Italian American Digest JT DIGEST Summer 2018 June First (1) | Page 23

SUMMER 2018
I TALIAN A MERICAN D IGEST
PAGE 23
Sicilian Influence on NOLA Cuisine Deserves a Nod
N
were impressed by the Sicilians’ gar-
dening skills, growing food in places
thought to be barren.
Many boarding houses in New
Orleans accommodated these men,
whether they stayed between jobs
in the fields or moved to the city
awaiting the arrival of their family.
You might ask what this has to do
with food. Eating habits are one of
the most difficult things to change,
and food from childhood is often a
source of comfort. These establish-
ments, along with grocery stores
and taverns, often catered to hungry
Sicilian workers. Even today, the ne-
cessity of feeding immigrant workers
often leads to an increase in food-
related businesses.
These Sicilians came from a land
where luxury foods were rarely
consumed, so when they moved to
America they freely spent money on
items that they would not have eaten
at home: meats, cheeses, pasta, olive
oil, tomatoes, and lemons. They
bragged about the better-quality
wheat used to make soft white bread
in America. Importing and sell-
ing foo