Rome — Italians have very strict rules when it comes to making carbonara. The classic combination of Italian pasta, pork and cheese are mixed with egg yolks and pepper preferably just moments before serving to create the perfect dish.
Which is why, when jars of a pale creamy sauce labeled “carbonara” but made in Belgium using non-typical ingredients appeared in a store at the European Parliament — an institution Italy often calls on to protect its traditional foods from imitation — there was outrage.
I was expecting it to be with cream or garlic, but it’s pancetta vs guanciale.
First off, I’m a vegan with a genetic pork intolerance, so I really know nothing about the nuances of preserved pork cuts, but I have to imagine that a jarred carbonara made with guanciale would be worse than a freshly made pancetta “carbonara-style” sauce.
Or are they really so far away from each other?