When it comes to culinary styles, Scotland and Italy are, few would argue, poles apart – except for one corner of Tuscany that can’t get enough of one of Britain’s most popular dishes.
Every August, the hilltop town of Barga hosts its annual Fish and Chip festival, which admittedly sounds a little more cosmopolitan in Italian – ‘Sagra del Pesce e Patate’.
Legions of locals turn up to dine on hearty portions of battered fish and chips, doused in salt and vinegar – although it’s unclear whether other chip shop favourites such as mushy peas, battered onion rings and pickled eggs make the cut.
How did the Tuscan town, which typically enjoys a diet of olive oil, pizza and pasta, fall in love with our own deep-fried staple?
Italian immigration to Scotland in the early 20th century holds the key; many Barga residents upped sticks and sought a new life north of the English border.
While many of those who relocated to Scotland brought an Italian foodie favourite with them – gelato – and opened ice-cream stores, others found work in the most popular takeaway of the time, the humble chippie.
Scottish singer Paolo Nutini’s family hails from the walled town, which lies around 45 minutes drive from Florence, and is popular with tourists exploring Tuscany.
When immigrants later returned home – either to visit family during the summer holidays – or relocated permanently, they taught those back in Barga how to recreate the fish and chips they’d been serving up… and the rest is history.
The small town of Barga in Tuscany has strong links to Scotland, after many locals emigrated north in the early 20th century – and took a strong liking to fish and chips
The town now celebrates its love for the classic British dish with an annual summer festival, which brings in visitors with Scottish-Italian heritage
The Fish and Chip Festival has now been running since the 1980s and one Scottish-Italian who attended last year praised the event as a ‘bucket list moment’, writing on its Facebook page: ‘Attended this year from Bonny Scotland.
‘Had a great evening and delicious fish and chips thank you for your hospitality it was second to none. Another bucket list adventure ticked if our list.’
Another, this time an Englishman, added: ‘From Yorkshire to Barga, again, we’ve returned for our second year. Thank you very much, Forza Barga!!’
On the menu, alongside a host of other Italian meals for those who remain unconvinced by the popular British takeaway, are portions of battered fish and chips, served on paper plates.
There’s one other dish that possibly wouldn’t make the menu in a down-to-earth Scottish chippie – fagiolie cipolla, a side made up of cannellini or borlotti beans and sliced red onions.
The festival this summer will be held from August 1st to August 17th in the town’s AS Barga football stadium, which is named after the only Scottish-born male footballer to play for Italy, Johnny Moscardini.
This year’s festival is already being promoted on the town’s Facebook page
Singer Paolo Nutini was raised in Scotland but has strong Italian roots thanks to family in Barga. Footballer Johnny Moscardini was the first Scottish-born man to play for Italy, and Barga’s stadium, where the fish and chip festival is held, is named after him
Barga hearts Scotland: A red telephone box also stands in the Italian town, which is in the region of Lucca in Tuscany
Moscardini was born in Falkirk in 1897 and learned to play football in the streets near his family’s café in Manor Street.
His family came from Barga and Moscardini enlisted in the Italian Army as a machine gunner, receiving a shrapnel wound to his left arm that restricted its movement until his death in 1985.
While recovering from his injury he played football with Lucchese, Pisa and Genoa, during which time he won nine international caps, scoring seven goals.
He played his last game for Italy against France on March 22, 1925, scoring twice in a 7-0 win.
That year, however, he returned to Scotland to help run his uncle’s Royal Cafe in Campbeltown. Long after his death in 1985, he remains Barga’s favourite Scottish son.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .