# mantecare/mantecato



## giacca

Hi,
 I'd like to know if exist the English translation of the word: "mantecare" or "mantecato".
 In Italian it means "to blend, to mix or mingle...."  but it's only used in cooking.
 Thanks


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## Alfry

prova con  
to whip, to whisk
ma ha più a che fare con il "frustare", riferito a panna o creme che alla vera e propria mantecazione


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## Silvia

I will explain what mantecare means.

To cream (with butter)

Risotto mantecato = Risotto creamed with butter


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## Alfry

yes, but I don't know if there is a direct term for mantecare!!! at least as far as I know


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## mimitabby

no, there isn't. best use the suggestions that the two wiser people just gave you.
In english we have nothing like Manticare.

mimi


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## Gianni

Silviap just said it means to cream with butter, which means take solid butter  (or even some other fat such as margarine or lard, and push on it with a spoon or other utensil so that it becomes creamy so that it can be more easily blended with another ingredient, such as flour and sugar.  Gianni


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## Silvia

Well, usually this creaming process takes place on burners, that is while you're cooking. Maybe some native English speaker can explain that better.


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## mimitabby

sounds like you said it just fine. although when I do it, I take warm (soft) butter
and just mix it with the sugar and egg..


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## Silvia

mimitabby said:
			
		

> sounds like you said it just fine. although when I do it, I take warm (soft) butter
> and just mix it with the sugar and egg..


 But that's not "mantecare". As I said, it's a way of cooking, you can mantecare fish, rice, vegetables.


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## mimitabby

well, I would still say "cream" used as a verb


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## Gianni

Silviap,

In English, ususally, the creaming process is as I described it earlier, taking the somewhat hard butter and softening it with a fork or spoon (or, as Mimitabby suggested, heating it in a pan) and before adding, usually, sugar. When you 'mantecare il risotto con burro' you are not 'creaming' in that sense, but mixing, blending, incorporating. Of course, no matter what verb you use, once you add the "'burro e parmigiano grattugliato e servirlo tutti esclamano, 'delizioso.'"

The website 'mangiabene' suggests that maybe no butter is needed. It says, Mantecare significa >rendere omogenea una crema o una preparazione di consistenza burrosa<.

We also say 'creamed corn' (grano), but there is not necessarily any butter in it; it's just that the kernels of corn are cut into small pieces mechanically before it is cooked into a creamy (not really) consistency.
Bon apetit.


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## Silvia

Gianni, thanks for pointing that out. Actually now I have to explain where the word mantecare comes from. Deriva dallo spagnolo "manteca" che significa burro.

Per estensione, mantecare significa impastare insieme varie sostanze in modo che il composto assuma l'aspetto di una manteca (es. manteca di burro e acciughe). Si può mantecare anche col formaggio, poiché il formaggio contiene burro/burrino.


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## giacca

Wow!
 Così mi spaventate! 
 I'll send this discussion to my friend and....good luck, Joe! 
 Thanks for all


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## kinkistyle

I realize this is an old post, but the proper translation is "mount" as in "mounting with butter".  Its a term taken from the original french _monter _which is a process of thickening sauces by whisking in cold butter to create an emulsion.  

Mantecare is a similar process using butter, olive oil or parmesan cheese.


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## GavinW

Yes, "mount" is good, I think. But it might only work with some foods/ingredients (egg whites come to mind). Similarly "cream" (the butter etc). Otherwise I think something like "mix to a smooth paste" will work in general contexts. But it's one of those things that will depend on the context (ie the particular food we're talking about).


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## j_mac

Hi all, 

Just a thought...Silvia explained that the word originates from the Spanish word for butter: 



Silvia said:


> Actually now I have to explain where the word mantecare comes from. Deriva dallo spagnolo "manteca" che significa burro.
> 
> Per estensione, mantecare significa impastare insieme varie sostanze in modo che il composto assuma l'aspetto di una manteca (es. manteca di burro e acciughe). Si può mantecare anche col formaggio, poiché il formaggio contiene burro/burrino.



This leads me to think the English term "churn" is a good translation. In a document I'm translating there is a recipe for gelato. At the end, the directions say to remove is from the freezer and "mantecare". In this case, I would translate it "churn." ...Any thoughts?


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## Tristano

Interessante questo articolo al riguardo...

http://unaparolaalgiorno.it/significato/M/mantecare

che dice in parte "Si usa come semplice sinonimo di mescolare, di amalgamare - volendolo raffinare e connotare, magari, mescolare e amalgamare con sostanze grasse, oli, burri." e poi aggiunge " l'uso che se ne fa è difficilmente giustificabile fuori da una gran voglia di darsi un tono usando una parola che suoni gonfia e tecnica"

Mi chiedo se i madrelingua siano d'accordo o no con il parere espresso in questo articolo?


