Stanley Tucci's Savory Journey Through Italy | Tucci in Italy S1 MEGA Episode | National Geographic

0:02 [bird tweeting] [Stanley Tucci] I'm in a region that I've never been to before.

0:11 It's rustic.

0:13 It's wild, it's mountainous, it's rough.

0:18 And I'm in a part of it that the locals call Little Tibet.

0:24 I'm in Abruzzo.

0:26 [sheep bleating] [laughing] There's my ride.

0:32 I believe that the best way to understand what makes

0:35 a country and its people unique is through their food.

0:39 This is incredible.

0:42 Oh, man!

0:43 And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

0:45 [speaking Italian] Okay.

0:48 Nice.

0:48 Do you smell that?

0:49 Mm, mm, mm!

0:51 Where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce

0:53 you serve it with speaks directly to identity.

0:57 -You like it?

0:58 -I love it.

1:00 -Oh, my God, it's so good!

1:01 -[laughing] [Stanley] And differentiates the character and history

1:05 of each region sharply from the next.

1:08 It's just not what you expect.

1:09 I'm Stanley Tucci.

1:12 And I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people,

1:16 and the food they eat in order to discover

1:19 the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

1:27 bright music playing] [Stanley] Abruzzo is right in the center of the peninsula,

1:35 midway down the calf of the boot, separated from much of Italy by the Apennines,

1:40 an impenetrable mountain range that forms the backbone of the country.

1:49 It's among the least densely populated parts of Italy.

1:55 How does this brutal,

1:57 yet glorious geography impact upon the people and their food?

2:05 I'm starting in a remote mountain village called Senarica.

2:11 [bell tolling] It's Sunday.

2:20 [speaking Italian] -Welcome to Senarica.

2:23 -Grazie.

2:24 [Stanley] And Chef Danilo Cortellini has invited

2:26 me to a traditional lunch with his family.

2:29 [Danilo] Sun is not shy today.

2:31 [Stanley laughing] [rooster crowing] [Stanley]

2:36 Senarica is small and hidden away, little influenced by the outside world.

2:41 Danilo, however, has been cooking internationally for 25 years,

2:45 12 of those as head chef at the Italian embassy in London.

2:51 Despite his global pedigree,

2:53 his Mother Lucia doesn't trust him with today's lunch,

2:57 a traditional feast day dish called timballo.

3:07 [speaking Italian] Stanley.

3:13 Stanley.

3:17 -Mom is making crespelle.

3:18 -Yeah.

3:19 We can call them crepes, but she might not like it.

3:21 So, let's call it crespelle.

3:22 Let's call it crespelle.

3:23 Because there's a French influence here.

3:25 -Right, isn't there?

3:25 -There is.

3:26 If you think about the French invasion,

3:28 they arrived here with Napoleon, the French.

3:31 -With Napoleon, right.

3:32 -Yeah, that was Regno d'Italia.

3:34 It was the— the kingdom run by the— by Napoleon in Italy.

3:38 And, um, it's quite easy to spot this is very similar to crepes.

3:42 -[Stanley] Sure, yeah.

3:42 -And then— -[Stanley] What is it made with?

3:45 -It's like a crepe but instead of butter, there's— there's olive oil.

3:48 -Uh-huh.

3:48 -And instead of milk, there's— -there's water, so it's lighter.

3:51 -Okay.

3:52 That's why they come out so thin.

3:54 [Stanley] Yeah, they're very delicate, yeah, right.

3:56 [Danilo] But I like to say better than crepes.

3:57 Of course.

3:59 You can say that, it's alright, go ahead.

4:01 So, one of the reasons that I wanted to do this story...

4:05 was because my family makes this— what we call timpano.

4:09 It's round, it has a dough on the outside,

4:13 almost like a pizza dough kind of like, ish, thing.

4:15 Inside is, um, pasta, and meatballs, and salami, and then baked.

4:21 -Baked.

4:21 -And then, like with this...

4:23 -Flipped over.

4:24 -Flipped.

4:26 [Danilo] That sounds like a lot of work.

4:27 [sputtering] It was days of work.

4:31 [Stanley speaking] It's egg wash with milk.

4:59 By putting a little bit of egg wash in the middle of each layer,

5:01 it serves the same purpose as a bit of a soufflé effect.

5:04 -Oh, I see.

5:05 -So, every— every layer will rise a little bit -because of it.

5:08 -Ah.

5:08 Yes, it is sort of French, isn't it?

5:11 You can see the influence.

5:13 We just don't want to tell the French.

5:14 No, no, no, no, don't ever tell the French anything.

5:19 [Lucia speaking] [Danilo] Many places of Italy,

5:22 we share the concept of mini meatballs.

5:24 Everybody says spaghetti meatballs is not an Italian dish, it's an American.

