“A recipe without a story is just calories” according to the non-profit Jewish Food Society. And this simple, deeply flavorful recipe for Concia di Zucchine, shared by Italo Camerino of Montreal, has one.
As Italo explains in How Roman Jewish Recipes Endured at One Family’s Home in Montreal, growing up with Italian-Jewish parents who loved to cook, “Everyone wanted to come to our house.” Italo’s parents both lived in Rome’s Jewish ghetto when it was raided by Nazi soldiers on October 16, 1943. While they ultimately survived, many family members did not. When they emigrated to Montreal in 1957, they brought traditional “Cucina Ebraica Romana” (Jewish-Roman cuisine) with them.
Concia di Zucchine consists of fried zucchini slices marinated in garlic, vinegar, and fresh mint — though the Camerino family recipe calls for basil. The word concia likely comes from the Italian conciare, meaning “to season” or “to preserve,” and the dish is typically served cold or at room temperature, often as an antipasto (starter) or a side.
Get the Cameriono family recipe for Concia on the Jewish Food Society website
