Cucina Povera, or peasant cuisine, is back in style – not only in Italy, but also the rest of the world! Cucina Povera is not some radical diet, but a cuisine that actually makes a lot of sense. It consists of ingredients that are inexpensive and readily available – nothing is left to waste. Little to no meat is used in Cucina Povera. The result is a cuisine that is heavily based on grains, legumes and vegetables and a diet that is healthy and ecologically sound. Cucina Povera reminds me of the “Eat Local” campaigns you see popping up everywhere.
Even still, I was a little skeptical about Cucina Povera, but any doubts I had were laid to rest during my Cucina Povera meal at Armandoa al Pantheon. Our guide Gina from Context Travel, walked us through our simple, yet surprisingly tasty meal. One of my favorite dishes was the artichoke pictured above. Other typical Cucina Povera dishes include risotto with nettles or soup with chestnuts – ingredients that are readily available in the Italian countryside, or available for low cost at a Rome market. When cooking your own cucina povera just remember this advice from Gina “What grows together goes together.” You may already be eating Cucina Povera already but just didn’t know it - now you have a fancy sounding name for it to impress all your guests! Have you tried Cucina Povera?
Eating Cucina Povera completed my “Live Like a Local” experience provided by HouseTrip, where we also Traveled Like a Local, Shopped Like a Local and even Fought Like a Local at gladiator school (well an ancient local in this case). Of course we also slept like a local in one of HouseTrip’s many amazing apartments in Rome- ours had an amazing view of the Rome Coliseum! You can book your own Cucina Povera experience in Rome through Context Travel. Thank you to HouseTrip and Context Travel for introducing me to Cucina Povera!
You can get incredible taste from next to nothing, if you know how. And now you’ve left me wondering what on earth they’d done to the artichoke on the photo. Deep fried it perhaps?
Italian Notes recently posted..Signals from heaven
Looks yummy!
Brock – Backpack With Brock recently posted..Exploring Franconia Notch State Park – New Hampshire, USA
@Italian Notes – That’s what we learned and I really enjoyed our Cucina Povera meal. I think the artichoke was fried in butter. It was very tasty.
Most of the best foods started like this. Food that was cheap (or perhaps even almost rotten, middle ages not so up on the fridge tech) could be made edible. I don’t really like a lot of veggies, so I think this would be hard for me, but it definitely sounds like a good idea to get local stuff. Now I just need to find a local cookie tree.
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@Brock – It was surprisingly good!
@Andy – Agreed and no one is going to argue that the Italians know what they’re talking about when it comes to food! I didn’t miss the meat in our meal since it was so tasty and they did give us a little, but it was a supplement, not the main focus. Let me know how you make out with that cookie tree
Not sure I’ve ever eaten artichoke before. Understand its that prickly looking thing I’ve seen a few times at our local vege market, but never bought one. I’d like to. But wouldn’t know what to do with it. I should look up a recipe, perhaps a cucina povera style one.
Sam recently posted..Enjoying Various Beers Downtown Montreal at Mondial de la bière 2012
@Sam – Then you haven’t been to Rome
We ate artichoke 3 times in 3 days! I really like Cucina Povera and I think a lot of the recipes would be simple, although I have to confess that I haven’t actually tried cooking it myself 
I’d be starving if I waited to eat entirely local in Calgary. I have added rhubarb to my garden for next spring and am hoping the bunnies don’t eat the kale and Swiss chard I just planted. Soup with chestnuts sounds interesting.
Leigh recently posted..It’s Lilac Season in Calgary
It would work for me, I’m not a vegetarian but I eat very little meat. I guess it’s similar in a way to the “slow food” movement.
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If you like the idea of cucina povera, you might like my book on the peasant cooking of Tuscany. It is called “Cucina Povera,” and here is a link to some more info
I would be happy to give it a go, normally insist on meat with every dish but nothing wrong with letting my tastebuds experiment.
Natalie – Turkish Travel Blog recently posted..Galata Tower and a 360-Degree View of Istanbul
I’ve never (at least that I know of) tried Cucina Povera but would definitely give it a try! I love vegetables and would try any of them.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Gorgeous Gorges du Verdon
I’d never actually heard of Cucina Povera before, but it seems like sound advice. Eat healthy, eat local, and eat things that complement one another! I’m sure a lot of food-conscious folks already do that and just don’t know that there’s a fabulous name to go with it.
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Vietnam’s Best-Kept Secret
I’m impressed by the name, Cucina Provera. Sounds much better than peasant food. But the peasants had it right all along. Eat what you grow, what’s right around you. Everything else has to be processed in some way to get to our table.
InsideJourneys recently posted..5 Things to do in Montego Bay
I’ve loved watching all of these options popping up here in Las Vegas (the desert!) for eating locally in the past year or so. It wasn’t like this at all the first time I lived here. There are so many reasons this is important — so interesting to hear how it’s done in other areas of the world!
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Here in Atlanta we call this “soul food”– simple, locally-grown, down-home food that provides nutrition and comfort. Having traveled Italy extensively as a kid, I can remember how great the food was, particularly in the more remote villages. Glad to see the Locavore movement has grained traction all around the world!
Thanks for your comments everyone. Great to hear that so many people are on board with “Cucina povera” no matter what name you call it.
Cucina Povera looks very practical and yummy. I probably would prefer to eat that normally unless I am traveling. Japan is also having a wave of Cucina Povera going on. Many housewives even use their house’s balcony or back yards to plant vegetables.
Annie – FootTracker recently posted..The Machine that Saved My Life @Japan
Got to agree with Robin on that one. I prefer non-fancy schmancy foods, too. Would definitely like to try this – looks very interesting!
Julia
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