5:28 -But actually, no.

5:29 -Yeah.

5:29 [Danilo] It stems from, uh, something that we do.

5:32 Well, in America, everything did get bigger,

5:35 and saucier, and meatier, and— because there was more.

5:40 You had so much meat, you had a lot of bread, you had a lot of wheat,

5:43 so everything became bigger, and that's why Italian-American cuisine is

5:48 so distinctly different from Italian cuisine.

5:51 How many layers are in here?

5:59 Top of the tray, or we finish the ingredients.

6:01 -Yeah.

6:01 -Depends.

6:02 -[laughing] -Then— then you stop.

6:07 [Danilo, Lucia speaking] This is a case when we stop because we reach the top.

6:12 [Stanley] [chuckles] Yes, I see that.

6:14 We can make another one, but maybe later— -later tonight.

6:16 -Well, it's a bit— the show's not that long, I'm afraid.

6:20 [Stanley] The crew is incredibly grateful,

6:22 as this timballo is destined to become their lunch.

6:26 But first, it must cook, then rest, a process that takes just shy of two hours,

6:31 whereas Lucia made this timballo earlier today.

6:35 It's now ready to serve, but not before a moment of pure suspense.

6:43 A little bit.

6:44 Yeah, I must say.

6:45 [Lucia laughing] We're about to flip this.

6:51 The moment of truth.

6:52 Ready, steady?

6:52 Yes.

6:59 -[Danilo] Ole.

7:00 -[Lucia] It's okay.

7:03 -Don't just say it's okay.

7:04 -Ahh, yeah!

7:05 -No?

7:06 -Ohh!

7:07 [Stanley] It's more than okay.

7:13 -Yeah.

7:14 -[laughter] Oh, I'm so pleased.

7:16 -That's great.

7:18 -[sniffing] Here we go.

7:21 The timballo is ready.

7:24 -[Stanley] The heavy timballo.

7:25 -[Danilo] It's a heavy timballo.

7:26 But I didn't drop it.

7:27 [Stanley] Danilo's wife, Gaia, daughter Mia,

7:30 and father Pietro join us at the table.

7:33 Papa.

7:38 2-She doesn't like timballo?

7:39 -[Danilo] No.

7:39 -No?

7:39 Alright.

7:40 -[Danilo] Not much, yet.

7:41 -Yet.

7:41 -[Danilo] Shall I slice?

7:43 [Stanley speaking] Oh, yeah.

7:53 [Danilo speaking] -Okay, here we go.

7:57 -[laughing] -[Gaia] I'm sorry.

7:58 -[Danilo] Here we go!

8:01 [Stanley] Eh...

8:02 -That's for you.

8:04 -Oh!

8:04 Grazie.

8:04 -That's a big one.

8:05 -That's huge, yes, thank you.

8:07 [Danilo] That's the half portion here.

8:09 [laughing] [family chattering in Italian] Wow.

8:28 [Stanley] Whoa.

8:29 This is incredible.

8:32 The butter and tomato together is so sweet.

8:36 -This is delicious.

8:38 -[Gaia] Mm.

8:38 [Stanley] Delicious.

8:52 [Stanley] Si.

8:54 Si.

9:22 Si.

9:24 That Senarica could only be reached by foot

9:28 until the mid-1960s is not unusual in this region.

9:33 She's eating it!

9:34 She's eating it!

9:35 Wow!

9:36 New influences don't easily reach cut-off places,

9:40 but perhaps that increases their impact when they do.

9:43 That is amazing.

9:46 I'm— I'm serious.

9:51 But what might be the purest form of Abruzzesi cuisine?

9:55 [laughing] For that, I'm heading somewhere even more sparsely populated.

10:03 light music playing] [birdsong][♪ light music playing] [Stanley] Senarica sits

10:20 at the edge of the region's largest National Park, Gran Sasso.

10:25 The expansive landscape is dominated by Corno Grande,

10:30 the highest peak in the Apennines.

10:37 It doesn't look like Italy.

10:40 It's a very, very unusual, uh, landscape, beautiful landscape.

10:45 It's vast and peaceful.

10:47 [wind whispering] [motorcycle revving loudly] Save

10:58 for the hordes of motorcycle enthusiasts,

11:00 drawn here by the views and an iconic barbecue joint called Ristoro Mucciante.

11:09 -[people chattering] -[dog barking] Stanley.

11:22 Si.

11:28 jazz music playing] [Stanley] I'm here

11:35 to meet food and motor journalist Cristina Bachetti.

11:39 She says this is the place

11:42 to experience Abruzzo's ultimate culinary rite of passage.

11:46 [people chattering] -Hi, Cristina.

11:52 -Stanley.

12:06 Panorama, si, si.

