This Sunday died in the Vatican the Pope Francisthe first Latin American pontiff and one of the closest, humble and endearing leaders in the contemporary history of the Church. Beyond its spiritual and social legacy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio He also left a deep mark on popular culture … and in the gastronomy.
Throughout his life, Francisco He maintained a simple but deep relationship with food. Since his years as a young priest in Buenos Aires, to his days as a great pontiff in Rome, his palate It was marked by the flavors of Argentine cuisine: humble dishes, from home, which evoked tradition, childhood and community.
One of his most endearing tastes were the caramel cookies Argentines, particularly those of the brand “The Nazarene “. In multiple official visits – as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel made in 2017 -, he received boxes of these sweets as personal gifts. “The puff pastry liked them a lot,” Leonardo Grisoni, owner of the factory, recalled in a radio interview. The Pope enjoyed them as who savor A memory, and not as a luxury.
Nazarene alfajores
He caramel saucein its most classic version, it was also one of its passions. In Argentina, this delicacy of discussed origin has been eaten for more than two centuries, and for Bergoglio it represented a direct link with the family desk. I enjoyed smeared in bread, in desserts or as an alfajores filling. Although his recipe varies by country, in his Argentine version It is thick, deep and comforting: a reflection of the Rioplatense culinary soul.
Among the salty flavors, Pope Francis preferred the quadril colita, A boneless cut and with a thin layer of fat, ideal for grilles. It is a juicy piece, of triangular formvery popular in the Argentine roastswhere meat is more than food: it is a ceremony. The Pontiff enjoyed it well cooked, in sober portions, without excesses.
Argentine empanadas
On meeting or celebration days he also used to bow for Argentine empanadasespecially those of Pepperoni or meat. These stuffed mass snacks are a symbol of unity and hospitality in many South American tables. His, he said, they owed lLevar hard egg, olives and that characteristic spicy touch of the Norte Argentino.
One of the most curious dishes that came to mention as a favorite was the Pizza on horseback, A popular fusion in the Río de la Plata. This combination consists of a portion of pizza covered with a slice of fainá – a kind of flat bread made with chickpea flour– And crowned with a fried egg. Simple and powerful, it was another sample of Francisco’s taste for the authentic, everyday and shared.
Pizza on horseback
These personal tastes were documented in the Vatican cuisine, a book written by the chef David Geisser and members of the Swiss Guard, who accompanied him during his pontificate. There was portrayed not only his preference for Argentine flavorsbut also his philosophy in the face of food: eat as an act of humility, link with others, and of gratitude for the simple.
