I can have a good time by just reading the flyers from all the shops surrounding us. This caught my eyes for several reasons:
First of all it was the frontpage. Yes it really was.
Secondly the absurdly low price.
Thirdly, how many countries do they still have capons let alone in supermarkets? And above all where do they make leaflets showing capons with their head and feet still on? Yes that is what it says ‘Whole Capon with head and feet attached’. The declaration at the bottom says, born in Italy, grown and slaughtered in Italy. Brought up on the ground. Fed GMO free, vegetarian food with (and that is funny..) vitamins and minerals.
Capon is basically a rooster who has had his testes removed. It used to be done surgically but hey these are modern times, so they now have pills for that, or should I say implants who give off oestrogen to be correct? The whole practice does make me wonder if their ‘voice’ gets higher pitched…
Story goes that is was the Romans who invented the Capone to bypass a law which forbade to fatten chickens on grain in order to conserve rations.
A positive effect of removing manly parts is that it makes the now ex-roosters more well behaved so you can keep them together in one pen. Try that with cockerels! They also loose their will to move about somewhat which makes them fatter alas moister and more tender.
As with all fowl you don’t want these ‘guys’ from the supermarket since they will taste like ahum, chicken. Get a free range one if you can.
What Italian use the ‘cappone’ for?
Well the traditional Christmas dish in the South is eel while in the North it is Capon. In Umbria you see both by the way. The Capon used to be served for lunch but the Turkey fad hasn’t passed Italy unfortunately. Capon does still turn up in the ‘brodo’ (broth) in which the famous cappelletti are floating. The cappelletti itself are filled with a forcemeat, traditionally (partly) capon but nowadays you can find anything in it.
I may warn you not to take all this to literally for in Italy you can still travel only 20 kilometres and they will tell you something completely different!
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