12:30 [Stanley] This is and always has been sheep country.

12:34 For centuries, these elevated plains were home

12:37 to a custom known as the transumanza,

12:40 where shepherds based down in Puglia would drive

12:43 their flocks over 150 miles north to graze here.

12:47 The less fortunate animals became arrosticini.

12:58 Si.

13:03 [Stanley] Arrosticini are simply skewers of cubed mutton.

13:08 The shepherds' tradition of grilling the meat

13:10 in the open air continues to this day.

13:18 -[Rodolfo] Si.

13:19 -[Stanley] Oh, wow.

13:25 No.

13:26 Si?

13:37 I know, I know.

13:42 [Cristina speaking] [Stanley] In the 17th century,

14:10 over 4 million sheep summered on this lush mountain plateau.

14:14 Used for meat, milk, and wool, they generated huge wealth for this area.

14:31 -Si.

14:32 Si.

14:35 Oh, yeah.

15:05 [Cristina chuckles]♪♪ -[Stanley] Cheers.

15:36 -Cheers.

15:36 -Cheers.

15:36 -[Cristina] Cheers.

15:38 [Stanley] This is so good.

15:40 Everything.

15:40 Super.

15:44 [Rodolfo speaking] Si?

15:55 -Delicious -[Stanley] Delicious.

15:56 Delicious.

15:57 [chuckles] [Stanley speaking]♪♪ I know!

17:17 No!

17:19 -No!

17:20 -Si.

17:20 [chuckles] Cin cin.

17:26 [Stanley] Such rustic food, forged from Abruzzo's shepherding roots,

17:29 seems appropriate fuel in this vast, unchanged landscape.

17:36 Yet this region doesn't always lend itself to preserving traditions.

17:44 [birdsong] [Stanley] Located at the bottom of dramatic slopes in a lush valley,

17:55 Villa San Sebastiano is found at the westernmost edge of Abruzzo,

18:00 and is known for a tragic natural disaster.

18:03 somber music playing] On September 5th,

18:07 1955, a landslide wiped away the village.

18:10 Four were killed, dozens more were injured.

18:14 The villagers had two options.

18:16 They had to decide whether to leave or to rebuild.

18:19 They chose the latter.

18:24 Starting with the church.

18:26 Then, the next most important thing.

18:28 [people chattering] The communal bread oven that had fed them for centuries.

18:40 Chef Lucia Tellone looks after it today.

19:07 [Stanley] This place helped to rebuild the community after the landslide,

19:11 but gradually, convenience culture meant

19:13 that those traditional methods fell out of favor.

19:17 Eventually, the bread oven closed,

19:20 taking the social heart of the village with it, until Lucia came along.

20:08 Okay.

20:09 [Stanley laughing] [Stanley] Lucia resolved to teach the village to bake again,

20:22 and it turns out that the children are her best students.

20:47 Si.

20:55 [birdsong] -Si.

21:17 -Si?

21:27 [laughing] [Stanley] They don't just bake bread.

21:32 This local ancient grain also gets made into pan pizzas.

21:46 [child sneezing] -[child speaking Italian]

21:54 -[Stanley laughing] [Stanley speaking][♪ light

22:20 music playing] [Stanley] Lucia lights the bread oven once a week,

22:26 on a Saturday, and the community gathers to cook and share lunch.

22:42 Okay.

22:43 [Stanley] Whoa.

22:46 Yes!

22:48 -Mm!

22:48 -[Lucia] Okay.

22:49 [Stanley speaking] -[child] Yes!

22:54 -[Stanley] Mm-hmm, si.

22:58 [Lucia speaking] [laughing] [Stanley] The bread

23:22 oven feels as relevant now as ever,

23:24 providing warmth, nourishment, and community to the locals.

23:33 But the food that has really put Abruzzo

23:35 on the world map isn't a staple, it's an indulgence.

23:42 light music playing] [Stanley] Though isolated,

23:54 sugar and spices were brought to Abruzzo

23:56 by the trade routes that connected Italy to Asia.

24:01 Years ago, the town of Sulmona was an important stop on the spice trail,

24:06 being strategically located between the port of Pescara and Rome.

24:11 whimsical music playing] The people of this remote provincial

24:16 town met this influx of luxurious produce with real flair...

24:22 creating what are probably Europe's first ever candies...

24:26 sugar-coated almonds.

24:28 Known as confetti.

24:33 Established in 1783, Confetti Pelino is an institution.

24:38 [door bell jingles] Today, seventh generation candy magnate Mario Pelino is

24:47 giving me a tour of the factory.

24:52 -This hasn't changed.

24:53 -Hasn't changed?

24:54 It hasn't changed.

24:55 -Nothing changes.

24:56 Nothing.

24:56 -Si.