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## GavinW

Well, I'm not a native speaker, but I think the article (which I haven't read) makes a good point. That said, the mantecato di baccalà you can get in Venice certainly lives up to its billing! ;-)


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## london calling

I see someone suggested 'churn' as a translation. I really can't agree with that. Churning butter is one thing, but adding it your risotto is quite something else.... as has been pointed out above, if you 'mantecare' a risotto, basically you beat butter into it just before you serve it (which is not the same as 'creaming', as someone suggested a while back). As for 'mounting': you mount sauces with butter to give them a glossy finish, but that's not the same as 'mantecare'.

I don't honestly think we have a word for it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Italian term were now popular.


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## alexem82

How about we start using a neologism like "mantecate"? If enough of us use it, maybe one day someone on Masterchef UK will use it, and the OED will put it in the dictionary.
I mean guys... They put LOL, the verb "to google" and other silly stuff.

Let's start using the word MANTECATE.

Who's with me?


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## Paulfromitaly

alexem82 said:


> How about we start using a neologism like "mantecate"?


Oh yes, a perfect traduction


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## King Crimson

There's no joking around when food's involved Since there's no exact equivalent I see nothing wrong in coining a new term in English, after all it wouldn't be the first time that an Italian cooking term is incorporated into English.


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## curiosone

While agreeing that we need a word in English, and while realizing that "to mantecate" might be the simplest way to translate "mantecare", I simply don't like the sound of "mantecate" in English.  If I were translating an Italian recipe for risotto, I'd likely say "stir (a lump of cold) butter into the cooked risotto at the end of cooking (before serving), to make it creamier."


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## london calling

alexem82 said:


> Let's start using the word MANTECATE.


Oh dear! No, please, have mercy on us!


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## Paulfromitaly

london calling said:


> Oh dear! No, please, have mercy on us!


Or, in Itanglish (since someone seems to think it's fine)

have mercy *of* us!


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## johngiovanni

In the meantime, we will continue to *cream* the risotto and enjoy.  We know what we like.  We will _creamate_ it.  (Not seriously - I made that up).
Seriously, though, some people "cream up" their risotto.  "Cream up" sounds like a good English phrasal verb.


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## elfa

johngiovanni said:


> In the meantime, we will continue to *cream* the risotto and enjoy.
> Seriously, though, some people "cream up" their risotto.  "Cream up" sounds like a good English phrasal verb.



Sorry, John, but I wouldn't use "cream", or even "cream up". When I "cream" with butter in cooking, it's to make cakes - I cream butter with sugar.

I see in Collins "mantecare" is given as "to cook until creamy". How about that? Does that convince?


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## johngiovanni

Ciao, Elfa.  "To cook until creamy" does not completely convince as I thought the continual stirring was important to release the starches in the rice, and this gives the mix a creamy quality in itself.
(I think post 11 and the quoted "rendere omogenea una crema o una preparazione di consistenza burrosa" are interesting).


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## elfa

johngiovanni said:


> Ciao, Elfa.  "To cook until creamy" does not completely convince as I thought the continual stirring was important to release the starches in the rice, and this gives the mix a creamy quality in itself.
> (I think post 11 and the quoted "rendere omogenea una crema o una preparazione di consistenza burrosa" are interesting).



What about "to stir until creamy" then?


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## johngiovanni

Or perhaps "continue to stir and cook until creamy"?


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## elfa

johngiovanni said:


> Or perhaps "continue to stir and cook until creamy"?



I like that


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## King Crimson

So - as the last few posts have amply demonstrated - we need to resort to lengthy circumlocutions to capture the concept expressed by _mantecare_. I maintain that we need a brand-new word in English and we need it now!
English-speaking chefs, connoisseurs and simple Italian cuisine enthusiasts are all eagerly waiting that this fundamental deficiency be addressed, their _risotti _cannot wait any longer


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## Anja.Ann

Ciao a tutti  

I am afraid that "cook until creamy" does not work, because in order to "mantecare" your risotto you have to take the pan off the heat and _then_ add butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. 
Here is a very good procedure to follow if you want to perfectly "mantecare il risotto".


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## johngiovanni

I thought that "mantecare" refers to a process (any suitable process) which achieves the desired effect, whether that is by adding butter, or cheese, or by doing something else, which seems to be the interpretation here: Le 5...: Come mantecare il risotto
Since "mantecare" doesn't necessarily involve butter, I will continue to "cream" or "cream up" risotto without using cream.


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## Anja.Ann

Hello, John 

I was referring to "cook": you cannot "mantecare" your "risotto" during the cooking process, if you want to cook an Italian traditional "risotto", of course.   
That being said, you may choose to "mantecare" your "risotto" with margarine.


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## You little ripper!

This website uses the word 'beat'.

_Just after half-past seven, Eric takes the pan off the heat, dumps in a handful of Parmesan, then sets to the rice with some vigour. This, he says, panting slightly, is the mantecatura, the beating in of the cheese and the butter._


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## Anja.Ann

That's it! Bravo, Charlie


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## You little ripper!

A lot of websites actually use the Italian word _mantecatura_ when talking about making risotto. Others simply say, _stir vigorously._


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## hurrikaane

In the English-language food world we typically use the verb "to mount". So, for example, you would say "combine the pasta and sauce in the pan, and mount with butter." You cannot use "to cream" here because in the English-language food world this verb has a very specific meaning (to whisk sugar into butter). You can, however, say "make my risotto creamy by mounting it with butter" :-D

Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I know something about Italian cuisine but much less about the French. I believe the point of mounting (in French cooking as well as Italian) is to create an emulsification, which gives a sauce a thicker body/mouthfeel and carries fat-soluble flavors. You are adding fat (butter/olive oil) at the end of the cooking process, and are whisking or stirring or using the pan to force the integration of the added fat with the water present in the dish in order to create that emulsification. The emulsification does indeed add a glossy look, but this is equally true with a pasta sauce/risotto as it is a French sauce. The cheese in an Italian mantecatura is an accessory and not necessary, although it certainly joins in the emulsification when done right (I'm thinking cacio e pepe).


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## london calling

I really can't agree with that,  hurrikane. The mounting of butter is a very specific French method whereby  butter is added to sauces to make them glossy.  La mantecatura is when you add butter and more often than not cheese to your risotto and stir it round until it becomes nice and creamy . Some UK chefs even use the Italian word (my son's a chef,  by the way). Otherwise we simply talk about stirring the butter/cheese in, once of course you've removed the pan from the heat.

We will have to agree to disagree.  A "manteca" can be achieved using butter,  cheese or cream,  which is stirred in to risotto or other dishes to achieve a creamy consistency.  It isn't the same as emulsified butter,  which is done in a separate pan (sometimes water is added) and then used by itself or added to sauces .


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## hurrikaane

I just recalled this thread! From my research it seems we're both only partially correct. Of course, you're right that 'la mantecatura' is essential for risotto. It also appears that Italians use 'mantecatura' to refer to the final step of pasta preparation wherein you add combine the pasta and sugo with the starchy pasta water. I had thought this step required fat as well, but here's a couple sources that use 'mantecatura' without any reference to butter/oil/cheese.

Spaghetti alle vongole (il segreto per farli cremosi)
Come mantecare la pasta in padella


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## barking fellows

london calling said:


> I see someone suggested 'churn' as a translation. I really can't agree with that. Churning butter is one thing, but adding it your risotto is quite something else


 



london calling said:


> As for 'mounting': you mount sauces with butter to give them a glossy finish, but that's not the same as 'mantecare'.


 Is it not? I'd say it is.

I can tell a _risotto mantecato_ from a _risotto non mantecato_ without tasting it. _Mantecatura_ actually gives it a glossy look so, in my opinion, "to mount"  is a good translation for "mantecare". But I also like the idea of spreading out "to mantecate"


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## london calling

Hmmm... my son is a chef. Mounting butter is one thing. _Mantecare_ is a different kettle of fish. _Mantecate_ made me laugh.


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## Lorena1970

I'd say "*cream it*"


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## Fooler

Lorena1970 said:


> I'd say "*cream it*"



I'd say too. In the net I found 

*6. Mantecatura* - As a final step, add one more ladle of broth along with one or two tablespoons of butter and a cup of cheese to enrich the risotto and make it extra-creamy. 



london calling said:


> Hmmm... my son is a chef. Mounting butter is one thing. _Mantecare_ is a different kettle of fish.



And what would his translation be for your son as a chef (working in the UK, if I recall you mentioning) or what verb does he/the other chefs use ?


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## london calling

Fooler said:


> I'd say too. In the net I found
> 
> *6. Mantecatura* - As a final step, add one more ladle of broth along with one or two tablespoons of butter and a cup of cheese to enrich the risotto and make it extra-creamy.
> 
> 
> 
> And what would his translation be for your son as a chef (working in the UK, if I recall you mentioning) or what verb does he/the other chefs use ?


