Seeking to completely immerse myself in the culture of Siena, I obviously have had to experience the cuisine unique to the region. The first day I arrived in Siena I went to a restaurant in the city and asked the waiter for a local specialty. He suggested that I order the pici al ragu. Since I had never had or heard of pici before, I asked him about how it is made and its historical significance for Siena.
Pici is a type of pasta that originated in the local Siena area. It is a simple pasta, made of only water and flour. The dough is then rolled by hand into a 5mm thick roll. Just as it has been prepared for generations, pici must be made by hand. The pasta can be served with a variety of sauces but typically, it is served with ragu.
Although pici is a very simple pasta, its simplicity has a rich history which my waiter explained to me. Pici was historically the everyday pasta for peasants since there were no stores to buy cheap pasta and many did not have money to buy more than the simple ingredients used in pici. It is significant that pici is made without eggs since eggs cost more and were only included in pasta typically served for a special occasion. Further, the word pici comes from the Italian word appicciare which means to stick together.
Pici has been made by generations and generations of Tuscan locals and today it is a common dish that tourists come seeking when visiting the region. I have already had pici every time that I have been to a restaurant here in Siena and, thus far, I can confidently say that not all pici tastes the same. Although the pasta only requires two ingredients, some cooks have distinguished themselves as pici experts. Overall, I have not had a negative experience with this local dish, and I hope to learn how to make it from an expert prior to leaving Siena.
