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BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Is this the most Scottish town in Italy?
With deep, emotional connections to Scotland, its own tartan and a fish and chips festival, the town of Barga is an unlikely "Brigadoon" in the Tuscan hills. In the medieval hilltop town of Barga in Tuscany's Serchio Valley, between the marble-white Apuan Alps and chestnut forests of the Apennine mountains, many things can take the unwitting visitor by surprise. The blue and white saltire of the St Andrew's Cross, Scotland's national flag, hangs above steep, cobblestone lanes scented by wisteria. Snippets of thick Scottish accents muddle with the rhythmic flow of Italian. At the right time of year, bagpipes drone through the air. Come towards the end of January, and, if you're lucky, you'll hear the poetry of Robert Burns and get the chance to sample haggis. Year-round, meanwhile, the Scottish staple of vigorously fried fish and chips is on the menu of local restaurants. And misty-eyed locals will not hesitate to tell you about their deep, emotional connections to Glasgow and the Ayrshire towns of Ardrossan and Largs on Scotland's west coast. All who visit agree that Barga has a distinctive story – the local tourist board proudly proclaims it as "the most Scottish town in Italy" – and when I visited this fantasy-like "Brigadoon" to learn about its curious history, the Sun was a golden flare in the sky, the surrounding mountains sparkled and the streets were empty. The quintessential Tuscan town walls; Renaissance-era stone houses; and lemon, orange and pink villas couldn't have felt further away from the world I'd just left behind in Glasgow. "A few years ago, we thought we'd find out how deep our connections are," said Maria Elisa Caproni, a historian and the town's librarian who had volunteered to lead me through Barga's Scottish-Italian timeline. It was a question that the town felt important to answer. "Of our 9,000 inhabitants, we calculated that about 60% have Scottish roots. It's incredible, really." Like so many other locals, Caproni has a typical story. Struggling to find work in the Serchio Valley, family on her grandfather's side migrated from Barga to Scotland in the early 20th Century. After making money in Scotland's prospering shipyards and forestry industries, many Barghese returned a few decades later, bringing a love for their adopted homeland and many of its traditions back with them. Straight away, I noticed the connections too: contemporary Scottish art here; a red telephone box there. Earlier, at the town's entrance road, I passed a sign proclaiming Barga's twinning with Prestonpans, Cockenzie, Port Seton and Longiddry – each towns located outside Edinburgh in East Lothian. Barga was already famous – it was an essential gateway to Rome for pilgrims, merchants and traders – and has a rich history. During the Middle Ages, the surrounding cities of Lucca, Pisa and Modena fought for the town in bitter disputes, as to rule it was to control foot traffic, population flow and – crucially – taxes. As Caproni tells it, Barga voluntarily gave itself to Florence in 1332 to guarantee its protection, yet remained far enough away from the modern-day Tuscan capital to hold onto its independence and still benefit from advantageous tax concessions. Surveying this history today is a sensory experience: the town's most magnificent building, the Duomo, or Cathedral of San Cristoforo, is a clear sign of Barga's former wealth. The colossal limestone facade is an architectural wonder, inlaid with symbols supposedly implying the presence and influence of the Knights Templar. "Barga was a little island of Florentine power amid the hills," said Caproni, as we started our walkabout at Porta Reale gate, a liminal space between today's new town and the medieval warren of yesteryear. "But that's just the beginning of our story." For five centuries under Florentine rule, Barga remained squeezed between the Republic of Lucca and the House of Este, a European dynasty with fiefdoms in today's Emilia-Romagna region, including Modena and Ferrara. Then the unification of Italy in 1861 changed everything. Following the fall of Italy's ancient city-states, Barga lost its privileges, the town's silk industry declined and waves of migration to the US and the UK began. A chief beneficiary of this Barghese labour? Scotland's west coast. Many had planned to sail to the US from there, but sufficient work saw plenty go no further on their