24:57 Nothing— -[laughing] -Nothing changes.

25:00 whimsical music playing] [Stanley] Almonds once grew

25:14 profusely in the hills surrounding the town.

25:16 The original confetti were made of these almonds.

25:20 They were toasted and then covered in a sugar shell.

25:24 They're being made in the factory today

25:26 in a process little altered since the 18th century.

25:31 -We are inside the hall.

25:33 -Mm-hmm?

25:33 That is the beginning of the process.

25:36 -Okay.

25:36 -Where they do the peeling -of the almonds...

25:38 -Uh-huh?

25:39 ...the roasting of the almonds, and the selection of the almonds.

25:44 So, they go through them by hand?

25:46 They do everything by hand, yes.

25:52 It's not really industrialized.

25:58 -[Stanley] Can we taste?

25:59 -[Mario] Yes, yes.

26:05 -It's— it's hot.

26:05 -Tell me.

26:06 -It's hot.

26:06 -It's hot.

26:07 Oh, I see, it's steaming.

26:10 -Mm.

26:10 Oh, yeah.

26:11 -Questi sono buoni.

26:12 -Very nice.

26:12 -Very good, they are very good.

26:17 This is the row of the copper machines installed by my great-grandfather.

26:27 This is the beginning of the history of the Alfonso Pelino factory.

26:37 [Stanley] Sugar panning is the technical term

26:40 for what happens in these beautiful old machines.

26:43 [Mario] That is a thick solution of sugar.

26:47 75% of sucrose and 25% of water.

26:51 She puts about five spoons -of, uh, solution.

26:55 -Right.

26:56 And those inside are the almonds.

26:58 [Stanley] The sugar solution is repeatedly ladled onto the tumbling

27:02 almonds over the course of a couple of days,

27:05 slowly building up the shell one thin layer at a time.

27:09 It's at this point a vast array of different flavors can be added,

27:13 including the exotic spices that were passing through here once upon a time.

27:25 That is lemon, I think, the lemon.

27:27 Lemon?

27:29 What I'm gonna show you now is

27:31 the copper pan that is producing the cinnamon candy.

27:36 It is a very old product,

27:37 because as you know, the cinnamon -was an important spice.

27:42 -Yeah.

27:43 -Imported from the Middle East.

27:44 -Right, yeah.

27:44 [Mario] Okay?

27:47 -You taste the cinnamon?

27:49 -Oh, it's delicate.

27:53 I like that.

27:57 [Stanley] These little candies are an inescapable part of being Italian.

28:02 In the workshop, they're crafted into bouquets and trinkets,

28:05 which appear at almost every celebration across the country.

28:10 So, I will introduce you now to Marina.

28:12 -Mm-hmm.

28:12 -Because she's the person -in charge.

28:14 -Oh, Stanley!

28:14 [Stanley ]Hi, hi, Marina, how are you?

28:19 [Stanley] How many do you make a day?

28:31 [Stanley] They're so beautiful.

28:32 And then, do people— people give them as gifts?

28:34 -[Mario] They give it as a gift.

28:35 -[Stanley] Yeah.

28:36 -They take it as a souvenir.

28:37 -Yeah.

28:38 Because they're made only in Sulmona, no other place.

28:41 -Nobody else makes them.

28:41 -Nobody else make it.

28:42 [Stanley] They're used for weddings, 'cause I know...

28:44 -these are always used...

28:45 -They are used for weddings.

28:46 -...for Italian weddings.

28:46 -Yes, they are used for.

28:47 -In America too, when you're...

28:48 -In America.

28:49 In America, always you— when you go to an Italian wedding...

28:51 -Yes.

28:52 -...you always get the little.

28:53 [Mario] Bomboniera, a favor, a favor.

28:54 [Stanley] Yeah, a favor, yeah.

28:56 Confetti over there means totally something different.

28:58 -Confetti's...

28:59 -This is what they throw.

29:00 -It's what you throw.

29:01 -But you know why?

29:01 -Why?

29:02 -Because they came here, they saw the confetti in different colors,

29:06 thrown out of the church in the— in the ceremonies.

29:10 -Oh, really?

29:11 -At the weddings, they used -to throw the confetti.

29:12 -You mean, the— the candies?

29:13 -Yes, outside.

29:14 -Oh, that's why -it's called confetti?

29:16 -Yeah.

29:16 That's why it's called confetti.

29:17 I always wondered why it was an Italian word.

29:19 That's the reason.

29:20 The reason.

29:21 -You see how fast she is?

29:23 -[laughing] -Si?

29:23 -You're like a magician.

29:36 Being a father to young children,

29:38 returning home empty-handed from a visit to a candy factory is not an option.

