The Carpaccio History
Origins of Carpaccio
The Carpaccio was created in 1950 by Venetian restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani owner of Venice “Harry’s Bar” an Italian Modern Cultural Landmark.
Named after Vittore Carpaccio, the Renaissance painter. Cipriani created the dish for the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo, who had been under doctor’s orders to avoid cooked meats. According to Cipriani’s memoir, he chose to name the dish after Carpaccio because the red in the beef matched the colors found in Carpaccio’s paintings.
Carpaccio (pronounced “car-PAH-chee-oh”) is a traditional Italian appetizer consisting of raw beef sliced paper-thin, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, and finished with capers and onions.
In contemporary cuisine, carpaccio can refer to any thinly sliced raw meat or fish, such as tuna, served in this fashion. Even thinly sliced vegetables or fruits are sometimes served as carpaccio.