journeys. Soon, an influx of Italians began working along the fragmented seaboard. Then, opportunities beckoned through the opening of Italian restaurants, ice cream parlours (including Scotland's most famous, Nardini's in Largs) and fish and chip shops. Ever since, there has been a flow of people, families and stories between the Tuscan hills and Firth of Clyde coast. A place that encapsulates this story is Giro Di Boa, a fish restaurant run by Riccardo Orsucci, originally from Barga, and his wife, Adele Pierotti, originally from Glasgow. For much of their lives, the Scottish Italian, Italian Scottish couple have been at the heart of this cross-cultural exchange, having lived, worked and brought up the next generation of Barghese Scots in both countries. "It's common for someone to turn round and speak to you in a very clear Ayrshire or Glaswegian accent here," said Pierotti. "It can get confusing for Italians too. Sometimes, they feel like they are no longer in Italy. Sometimes, I used to think that too." The Scots' vernacular was such a dominant currency a few years ago, Caproni told me, that some shops had signs on their doors reading, "Qui si parla italiano" (Italian spoken here). Orsucci and Pierotti met in the 1970s at Glasgow's Casa d'Italia, an Italian social club for immigrants in the city's wealthy Park Circus. At the same time, Orsucci had opened a restaurant, and it was, he told me, the only Italian spot that held a traditional Burns Supper, an annual celebration of Scotland's national bard on 25 January. Now, Giro Di Boa is perhaps one of the few restaurants in Tuscany that holds a Burns Night. Certainly, it's the only one in Barga. "I like to keep these traditions alive," he said. More like this:• A tiny country between France and Switzerland• Kihnu: Europe's last surviving matriarchy• The Greek region too remote for maps The chalk-written menu outside the couple's restaurant shows dishes including polpo all Siciliana (Sicilian-style octopus), spada e pistacchi (swordfish and pistachios) – and, rather conspicuously in English, fried fish and chips. These days, that meal is also the main feature of the two-week-long Sagra del Pesce e Patate (Fish & Chips Festival) for those with an appreciation of Scotland's deep-fried food culture. For two weeks each August, the town crowds around trestle tables to enjoy the simple business of paper plates loaded with crisp battered fish, fat chips, pots of mayonnaise and slices of lemon. This being Tuscany, bottles of Chianti also feature heavily. Perhaps, the feeling is that Barga's stories of migration and homecoming are best brought to life through Britain's iconic dish. The most obvious similarity between Italy and Scotland in Barga is a shared love of good food and good times, but it is also apparent through art. That contemporary Scottish artist John Bellany, whose father and grandfather were fishermen, bought a house in Barga and was inspired by his surroundings is another breadcrumb to follow. His works are on display at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, but his oil paintings of street scenes awash in typical Tuscan hues have also resulted in a permanent gallery opening in what became his adopted second home. "When he arrived in Barga, his pictures exploded with colour – red, yellow and green – and it's clear the impression our town had on his creative spirit," said Caterina Campani, Mayor of Barga, whom I met later that day. "In part thanks to him, we have become a creative town of artists. More galleries open each year, and there is not only a strong emotional connection between here and Scotland but an economic one too. Many third- and fourth-generation Italian Scots have second homes now. So, Scotland is in our DNA. For us, it's a badge of honour." It would be a mistake to think the similarities between the two places end there. There's an aesthetic dimension thanks to the Barga tartan (woven in green, white and red to represent the tricolour of the Italian flag), and Italy's other religion, football, has helped further unite the Barghese with Scotland. Outside, on a corner of Via Borgo, I found the supporters' bar of the amateur football club, the Gatti Randagi, or the Stray Cats. It's no coincidence they play in the same green and white hoops as Celtic FC, who are based in the east end of Glasgow. In years to come, the hope is that in an increasingly divided world, these bonds will grow even stronger. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook,X and Instagram.
