Culture shocks, for the most part, can be quite traumatic. But sometimes, you find yourself face to face with something very different, yet strangely familiar and in this case, very, very tasty.
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I’m from strong northern English stock. A ‘Geordie’, if you will.
My people spend most of their time in coal mines or pubs, where they consume vast quantities of beer and fried foods. Not exactly haute cuisine. Our traditions centre around Christian holidays and fierce unionism.
However, last weekend I got the opportunity to spend a morning with a lovely Italian family and watch as they made salami together. Until now I had no idea how it was made, and always thought of salami as being a spicy mystery meat that came from a factory, one of those things that you eat but don’t want to know too much about.
But boy was I wrong! Instead of a scary factory I found a family tradition stretching back centuries. Hand cut lean pork, mixed with a secret family recipe and cured for weeks in a shed.
The more time I spend immersing myself in the Italian culture, the more I love it.
Best of all, I got to hear the life story of a nice bloke who arrived in Australia 77 years ago with nothing but five pounds in his pocket and a solid work ethic. Reminded me of some of my family actually.
Maybe we’re not so different after all.
- STEPHEN MUDD
