That an increasing number of gourmet shops offering anything from sliced ham to pre-prepared eggs Bendict and lobster Thermidor are opening from Des Moines, Iowa to the suburbs of Osaka will probably serve as a source of confusion to future historians. There is nothing new or unusual about shops that specialize in the preparation and sale of especially luxurious dishes based on cooked meats, smoked fish, seafood, cheeses, salads. What is unusual, at least in the case of delicatessens, is that North and South Americans, Japanese and even Israelis have been lucky, for throughout history, the opening of large numbers of such specialty food stores has invariably been preceded by a national event of especially fortunate, for in nearly all other countries, the opening of large numbers of such specialty food stores has been preceded by a national event of particularly traumatic proportions.

In Italy, where they are called saluminerie, such stores were a direct result of the 16th century edict of Pope Gregory XIII, who in a fit of self-righteousness, forbade any "bishop, cardinal or noble family whose allegiance is to God and the Pope" to employ more than a single chef. Suddenly finding themselves unemployed, virtually hundreds of chefs opened small shops where they could prepare their specialties and sell them, not only to the same families for which they had formerly worked, but to any passing citizens with enough money in their pockets to pay for their luxurious dishes. In France, where such stores are known as charcuteries, the phenomena was a direct result of the French Revolution, when nearly 3,000 chefs and cooks that had once worked in royal and noble homes found themselves suddenly out of work. Food historian Reay Tannehill estimates that 70 of those chefs went to their death at the guillotine, 800 opened restaurants and more than twice that many opened delicatessens.

German delicatessens and English specialty food shops came into being only at the end of serious economic depressions, when even though they had not lost their taste for the better things of life, it became impossible for many formerly wealthy families to sustain a staff of chefs and kitchen help in their own homes. In the United States nearly thirty years ago, delicatessens began to flourish not because of national trauma but because along with a rising interest in foods thought to be prestigious, more and more people had more and more money to spend.

The buying habits of people in the Far East, South and Central America and the Middle East, where such shops remain a relatively new phenomenon, are more like those of Americans than of Europeans. In Europe, all but the poorest elements of society shop in such stores. In America and countries where the phenomenon is new, it is primarily members of the middle-upper class and upper class that make purchases at such delicatessens. Writing about the American social scene, sociologist Richard Sennett suggested several years ago that this may be because while "excellence in dining is a valued part of many European societies, it has not entered the consciousness of most American families". Sennett alsoobserved with regard to such stores that "many Americans, even those who consider themselves highly cultured, simply cannot understand why they should pay relatively large sums of money to store owners to prepare their food for them". There is a good chance that these observations are as valid in Tel Aviv and Guatamala City as they are in New York and Chicago.

Even once they have entered such stores, the buying habits of the French, Italians, Spanish and Germans are different than those of Americans and others. Europeans know, for example, that there is no sin whatever to entering the most prestigious delicatessen in their city and ordering 100 grams of meat, three spiced shrimp, a small container of salad, and a single roll, then to take their purchases either home or to the nearest park bench, there to have a sumptuous feast at a reasonable prices. Americans on the other hand, seem embarrassed to buy only small amounts of food. In fact, it almost seems as if many have a specific need to demonstrate their largeness. This in turn means that many people purchase so much food that they cannot help but mistakenly conclude that these places are outrageously expensive. The truth is that the dishes offered at such places are never cheap but by intelligent and limited shopping, wise buyers can dine very well for far less money than they would at a fine restaurant and with far less effort than they would have to expend shopping and cooking in their own kitchens. More than this, the foods prepared at the majority of such places is far superior to the frozen, tinned, jarred and otherwise mutilated foods found in supermarkets.

The Greatest Delicatessen

There are great delicatessen cum gourmet shops in many cities. As great as these may be, they all have a long way to go until reaching the level of "Peck" ("-""), the Milanese culinary institution that I consider by far the greatest delicatessen in the world. Peck, which was founded in 1884 by a Czech immigrant from Prague, is actually four different stores, all within a few minutes walking distance from each other and all now owned and run by the four white-coated Stoppani brothers. The building at number 9 Via Spadari, not far from the Cathedral, houses the main store, and in the kitchens on two floors, chefs roll out the pasta, prepare the pates, and arrange the cheeses and huge platters of antipasti that will be found in each of the stores. Here one finds enormous wheels of Parmesan cheese, counters piled high with different kinds of sausages, and mammoth displays of cooked meats. There are row upon row of pates, huge piles of red, green and white pasta and, wherever one looks are jars of pickled peaches, artichokes and the wild porcini mushrooms that Milanese so adore.

Across the street is Peck's Bottega del Maile, where the windows teem with sausages and every kind of pork product imaginable. In addition to long, short and round sausages, there are sausages that are fat and thin and that range in color from dark brown, marble colored, blood red, black, brown and white. There are sausages from every area of Italy and there are also Hungarian salamis, Swiss Bunderfleish and viande sechee from the Valais in France.

Peck's Casa del Formaggio or cheese house, is two blocks away at Via Speronari 3, next to the 15th century church of San Satiro. Every fine Italian cheese may be found here. Gourd-shaped provolone cheeses hang in clusters like giant grapes from the ceiling; and there are three meter high pyramids of gorgonzola and Parmesan. Not to be missed are the indescribably delicious fresh cheeses with thick layers of truffles, basil, salmon or nuts.

Further down, at Via Victor Hugo 4, one finds Peck's Bottega del Vino, where one can drop in for a snack accompanied by the wine of their choice. The wines, sold by the glass or the bottle, come from all over Italy. Also try some of the Milanese speciallties - salads made from jellied calf's head or huge white beans, tiny red muillets that have been baked together with mozzarella, Parmesan and celery. Be sure as well to sample the salmon that has been pickled in oil, lemon juice and coriander. Some eat in the restaurant in the basement, but those who want to eat at about half the price eat standing up at the small tables in the store itself. Those who want to dine even more cheaply will take their purchases to the nearest park bench, there to unwrap them and feast on a picnic fit for the gods.

© Daniel Rogov