Carpaccio’s Link to a Venetian Painter
For many in the culinary world, carpaccio is seen as an excellent appetizer dish. But were you aware that carpaccio is related to a 15th Century Venetian painter?
First, a quick recap of what delicious Carpaccio is: Carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish that has been thinly sliced, or pounded thin, traditionally served with lemon or vinegar, olive oil, salt, and ground pepper as an appetizer. New takes on this old classic continue to emerge and impress, particularly the ones using premium fish. But what does this have to do with a Venetian painter?
Vittore Carpaccio was born in Venice to the son of a leather merchant. A pupil of Lazzaro Bastianti, Carpaccio was one of the early masters of the Venetian Renaissance, with his most well-known works being created between 1490 and 1519. He is primarily known for his large urban scenes and his use of vivid colors, particularly red.
Fast forward a few centuries to 1950. Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo was under orders from her doctor to not eat cooked meats. She visited a famous restaurant in Venice called Harry’s Bar and asked the chef if he could prepare her something she would be able to eat. Taking her need to eat raw meat into consideration, the chef created a dish of thinly shaved raw meat in a cream sauce. The owner of Harry’s Bar, Venetian restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani, named the dish Carpaccio because the red meat reminded him of the red used in Vittore Carpaccio’s paintings.
And thus a delicious dish was born! Like many other dishes, Carpaccio has evolved throughout the years and has expanded beyond just meat. Take Rafols Bacalao Carpaccio, where they’ve taken the original idea of thinly sliced pieces of meat and applied it to fresh, wild-caught Icelandic Codfish. Their Bacalao Carpaccio is salted for three months before being desalted through a time-tested process that leaves the fish tender with a bold, cured flavor.
While we may never know what Vittore Carpaccio thinks of his namesake dish, one thing is certain: Carpaccio is delicious! If you enjoy sashimi style fish, give the Rafols Bacalao Carpaccio a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Contact your sales rep for more information about Rafols Bacalao Carpaccio.
For more information about Vittore Carpaccio click here.