29:43 Thankfully, the store stocks upward of 50 different flavors,

29:46 from cappuccino to champagne, in a bemusing array of shapes, sizes, and colors.

29:58 [Stanley] Delicate little treats like confetti are the last

30:02 product you'd expect to come out of this wild region.

30:05 Generally, Abruzzo has a reputation for being tough

30:09 to live in, due to its very rugged landscape.

30:12 Its craggy Adriatic coast being no exception.

30:22 [Stanley] Head east of Sulmona, go as far as you can,

30:25 and you hit a 24-mile stretch

30:28 of treacherous shoreline punctuated by jagged rocks.

30:31 This is known as the Trabocchi Coast

30:34 because of these distinctive wooden fishing platforms,

30:37 that use a complex system of winches to hoist fishing nets up and down.

30:55 [Stanley] Chef Gianluca Di Bucchianico runs

30:58 a restaurant on one of these trabocchi

31:00 and he has agreed to show me the ropes, quite literally.

31:37 [Stanley] The product of desperation,

31:39 these amazing platforms were built by peasants facing famine,

31:43 a last-ditch attempt to pull what protein they could from the sea.

31:50 A history that's reflected in Gianluca's menu.

32:11 Si.

32:38 Okay.

32:39 [laughing] [Stanley] The torcinello, or mutton offal, is served with prawns,

32:48 a little liquid from their roe,

32:50 and a reduction of the region's eminent red wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

33:00 [Stanley] Wow.

33:02 -Bonne Appetit.

33:03 -Come here.

33:04 Who's got that— give me that— get over here.

33:08 You got it?

33:09 I want to eat this right here.

33:18 Oh, man.

33:19 Oh, man!

33:21 Who would put lamb intestines— I know it sounds gross...

33:26 coupled with shrimp and two different—

33:29 like an emulsification of— oh, [bleep], sorry.

33:46 [Stanley] The second antipasto is a pancotto,

33:49 or bread soup, inspired by Gianluca's ancestors.

34:24 -Bonne Appetit, Stanley.

34:25 -[both laughing] Bravo.

34:43 -[speaking Italian] -That's amazing.

34:44 That's amazing.

35:06 -The old bread, stale bread.

35:08 -Okay.

35:34 Si.

35:37 Si.

35:39 [Stanley] With his restaurant not yet open for service,

35:41 Gianluca is going to join me at the table for some pasta.

35:46 A simple spaghetti with olive oil, garlic,

35:49 and sweet chili pepper, elevated by the addition of lobster extract.

35:57 It's pretty here, isn't it?

36:11 No.

36:15 Bonne Appetit.

36:21 Oh, wow.

37:06 [both laughing] [Stanley] Trabocchi are incredible inventions, part madness,

37:14 part genius, not unlike serving shrimp with mutton.

37:19 This ingenuity defines the Abruzzesi spirit,

37:22 and there's further proof of it out in the wildest pocket of this region.

37:34 [Stanley] Like many other villages across Abruzzo,

37:36 the hamlet of Castrovalva has been hit hard by population decline.

37:41 It sits surrounded by mountains, a long journey inland from the coast.

37:48 I'm heading up above the village with Chef Davide Nanni.

37:52 [jeep rumbling] [sputtering] Yeah.

38:09 Beautiful.

38:11 [Stanley] Si.

38:12 Si.

38:15 gentle music playing] [Stanley] Davide is going

38:26 to make the defining dish of his childhood.

38:31 [Stanley] A recipe that evokes Abruzzo perhaps like no other,

38:35 pecora al cotturo, or mutton stew.

38:53 [Davide] Okay.

39:43 [Stanley] Despite its natural beauty, the population has long been in freefall.

39:49 [water fountain babbling] The economy was left

39:52 in tatters by the Second World War.

39:54 That, combined with the challenging topography and a series

39:58 of devastating earthquakes prompted many to leave.

40:22 [Stanley] Davide emigrated from here like many before him,

40:25 but he's back permanently.

41:06 Oh, look at that.

41:08 Mm.

41:15 [Davide] Okay.

41:26 Ah.

41:26 Si, si, si, si.

41:34 Thank you.

41:39 Wow.

41:47 -Yeah.

41:47 Really, yeah.

41:48 -[chuckles] [Stanley] After simmering for about an hour and a half,

41:58 the mutton stew is ready.

42:02 Beautiful.

42:08 Ah, yeah.

42:08 Si.

42:09 [plane engine rumbling] Mm.

42:20 Delicious!

42:22 [Stanley] It's amazing.

42:56 [Stanley] No, no.

42:58 It's okay.

43:21 -Si.

43:22 Cheers.

43:22 -Cheers.

43:28 gentle music playing] [Stanley] All throughout Italy I've

43:34 met so many people who emigrate only to return.

