Lasagna

Lasagna is a food that I have enjoyed since I was little.  My mom is italian, so it is something she grew up eating and therefore, it is something I also grew up eating.  It is a meal we would eat on a normal everyday, but it is also something we go to for dinner parties or get togethers because it is easy to make for multiple people.  We also use our own homemade sauce in it, so it makes it more meaningful to our family when we make it compared to ordering it in a restaurant. 

Lasagna is a very versatile dish that can be altered to fit any cultures unique ingredients (Chocobanana, 2013).  The recipe I grew up with was alternating layers of long, thin lasagna noodles with layers of ricotta cheese and sauce with ground meat in it, flavored with things such as garlic, onion, and basil.  The meal is put together in a dish and then baked in an oven.  Other recipes may use vegetables (vegetarian lasagna), sausage, or any other ingredients the maker of the lasagna desires.  Lasagna has a lot of nutritional value because it is a meal in itself.  It hits almost all of the food groups in the food pyramid, with dairy, carbohydrates/pasta, meat, and vegetables.

Lasagna is originally from Italian cuisine.  The name lasagna has two theories for its origin.  One is that it came from the Greek word laganon, a flat dough cut into strips, and the other theory is that is came from the Greek word lasanon, which was a type of crock pot, so the food dish got its name from the type of pot it was cooked in (Chocobanana, 2013).  A third theory is that it came from the English recipe, Loseyn, which is a similar recipe with alternating layers of pasta and ingredients, however tomatoes were not included in this recipe (Chocobanana, 2013). With the spread of the Roman empire, the recipe spread across Europe and was first published in a cookbook in Britain (Hershey, 2010). The dish was brought to North America through European immigration, where it has continued to change with an increasing number of new recipes for the versatile dish.  Because of the versatility of the dish and the fact that a lasagna recipe was not published until it reached Britain, there is no one chef known for creating this food dish.

Lasagna is a food that can be enjoyed in the home or in a restaurant, at a normal weekday dinner, or at a dinner party or special occasion.  Lasagna’s versatility in its many different recipes allow it to be incorporated into many different cultures and tastes.  The traditional Italian lasagna is now transformed into many versions including vegetarian lasagna and mexican lasagna.  However the traditional Italian lasagna described above is the most known and common.  Due to its versatility, through immigration and globalization, the dish has spread across the world.  I do not see lasagna going out of fashion and think it will be around for many years to come.

To me lasagna symbolizes coming together and family because we use our own family recipe. When I think of a good home cooked meal, I think of lasagna.  Other than its close Italian ties, lasagna is not particularly associated with any certain class or subculture.  Its versatility allows it to be shared among different cultures and places, but everyone agrees on its Italian origin. It is mainly a symbol of family and coming together for a meal.

Works Cited:

Chocobanana. “History of Lasagna”. Jamie Oliver Blogs. 5 December 2013.  web.  http://www.jamieoliver.com/bloggers/viewtopic.php?id=79027

Hershey, Peter. “Lasagna”. 2010. web.http://hershey.kucdweb.com/lasagna/html/ history.html.