The Sun
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
TV's Aldo Zilli tries all the supermarket cods – the delicious, authentic winner costs just 85p a piece
IT'S National Fish and Chip Day tomorrow – and last week the classic combo was also named our top dish to order in the pub. But while a chippy tea remains a favourite, rising costs means many of us are forced to skip it. 9 Luckily, there are plenty of similar fish fillets available in the supermarkets to give you all the taste without the higher cost. Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, who is a Scottish Fish and Chip Awards judge and head chef at Elaine's Restaurant in London, tucks into a selection of battered portions. Tesco Battered Cod Fillet Portions 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 THESE frozen portions are Atlantic cod, which is sustainable and a good source, so I don't know how they make it so cheap. It's an excellent price for four pieces. For those nights when you want a chippy tea, you could absolutely cook an alternative with this box on standby in the freezer. With some chunky homemade or oven chips, it's perfect for a takeaway taste. It is not quite authentic in flavour as the batter is a bit soft. But the fish tastes fresh, with a good, firm texture and it's flaking and moist. The size of each piece is generous, too. RATING: 4/5 The Sun tries Wetherspoons' new menu Sainsbury's Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 58% fish 9 ONE of the higher ratios of fish but they do not seem plentiful. The pieces of cod have been cut in a meagre way and look like offcuts. I suppose that's how you keep the price down, and it doesn't affect the taste. The batter is a bit uneven and thicker around the edges. It looks like it has a batter crust, which is quite strange. But the fish tastes decent, is flaking and plump and appears and smells very fresh for a frozen piece of cod. Not oily at all. It's less than a pound for a portion but size-wise, be prepared for something more like a canape. Good for small appetites. Asda Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 440g, £3.75, 55% fish 9 AFTER cooking, I already don't much like the look of it and I'm not excited to tuck in. The batter is an odd, nutty brown colour. It should be a rich golden amber. It looks more like a biscuit than a piece of fish and the coating is so crunchy you could crack your teeth. There's a huge amount of batter that is so solid it's breaking away in shards, plus the cod is chewy and tasteless. This resembles something that has been sitting under a canteen hotplate for hours drying out. Not exactly a treat to replace a takeaway. M&S Battered Cod Fillets 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50, 58% fish 9 THE fish inside are fresh, not pre-cooked, which means the luxury level has been upped here – along with the price tag. It is very good quality. You get good chunky pieces of cod and can tell from the shape it is a proper, bouncy, fish fillet inside. On the downside, there are only two pieces for the higher price, so great for couples but not for families. And it took longer to cook than the packet said. They taste very nice but the batter- to-fish ratio is off and the coating is too thick. But it does taste like chip shop batter and the cod is moist. Aldi Battered Cod 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 THE ingredients are pretty minimal, which is good, and as a freezer-friendly batter goes, it's a fairly authentic recipe. I really liked the look of these. Four chunky pieces of cod that will fill you up. The fish in the batter is the right proportion to allow you to enjoy both flavours without either overwhelming the other. And they both taste delicious. Excellent flaking fish and the golden coating is crispy, tasty and exactly the right texture. Frozen batter is hard to get right because it often goes soggy when you warm it back up. RATING: 5/5 Lidl Battered White Fish Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £2.50, 53% fish 9 LABELLED as 'battered white fish', inside the batter you get pollock. Not one you'll see on the board at your local chippy but it's not a bad alternative. The firm texture is similar to a piece of cod, so it works well even if it's not as flavoursome and moist. The main difference is price. Pollock is much cheaper, which is why these portions are more budget friendly. But if you are going to add ketchup, mushy peas and all the other trimmings, you probably won't notice it's not cod. Great as a kids' meal option to save you money. The batter had a strange texture though. RATING: 3/5 Iceland Battered Skinless Cod 4 pieces, 440g, £3.50, 52% fish 9 SADLY, these were not good at all. They were a decent size and the batter looked thick. But after I heated it up I realised just how dense the coating was. In fact, there was hardly any fish inside at all. When I pulled off all the outer layer, I was left with a teeny tiny amount of white fish. That wouldn't be so bad if the golden casing was incredible, but it was not great. It's not crispy and it dried out when cooking, so it sticks in your mouth. Altogether, tasteless, watery and lacks flavour. Not like battered fish at all. Young's Chip Shop 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50 (was £5.75) 54% fish 9 PROMISES to have bubbly batter just like you'd get fresh from the fryer. In fairness, even when still frozen, this looks like a genuine chippy piece. You get two really big pieces of cod and they've used the tail cut of fish like the longer, thinner pieces you are served in takeaways. They are in an exceptionally crumbly, yet still light, crispy batter made with sodium bicarbonate for a golden chip shop texture and flavour. Moist and tasty and there's more fish and less batter, which works well. It looks, smells and tastes incredibly like a chippy offering.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Heinz announces replacement for popular sauce, but there's a twist
