When you think of the traits that separate one country’s cuisines from the rest of the world, what springs to mind? You’ll likely think of foods that are specific to a given region, recipes that were adopted in certain areas of the country, and cooking methods that are exclusive to the areas they were produced in. Italian cuisine is sometimes defined by all three! Something that’s tied to these definitions of Italian cuisine is an item called a mezzaluna. But, what exactly is a mezzaluna? We tell you everything you need to know about it below!
The Mezzaluna
Of the three stipulations of a country’s cuisine, which one does mezzaluna fall into? It might sound like the name of a recipe at first glance, but it’s actually not even close to that. In fact, it doesn’t belong to any of the three categories! Instead, a mezzaluna is a specific cooking utensil used in Italian delicacies. It’s a knife with sharp curved blades with a handle at the end that helps you to rock the blade back and forth. Mezzaluna translates to “half-moon” in English, which helps explain why it was given the name! Most mezzalunas only have one blade, but some can be fitted with as many as two or three.
What Is A Mezzaluna Used For?
A mezzaluna can have several different purposes in the kitchen. The main purpose of it is to help mince vegetables, herbs and garlic for use in other recipes. Common recipes that mezzalunas are used for include things like pesto, ciambotta, and Italian soffritto among other things. However, it can also be used like a pizza cutter! Mezzalunas are generally big enough that they can be used to cut pizza into slices in place of the traditional instrument.
Why Use One?
The main advantage of using a mezzaluna over other materials to mince and dice is efficiency. A mezzaluna can easily reduce garlic and herbs to bits without much effort needed to be put in. Inexperienced chefs will find it a lot more efficient to use a mezzaluna than a regular knife. Cost is also a big factor; the other option you have for dicing food is to invest in a food processor. These are both expensive and bulky, which makes a mezzaluna a cheaper and more effective alternative.
Pizza at Quattro
There’s one thing that a mezzaluna and Quattro have in common; they’re both incredibly efficient! Quattro puts together some of the best Italian cuisines in the North End, with our specialty being a variety of brick oven pizzas cooked to perfection. Our chefs will ensure that you get the highest quality experience possible each time you visit. To experience the wonder for yourself, click here to make a reservation with us!