74. Risotto Nero colle Seppie alla Fiorentina

This invertebrate (Sepia Officinalis), of the order of mollusks and the family of cephalopods, is called “calamaio” (“inkwell”) in Florence. The reason for such a name lies perhpas in a simile (indeed, this is the way the lovely Tuscan language often coins its words): this mollusk possesses a pouch enclosing a little bladder which nature has given it for self-defense. This bladder contains a black liquid that can be used for ink.

Tuscans, Florentines in particular, are so fon