cocktails, liqueurs or combinations of these. Some even say that beer is even a natural aperitif. The market also caters for teetotallers, who can choose from a wide range of non-alcoholic aperitif drinks like Crodino for instance: this is a far cry from the classic "soft drink" alternatives to alcohol, providing all the glamour and taste of a true aperitif.
Moreover, sugary drinks are not the way to go: they cloy the palate and also dull the appetite. The reason why herbal bitters make the best aperitifs is that common ingredients such as thyme, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, liquorice, fennel, citrus peel and wormwood work their magic as soon as they hit the tongue, activating the saliva glands, which in turn get the digestive juices flowing. This prepares the gall bladder, that releases bile from the liver, ready for food: in short, bitters set up the whole process of digestion and metabolism so it works at its best.
Not surprisingly then, aperitifs were first developed by monks as medical elixirs. As cafe culture swept Italy in the 19th century, the basic recipes of the past were refined by innovative barmen who would lure patrons to their establishments with their exclusive concoctions.
Gustav Campari perfected a sophisticated blend of 68 herbs, spices and barks in his bar located in Milan's fashionable Galleria and his eclectic recipe is in such demand even today, that there are still only two people who know the combination of ingredients that make up Campari - and even then, they are only privy to 34 each.
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