43:39 Like Davide, they're drawn back by Italy's unparalleled food culture,

43:44 and compelled to write its next chapter.

43:48 I can understand the appeal that Abruzzo has.

43:52 Isolated from external influences by its uncompromising geography,

43:57 and a cuisine that is robust and pure.

44:06 [bell tolling] [Stanley Tucci] I'm in Rome.

44:15 I was here last year making a major motion picture,

44:18 and at the end of my two months' stay, I happened upon a little eatery,

44:24 in which I ate one of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had in my life.

44:31 I'm taking you there now, so that you can watch me eat it again.

44:36 melodic piano music swells] I believe that the best way to understand

44:40 what makes a country and its people unique is through their food.

44:44 This is incredible.

44:47 Oh, man.

44:48 And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

44:51 [speaking Italian] -Okay.

44:52 -Nice.

44:53 You smell that?

44:54 Mm, mm, mm!

44:56 Where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce

44:58 you serve it with speaks directly to identity.

45:02 -You like it?

45:03 -I love it.

45:05 Oh, my God, it's so good!

45:07 And differentiates the character and history

45:10 of each region sharply from the next.

45:13 It's just not what you expect.

45:15 I'm Stanley Tucci...

45:17 and I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people,

45:22 and the food they eat in order to discover

45:24 the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

45:36 peppy upbeat music playing]♪♪ [softly] Mmm.

46:31 These are the brothers Trecastelli.

46:34 Nicoló and Manuel.

46:36 They're responsible for this creation that has

46:39 redefined my idea of what a sandwich is.

46:43 [speaking Italian] [speaking Italian] [Stanley] Mm-hm.

46:55 Uh-huh.

47:20 [Stanley] The Trecastelli brothers' sandwich reinforces

47:22 the reputation of Lazio as Rome's larder.

47:29 The region is halfway up the shin of Italy.

47:33 Rome is the beating heart at its center, the Tiber River its crucial artery.

47:42 The rolling countryside cradling the capital boasts quaint villages,

47:48 wide green fields and abundant produce which fuels the city.

47:54 Rome, of course, is rather different.

47:57 majestic orchestral composition swells] This was

48:00 once the capital of a huge empire.

48:04 Now it's a layer cake of ancient history...

48:07 [horns honking] ...and modern chaos.

48:11 orchestral music continues] But throughout time,

48:16 the city has been fed by the incredible seasonal produce of the region,

48:21 creating distinctly Roman dishes, such as carbonara and cacio e pepe.

48:28 And in this city, "Un buon rapporto

48:31 qualita prezzo" or, "Value for money," is essential,

48:35 which is why my first stop is a humble eatery.

48:38 So the trattoria you have regional dishes, family recipes, nothing fancy.

48:45 Right, it's just a place where you go...

48:46 It's a local, a local restaurant.

48:49 Lavinia Martini is Roman born and bred.

48:53 After studying Latin and Greek,

48:54 she devoted herself to writing about classic Roman food.

48:58 You have one trattoria in every good neighborhood.

49:02 In every good neighborhood, yeah.

49:03 -More than one.

49:04 -At least one, yeah.

49:05 -At least one.

49:05 -Yeah.

49:06 Yeah.

49:06 Maybe you can choose the, the neighborhood to live, the neighborhood to live...

49:11 -By the trattoria.

49:12 -Yeah, if they have a good one.

49:14 And is this the one you used to go to as a kid?

49:16 -Yes.

49:17 -Yeah.

49:17 This is a really nice place and I love it.

49:20 [bell dings] -[Stanley] Frizzante?

49:22 -[Lavinia Martini] Yes.

49:25 -[indistinct chatter] -So nice.

49:27 -This is the menu of the day.

49:29 -Uh-oh.

49:29 I thought you were gonna sit down.

49:31 [laughter] Thank you.

49:34 Oh, my God, look at that menu.

49:36 That's a big...

49:37 [laughs] That's a big menu for a very small restaurant.

49:39 -[Lavinia] Yes, it is, it is.

49:40 -Yes.

49:40 And it changes every day.

49:41 -What?

49:42 -[Lavinia] Huge, yes.

49:44 [laughter] [Stanley] The menu, like all good trattorias,

49:49 changes with the seasons to feature the best of what's available and fresh.

49:54 We've ordered two springtime vegetable dishes,

49:57 artichoke alla Romana and zucchine alla concia.

50:02 [Lavinia] I can have, like, a kilo of this.

50:04 I know, and it's good, it's just olive oil.

50:06 [Lavinia] A little bit of vinegar.

50:07 -A little bit of vinegar.

50:08 -[Lavinia] Parsley.

50:09 [Stanley] Maybe a little garlic, and then, and you fry it.

50:11 [Lavinia] A little bit, and a little bit of spicy.

50:12 Yeah.

50:16 [Lavinia] Yes, a little bit of menta.

50:18 This is a dish that actually you can make at home, you can cook at home.

50:22 But it's so good if you eat outside because it's made with love, really.

50:27 By the people who know how to make it.

50:29 Yeah, really, how to make it in the proper way.

50:32 [Stanley] [mouth full] Like this.

50:33 It's so good.

50:34 Yes.

50:34 Artichoke, it's like our religion.

50:37 -And pasta.

50:38 -Yes, of course.

50:39 Speaking of...

50:41 Grazie.

50:42 Oh, boy.

50:43 I'm having pajata, and Lavinia's having cacio e pepe.

50:47 Spaghetti with cheese and pepper.

50:49 This is one of my favorite dishes ever.

50:52 -[Lavinia] La pajata?

50:53 -[Stanley] Yeah.

50:53 It's not easy to, to explain it, it's a part of the intestine of the veal.

50:59 That still has the mother's milk.

51:01 [Lavinia] Yeah.

51:01 And it's uh...

51:02 -Inside of it.

51:03 -[Lavinia] Inside of it.

51:04 I know for a lot of people, they don't...

51:08 But it's delicious, but it came out of...

51:10 A culture of, uh, no waste.

51:14 -No waste.

51:15 No waste.

51:16 -No waste.

51:21 [Stanley] Mm.

51:23 This is really good, because you get the sweetness of the tomato and then

51:28 the slight sourness of the, the milk in the intestine.

51:33 It's really good.

51:38 So, they serve traditional Roman dishes.

51:41 Yes.

51:41 And the reason why I love this place

51:44 is that it's so familiar, it is comfortable.

51:47 You feel at home but you are not at home,

51:49 and it's crucial for the neighborhood to have

51:52 a place like this, to meet your friends.

51:55 [Stanley] Like, in England you'd have your local pub that you'd go to.

51:58 It's a place that everybody congregates.

52:00 Those places are absolutely crucial to making, like, keeping a society healthy,

52:06 and in Italy it takes the form of a trattoria.

52:11 [Lavinia] Yes.

52:13 [Stanley speaking] [Stanley] This is unpretentious,

52:28 down-to-earth food which showcases the high

52:31 quality and variety of Lazian produce.

52:34 Something it has in common with one of my other favorites...

52:40 Roman pizza.

52:43 No one really knows why,

52:45 but the Roman version is thin and crispy unlike its fluffier Neapolitan cousin.

52:52 Some of the best are served in A Rota in the suburb of Tor Pignattara.

53:01 Owner Sami El Sabawy learned his skills from his dad, Ramadan.

53:06 Grazie.

53:12 [laughter] [Stanley] Si.

53:40 [Stanley] Ramadan and Sami are just two

53:42 of 20,000 Egyptian pizza makers in Italy.

54:03 [Stanley speaking] [Stanley] Si.

55:01 Si.

55:02 [Sami speaking] [Stanley] Mm-hm.

55:30 Aah!

55:33 [Sami speaking] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

55:39 [Stanley] [whispers] Stop it.

55:43 Look at that.

55:55 [Stanley laughs] [Stanley] Thank God for the Egyptians.

56:00 The smell too.

56:02 soft peppy music playing] Oh, Sami!

56:21 Mm.

56:22 Mm!

56:23 [mouth full] It's so simple, and so crispy.

56:42 [Stanley speaking] [laughs] Ingredients allowed to speak for themselves.

56:55 This is essential to Roman cooking.

57:00 But so many people who come to Rome have never really ventured beyond the city,

57:05 myself included, until now.

57:14 bright, spirited orchestral music swells] [Stanley] My first stop into Lazio is

57:20 a town that once vied with Rome in terms of power and influence.

57:27 Roughly 20 miles southeast of Rome lies Ariccia,

57:31 one of 16 towns and villages called the Castelli Romani.

57:38 Ancient Romans came here to sacrifice pigs to the gods.

57:42 Later, it was a hunting ground for well-heeled nobles.

57:46 Today, tourists pass through sampling what Ariccia's expert

57:50 butchers learned to do with all that pork.

57:56 Local winemaker and restaurateur Remigio Sognatesori is taking

58:01 me to one of the best porchetterias in town.

58:05 [speaking Italian] [Stanley] Si.

58:35 [Stanley speaking] Shh!

59:15 [Stanley] What Eleonora reveals is that it's a mix of garlic,

59:19 rosemary and other herbs that fill it with flavor.

59:25 [Stanley] Mmmm!

59:27 Oh, my God, look at that.

59:29 Mm.

59:31 That is so beautiful.

59:42 I don't even know what to say, it's so [bleep] good.

