A cold-weather tradition I remember fondly took place around the fogoler, or open hearth, of my maternal grandparents’ home. When neighbors would stop by to visit, everybody would gather around the crackling fire and talk. My grandparents would serve zuppa istriana, hearty spiced wine, to satisfy and warm their guests. My grandmother would roast some quince in the hearth, and have a pan of wine nestled in the coals, perking away. Then she would combine the two and pour the soup into a boccaletta, a ceramic pitcher. The pitcher was then passed around the hearth, and everybody would fish out a piece of quince with a fork (or sometimes with a thin sharp twig), take a good sip from the pitcher, and pass it on. The ceramic boccaletta was always considered a hospitable vessel, since no one could see how much one drank from it. Today I prepare zuppa istriana when the snow begins to pile up outside and I want to have something warm and comforting to welcome my friends and family in from the cold.
Ingredients
serves 6
Step 1
First wipe all the fuzz from the quince, then core and cut each into eight segments. Set the segments on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, and bake in a 375˚ oven for 30 minutes, or until the quince are soft enough for a fork to penetrate easily.
Step 2
In the meantime, put the wine, sugar, orange peel, and cinnamon in a pot over medium-high heat and boil for 15 minutes. Then strain the hot wine through a sieve into a ceramic bowl or pitcher. Add the roasted quince, and let steep for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