Heinz has launched a new condiment called "Fish & Chips Sauce", essentially a revamped tartare sauce. The company is marketing it as "Tartare 2.0", aiming to make it the preferred sauce for fish and chips. The sauce contains traditional tartare sauce ingredients like gherkins and dill. It's currently available at Tesco for £3.39. Heinz, which no longer makes tartare sauce, says its research indicates growing fish consumption and a desire among young adults for new fish-and-chips sauces. Heinz removes classic sauce from shelves in huge condiment rebrand
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Saucy! Heinz claims to have invented a brand new 'fish and chip sauce' - but shoppers say it is an old favourite under a different name
Heinz has boldly claimed to have invented a new 'Fish & Chips Sauce', but shoppers have claimed it is just a rebrand of an old favourite. The food giant urged customers to think of their new offering as 'Tartare 2.0', listing the ingredients such as gherkins, dill, salt, parsley and mustard. But many customers believe is it just a case of an old sauce in a new bottle. Tartare sauce is traditionally made of mayonnaise, chopped gherkins, capers, and herbs such as tarragon and dill. It is considered a classic accompaniment to seafood dishes including fish and chips. Heinz described its new product as a 'fresh and herby condiment' which was 'poised to become Britain's new go-to pairing for fish dinners - and, of course, the nation's beloved dish, fish & chips'. It went on: 'If tartare is the OG fish condiment, then think of Heinz Fish & Chips sauce as Tartare 2.0 - 2025's hot new upgrade... Love tartare? You'll be obsessed. Never tried it? Consider this your tasty gateway to next-level fish & chips.' Shoppers were not convinced by the announcement, saying the 'new sauce' is just a re-brand, noting the similar ingredients of the two products. Responding to the brand's announcement on Facebook, a number of people commented: 'This is Tartare sauce.' One user said: 'So it's Tartare sauce at an increased price' Another added: 'Yeah tartare, salt n vinegar, brown, red, I'm confused, what are they trying to sell us now that will sit on the table, "Hey I've got fish and chip sauce" Then it's goes up in pric , the mind boggles.' 'It is just Tartare sauce, but Heinz wants to feel special and make it long,' another said. While one person added: 'If only there was a sauce previously to serve with fish and chips.' One key difference in the two sauces is that the new Fish & Chip sauce is vegan. The new sauce does not contain egg yolks like its predecessor and therefore can be enjoyed by vegans, although not on the dish of its namesake. Vegans responded to the ironic decision on social media. One wrote: 'WOW this one is actually vegan. The old one was not! Pity the name will put us off being "fish" n chips sauce. Marketing missed a beat there.' Another was overjoyed at the prospect of trying the vegan sauce. They wrote: 'I just bought Heinz fish and chips sauce from Tesco. A bit steep at £3.40 but it's actually tartare sauce. And it's vegan. 'I'll say again, vegan Tartare sauce. My holy grail of vegan food.' Heinz Tartare Sauce was scrapped from supermarkets in 2022, but is still available in some restaurants and online. A 400g bottle of the new Fish & Chips Sauce sells for around £3.40 and is available from Tesco. Heinz said its own research suggested that Britons were eating more fish - up almost 5 per cent year on year - with 37 per cent of these occasions being fish and chip meals. It found 81per cent of Britons used various sauces with the dish, with 66% using ketchup, 50 per cent mayonnaise and 45 per cent Tartare sauce. Some 90 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds expressed an interest in a 'brand new' sauce for fish, the brand said. Thiago Rapp, director of 'taste elevation' at Heinz, said: 'At Heinz, we're always exploring bold and exciting flavours, inspired by the latest food trends and what people across the nation are really craving. 'And when it comes to British classics, nothing quite compares to fish and chips. It's a national treasure, whether enjoyed as a seaside staple, a proper chippy tea on a Friday, or a comforting midweek meal. 'We've created a sauce that pays homage to this beloved British dish, crafted to be the perfect companion for every fish-filled occasion.' Asked whether the new sauce is indeed different to Tartare sauce, Heinz responded: 'While traditional tartare sauce is made with gherkins and capers to create a tangier sauce, our new Fish & Chips sauce blends gherkins, onions, and fragrant herbs to create a herbier, creamier condiment, making it incredibly versatile to use with all fish dishes as well as vegetables and potatoes. Think of it as Tartare 2.0!'
