First up is ‘a’ for abbacchio. These days it means meat of a young lamb, an Easter and Christmas favourite; less appetisingly the word comes from the shepherd’s crook – ad baculum – used to lead the creature to slaughter.

Baccalà (traceable to a Nordic word bakkeljauw / salted cod) is a common element in Roman cuisine, sometimes mantecato / buttered. The cod delicacy, however, originates from Venice and beyond. Its story, mixing courage with entrepreneurship, would not be out of place in a Norse saga.