Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share (237) Rhode Island Culinary Gems
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
(237) Rhode Island Culinary Gems
Today's episode is about the Rhode Island culinary gems
If I think of all the places I could have landed, Rhode Island was never on my horizon. I had promised my mother that I would like to spend 6 months in the US, maybe get a pro-soccer contract, and keep going. Half a century has gone by, and I am still here. And so what does a chef do if he'sState's not cooking? Well, he either talks about food or writes about it. I want to begin with some basic information.
Rhode Island is the smallest US state, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide. Despite its small area, it is known as the “Ocean State” and boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Roger Williams founded it in 1636, having been banished from the Massachusetts colony for advocating religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.
Newport was a central hub for shipping and trade during the colonial period. In the 19th century, Rhode Island was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of power-driven textile mills. However, there is plenty of information on the State’s history, considering that it was one of the original 13 colonies in the formation of our land. As Irish people fled Ireland due to the potato famine, other ethnic groups arrived, bringing ingenuity and culinary traditions. From Italians to Portuguese, to French and British, to mention the largest contingents, others joined later in the 20th century, such as Greeks, Koreans, Chinese, Latinos, Mexicans, and Middle Easterners.
The variety of food connected with these ethnic groups is the key to Rhode Island's culinary expansion. The state features some of the most diverse cultural fabric in the land, even in a territory no bigger than the city of Los Angeles. Along with these different food groups, the diversity of restaurants and food-related establishments has grown immensely in the last half-century. This is also reflected in the number of young chefs who regularly perform at the James Beard Foundation in New York City, considered the theatre of culinary stardom.
But let's talk about the foods that make the state different—food you will not find anywhere in the country, food with its traditions, heritage, and terminology. Rhode Islanders are very provincial, and traveling is almost an issue. That is why many of these dishes don't cross the state line. They stay close to home, and the culture stays with them.
As Ted Widmer, a historian who grew up in Rhode Island, once asserted ''That Middle American desire to succeed beyond your neighborhood has never animated Rhode Islanders,'' he said. ''What's important is your extended family, the people who live on your block and maybe 10 other people you've known all your life. It's very, very local.''
And so, what are the foods of the state?
Read the Full Content Here
More Podcasts
Flavors + Knowledge Newsletter
Produced by SimVal Media Group, USA
View all episodes
By WALTER POTENZA
5
22 ratings
Today's episode is about the Rhode Island culinary gems
If I think of all the places I could have landed, Rhode Island was never on my horizon. I had promised my mother that I would like to spend 6 months in the US, maybe get a pro-soccer contract, and keep going. Half a century has gone by, and I am still here. And so what does a chef do if he'sState's not cooking? Well, he either talks about food or writes about it. I want to begin with some basic information.
Rhode Island is the smallest US state, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide. Despite its small area, it is known as the “Ocean State” and boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Roger Williams founded it in 1636, having been banished from the Massachusetts colony for advocating religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.
Newport was a central hub for shipping and trade during the colonial period. In the 19th century, Rhode Island was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of power-driven textile mills. However, there is plenty of information on the State’s history, considering that it was one of the original 13 colonies in the formation of our land. As Irish people fled Ireland due to the potato famine, other ethnic groups arrived, bringing ingenuity and culinary traditions. From Italians to Portuguese, to French and British, to mention the largest contingents, others joined later in the 20th century, such as Greeks, Koreans, Chinese, Latinos, Mexicans, and Middle Easterners.
The variety of food connected with these ethnic groups is the key to Rhode Island's culinary expansion. The state features some of the most diverse cultural fabric in the land, even in a territory no bigger than the city of Los Angeles. Along with these different food groups, the diversity of restaurants and food-related establishments has grown immensely in the last half-century. This is also reflected in the number of young chefs who regularly perform at the James Beard Foundation in New York City, considered the theatre of culinary stardom.
But let's talk about the foods that make the state different—food you will not find anywhere in the country, food with its traditions, heritage, and terminology. Rhode Islanders are very provincial, and traveling is almost an issue. That is why many of these dishes don't cross the state line. They stay close to home, and the culture stays with them.
As Ted Widmer, a historian who grew up in Rhode Island, once asserted ''That Middle American desire to succeed beyond your neighborhood has never animated Rhode Islanders,'' he said. ''What's important is your extended family, the people who live on your block and maybe 10 other people you've known all your life. It's very, very local.''
And so, what are the foods of the state?
Read the Full Content Here
More Podcasts
Flavors + Knowledge Newsletter
Produced by SimVal Media Group, USA