His dominant  language is Italian, so he uses the Italian word. Otherwise, when speaking English he says what I said in my post 40, although I think



Lorena1970 said:


> I'd say "*cream it*"


_To cream_ is another very specific culinary term which means something else. For example, when making a sponge cake you cream the butter and sugar, see this glossary, I quote:

_*CREAM:*
To soften a fat, especially butter, by beating it at room temperature. Butter and sugar are often creamed together, making a smooth, soft paste._

As I said above, you can add butter/cheese to risotto to make it creamy: what you can't do is cream your risotto.


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## NinafromOz

I'm wondering if the word "coat" or "bind" could be used. You can "mantecare" all sorts of dishes with almost anything - butter, cheese, eggs, water from the pasta - and it gives them a creamy texture but what it really does is coat all the ingredients and bind them together. I certainly wouldn't use whisk or beat - you'd destroy the dish, and with risotto the mantecatura takes place after it's cooked, off the heat...you add the butter and cheese, fold it in carefully, put the lid back on and let it mantecare for a few minutes.


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## Guy B.

Hello all,

I am looking for the second meaning of the word "mantecare".

 With time, this word that was only referred to the specific process of finishing a risotto (that means, the references to a "pasta mantecata" are quite a new extension) has been employed widely, in Italy, to also define the process of making ice cream in the ice-cream machines.

Now, I see the term "churning" for it, but having worked in England (and in pastry) for a few years (long time ago ) i don't remember ever saying or being said "let's churn the ice creams"; so I was wondering if there was another word, maybe more.. "Professional"? To describe this step.

(That step consists in putting the ice cream preparation into a machine that will freeze it stirring continuously, to incorporate air, yes, but most important to make it produce as small as possible ice crystals, so that the finished product has a soft and velvety mouthfeel.)

Help


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## elfa

Ciao Guy B. 

"Churning" is used quite commonly to describe the process you refer to but more it would seem in the domestic than the professional environment. Commonly the verb gets used in the passive form. For example

_The ice cream must then be churned in order to thicken the consistency..._

The professional process gets described quite widely on G***le. Have a look at these links:

Here and here

_Freezing [the mix to soft-serve consistency]_ appears to be the preferred term.


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## barking fellows

Il fatto e' che in Italia il gelato lo mantechiamo a mano, cioe' con la paletta, anche subito prima di servirlo (almeno, nelle gelaterie serie). Non direi che in questo caso "freezing" possa andare bene


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## elfa

barking fellows said:


> Il fatto e' che in Italia il gelato lo mantechiamo a mano, cioe' con la paletta, anche subito prima di servirlo (almeno, nelle gelaterie serie). Non direi che in questo caso "freezing" possa andare bene



Capito. Allora "churning" anche in ambito professionale potrebbe andare forse. Sentiamo altri contributi...


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## theartichoke

Reviving this old thread not to try to settle the vexed question of how to _mantecare _a risotto in English, but to ask if anyone has a clue as to what the word means when applied to a person. We're talking about a governess in the countryside around Parma in the early 20th century: _Era una francese anziana e simpatica, piena de erre, di gentilezza, di _pardon_; era mantecata, spruzzolata di _patchouli_....._

I honestly haven't a clue: she could be heavily made-up (maybe she spread it on like butter?) or fond of greasy moisturizers for her wrinkles, or have manners that were smooth as butter. I'm inclined to think it's something to do with cosmetics, given the reference to perfume right after. If I had to guess, I'd go with the second (she had a well-oiled face), but if anyone can save me from guessing, that would be great!


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## Mary49

mantèca in Vocabolario - Treccani
*"1.* Nome dato in passato (oggi raram.) a sostanze grasse e profumate (crema, pomata) con le quali si ungevano i capelli o la pelle".


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## alfaalfa

Ciao,


Mary49 said:


> mantèca in Vocabolario - Treccani
> *"1.* Nome dato in passato (oggi raram.) a sostanze grasse e profumate (crema, pomata) con le quali si ungevano i capelli o la pelle".





> La mantèca, da cui mantecare, era una pasta grassa e profumata con cui i parrucchieri ungevano i capelli, “antenata” della brillantina:
> I barbieri dell’Ottocento sfoltivano i capelli a rasoio […] ma nessuno allora ricorreva al phon e tutto veniva ricoperto con una specie di manteca, che poi, raffinata, prese il nome di brillantina. (da Franco Bompieri _Antica Barbieria Colla_, Feltrinelli, 1980)...
> 
> www.laputa.it/lexicon/mantecare/ © Lapůta


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## theartichoke

Thank you! I looked up "mantecato" in Treccani, but didn't even consider that "manteca" might be an Italian noun (and mean something different from what it means in Spanish, no less.) It sounds as if, like "pomade," it's at least slightly more likely to refer to a product for the hair, and a third party would be more likely to notice that Madame was "pomaded" if it were in her hair rather than on her face, so I'll work with that.


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