Finnochio, finocchio e funghi

[raulgmanzo]

Thought about cooking some faggotts and gravy but instead this finnochio settled for fish, fennel and funghi. Smells wonderful. Fame da lupi anyone?

[+ deej]

Why would you be cooking bassoons?

 

Sounds delicious.

[+ Italiano]

Apart from the very yummy recipe, it always intrigued me the origin of the word FINOCCHIO (fennel) still used in Italy in a very derogative way to insult a gay man.

It's still not clear, one theory says that it comes from the medieval habit to throw fennels into the fire of sodomites to disguise the smell of burned flesh (but why wouldn't they do the same with "witches"?...), another theory explains the process throughout the centuries of the word FINOCCHIO used already in some books from the 14th century to indicate despicable men in general.....

Interesting!

 

Buon appetito, by the way!

[adriano46]

Yes I too was surprised when I discovered that the word of a nice tubiular plant that I liked both slowly braised and then covered in a light cream and parmaggiano crust, or diced fresh and thrown into a summer salad with onions, cannaloni beans, celery and fresh herbs, or used to brighten up with its hint of anise flavor some other stews and fish dishes (such as your recipe) could also have a derogotory meaning.

 

While lone can find this on a search: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(slang)

 

And in a another reference, Raul, they write what you wrote here: "

finocchio: (lit.: 'fennel') a male homosexual; faggot; poof. Apparently it derives from the age of the Holy Inquisition in the Papal State, when fennel would be thrown on homosexuals executed by burning at the stake — in order to mitigate the stench of burned flesh;"

 

In all my years in Italy in the past, I never quite got the word - but know it was not used politely... ever... except in the kitchen... where I still to do this day seek it out in grocery stores to use (and marvel at how many pass it by without knowing how much flavor it can add to things!)

[whipped guy]

This brings back memories... finocchio... pronounced "finucch" in my parent's and grandparent's southern Italian dialect... My grandfather used to grow it and it is quite aromatic in the kitchen as the epicurean Raul rightly points out.

[Guest Spanky]

Thought about cooking some faggotts and gravy...

 

Sounds offal.

[J-Man]

Finocchio's was a very famous "female impersonator" club in San Francisco for many years.

[+ Italiano]

Interesting to know that in Italy we have many ways for derogative and insulting way to address homosexuals, most of them originated during the second half of 19th century, and still in use, unfortunately...

From north to south we have BULICCIO, CULATTONE, CULO, INVERTITO, CUPIO, BEPPIA, CHECCA, LUMINO, BUCO, BUZZARONE, FROCIO, RICCHIONE, FINOCCHIO, ARRUSO,....and few more!

 

Here we have the openly gay Governor of Puglia (Apulia) Region reading 27 ways (!!) during a TV show:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGY2t1ha-1A

[adriano46]

Well if anything, Italian has some colorful expressions to both praise and insult (but sounding nice as they do it) everyone, not just gays. I had a secretary who was from Florence with one of the foulest mouths I ever met on an Italian woman, and she used such words frequently when describing others in the office -- me, being unschooled in these words from my language institute, once "imitated" one of her words in a meeting, trying to use it "in context" -- and watched jaws drop all around the board room -- I used the expression "che cazzo stupido" or some such thing ("what a stupid prick") -- after a moment of silence, they all broke out laughing hysterically. It became a catch-phrase after that whenever the non-Italians were talking about the Italians (not in their presence of course, as we were not cazzi stupidi ourselves)

[ChiTown]

Thanks for sharing the YouTube link, xafnndapp.

Adriano, no one will ever accuse you of being a cazzo stupido!