Operai, fabbriche e cibo: storie di gastronomie precarie

Abstract

Before dining halls became common in industrial plants, workers usually had their meals in the barachin, that is the tin mess/lunch box. This was a crucial element of the identity of industrial workers: “he works as a barachin” or “he is a Agnelli barachin” were common expressions which designated blue collars, especially those working in Fiat plants, during the years of the postwar economic miracle. Therefore the barachin came to be a symbol of working class culture and factory life. The essay sheds light on these stories of industrial workers’ food culture as well as on the practices of wine consumption during the lunch break, which was another crucial element of everyday life in industrial plants.