Sagra ra Tunnina
A 'sagra' in Italy is best translated as a festival and there are as many variations of how a sagra can be carried out as there are sagre in Italy - in other words, thousands.
The one we went to last night was what would pass as a low key event, i.e. just a couple of thousand people where attending at any moment. The Sagra ra Tunnina - which is its title in Sicilian dialect - is tied to the celebrations of the Madonna delle Grazie which involves a procession around the town of Ispica with a gathering afterwards to enjoy the tuna.
Now, tuna and the Madonna may not be the most immediate of links. But, as ever with such events, the links actually go back at least a few centuries. In the 18th century the most important family of the town of Ispica - Bruno di Belmonte - became the owners of the "tonnara" of Capo Passero. Now, as the family was a God-fearing one (and had excellent PR people) they decided to pay thanks to the Madonna by offering the population of Ispica a huge tuna to be eaten during the celebrations of the Madonna delle Grazie. The tuna was carried from Capo Passero in a big cart and was taken all around the town to ensure that everyone saw exactly how generous the family was.
Fast-forward to 2005. The family of Belmonte has lost its power over the people of Ispica but the people of Ispica have not lost their appetite for tuna. So they get together some sponsors and the town's administration takes care of the arrangements. Just one tuna is not enough these days, so a few are required. It makes for excellent fast food for a summer night, and comes in two variations. Either a "cipolatta" of tuna, which is tuna with lots of finely chopped onions, or simply roasted in a garlic and oregano sauce.
Now, we know that they don't look perfect and the plates are just plastic ones (as were the fork and knives). But that is the whole spirit of a sagra and a fresh piece of tuna for 3.5 euro is not all that bad!
Food note
Most chefs will insist that a tuna steak should ideally be pink in the middle and that a tuna dish should simply enhance the taste of the fish itself rather than crowd it. While we do appreciate this we should also point out that dishes like the ones of the sagra above are still fantastic and chefs should start paying more attention. A well roasted tuna has quite a different taste, especially when you allow the edges to go slightly crispy. So next time you get a tuna steak in front of you ignore that recipe book. Try roasting it over a high temperature and try it the old-fashioned way. What is important is to cut it thin (not more that two-three centimetres) .