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How I Didn’t Recognise Parma Ham

Do you remember this passage in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, chapter IX ‘Queen Alice’?

Sir John Tenniel,
A Leg of Mutton
At last the Red Queen began. “You’ve missed the soup and fish”, she said. “Put on the joint!” And the waiters set a leg of mutton in front of Alice, who looked at it rather anxiously, as she had never had to carve a joint before. 
“You look a little shy: let me introduce you to that leg of mutton”, said the Red Queen. “Alice – Mutton: Mutton – Alice”. The leg of mutton got up in the dish and made a little bow to Alice: and Alice returned the bow, not knowing whether to be frightened or amused. 
“May I give you a slice?” she said, taking up the knife and fork, and looking from one Queen to the other. 
“Certainly not”, the Red Queen said, very decidedly: “it isn’t etiquette to cut any one you’ve been introduced to. Remove the joint!”

Believe it or not, I recently re-enacted the scene almost entirely…

In early December I went to Liverpool and on my way back to the station after 9pm I had to walk past San Carlo restaurant in Castle Street, described as “the best Italian restaurant outside London” by A. A. Gill of The Sunday Times. I had to stop by their window that offered a generous look at their stupendous bar. I’d never been to San Carlo, and I was really impressed with a variety of bottles of all sizes…

…including the one that was beige and looked like a wine vessel made of animal skin. Due to its guitar shape, it stood on its side, supported by a wooden base, with a piece of cord around its neck.

I was amused, for never before did I see such bottle. Intrepid as I am on such occasions, I walked into the restaurant where I was instantly welcomed by un Italiano vero: a gentleman with a small beard, his black hair streaming down to his shoulders.

He wanted to invite me in, but I explained that I was impressed by the bottle I saw in the window. “Oh yes, we have many bottles“, he nodded with a smile. “Which one was it?

Oh, it was beige, and it stood on its side…“, I began.

I wanted to show it, and as I turned I noticed exactly the similar bottle standing by the door on the counter. Next to it there were eggs on a heap of flour and a basket with fresh paninis.

That’s the bottle!” I exclaimed.

This is not the bottle“, the gentleman replied. “It is Parma ham“.

Credits:

The images for this post are taken from Rolf Hicker‘s website and from Cartoon Stock. Rolf is a professional photographer; and over at Cartoon Stock you can find a gallery of illustrations to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by the renowned illustrator, Sir John Tenniel. And if you feel like diving into Carroll’s imaginary world, go to Project Gutenberg for Through the Looking Glass’s text, or to LibriVox for Through the Looking Glass as an audiobook.

Author: Julia Shuvalova

Julia Shuvalova is the author of Los Cuadernos de Julia blog. She is an author of several books, a translator, and a Foreign Languages tutor. She lives and works in Moscow, Russia.

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