In 19th-century Milanese bourgeois households, the meal unfolded in successive courses: a light antipasto, a primo (rice or pasta), a secondo of meat with a contorno, then a dolce and coffee. The whole affair often extended to the city café, where one would take a hot drink while discussing art and literature. This is not an entrée/main/dessert grid, but a rhythmic succession where rice (not soup) holds pride of place in Lombardy.

A precious pistil that gilds Milanese risotto and marks all the cuisine of Boito's city. A pinch is enough to transform humble rice into a sun-colored festive dish — the absolute emblem of Milan and its La Scala.