59:47 -[Remigio Sognatesori] The skin.

59:48 -The skin.

59:48 [Eleonora Mancini] For you.

59:52 Oh, man.

59:54 Oh, man!

59:58 [Remigio and Eleonora laughing] Oh, my God, it's so good!

1:00:04 That crunch.

1:01:03 [Stanley] You might think that a light red wine is best with pork,

1:01:07 but the people of the Castelli Romani instead pair

1:01:10 theirs with a glass of the local fizzy white,

1:01:13 which is said to remove the fat from your palate.

1:01:17 Cheers.

1:01:25 [bread crunching] [Stanley] Incredible.

1:01:42 Oh, that bread is beautiful.

1:01:44 You're right.

1:01:45 Mm.

1:01:46 Mm.

1:01:59 -A cuddle?

1:02:00 Mm, I like that.

1:02:01 -Yes.

1:02:01 -But for your soul.

1:02:03 -For your soul?

1:02:04 -Oh, yes.

1:02:04 -Yeah.

1:02:05 -And for your stomach.

1:02:06 -[both laugh] Ariccia's porchetta shows what can be achieved when

1:02:13 you decide to do one thing and do it really well.

1:02:18 It's a lesson the neighboring town of Frascati has also taken to heart.

1:02:29 gentle piano music playing] [Stanley] Remigio's hometown

1:02:34 has been famous since antiquity for its wine.

1:02:38 Made from the grapes grown in the south-facing vineyards that surround it.

1:02:44 Almost as celebrated are the shops called fraschette,

1:02:47 where thirsty day-trippers can sample it.

1:02:51 Remigio is taking me to one that's very close to his heart.

1:02:55 It's been in his family for over 100 years, and where he was born.

1:03:10 Ahh.

1:03:11 Sì.

1:03:17 [Stanley] No.

1:03:39 [speaks Italian] ...Stanley.

1:03:45 [Stanley] Okay.

1:03:57 [Stanley] The fagotto Remigio is assembling is a combination

1:04:01 of the tastiest products from the surrounding towns.

1:04:07 An homage to the days when visitors would bring

1:04:10 their own food from home to accompany the wine.

1:04:25 That's nice.

1:04:27 Mm.

1:04:28 It's very good.

1:04:29 [laughs] Okay, so...

1:04:35 [Stanley] Uffa.

1:04:36 But in the past the food came from their house.

1:04:41 Ah, ah!

1:04:42 Imagine that you came here, with your food and our wine.

1:04:47 It's...

1:04:48 It's brilliant.

1:04:52 I love those, yeah.

1:04:54 Mm.

1:05:00 Oh, my God.

1:05:01 Wait.

1:05:01 What?

1:05:02 The handcrafted morsels keep coming.

1:05:05 Buffalo mozzarella, and what may look like French fries but are

1:05:09 actually roast potatoes with breadcrumbs prepared with Remigio's own recipe.

1:05:16 Oh, my gosh.

1:05:28 [Stanley] Ah!

1:05:33 [Stanley] Buforino?

1:05:37 Oh, my gosh.

1:05:38 This is amazing.

1:05:42 Are you a chef?

1:06:10 Also, your porchetta is really good.

1:06:12 -Yes.

1:06:13 -I'm an expert now.

1:06:14 [laughter] To share.

1:06:29 Sharing.

1:06:45 -Yes.

1:06:46 But...

1:06:46 [chuckles] -Yes.

1:06:49 [laughter] [Stanley] These signature products are a testament

1:06:53 to a tradition of true artisanship in these villages.

1:06:57 They're local specialties that have become famous throughout Lazio and beyond.

1:07:02 -Thank you.

1:07:03 -You're welcome.

1:07:04 [Stanley] But outside the reach of the big city,

1:07:07 the flavors aren't quite as familiar.

1:07:15 cheerful, soothing melody playing] [speaking Italian] Okay.

1:07:30 Daniele Papi has been a fisherman all his life, here in Marta.

1:07:34 Near the borders with Umbria and Tuscany.

1:07:37 Where Lakes Bracciano, Vico, and my destination, Bolsena.

1:07:42 are nestled in the hills.

1:07:44 They were created tens of thousands of years ago when

1:07:47 a string of collapsed volcanoes filled up with rain and spring water.

1:07:52 They've long been famous for the quality

1:07:54 of their fish which once graced tables across Italy.

1:07:59 Today, this freshwater catch can be found in discerning kitchens around Europe.

1:08:19 Okay.

1:08:24 Sbroscia traditionally uses only the fish left

1:08:27 behind after the most prized have been sold.

1:08:33 Buongiorno.

1:08:34 Today, as every day, it's being made for the fishermen by Giuliano Rocchi,

1:08:40 the president of their cooperative.

1:08:46 soft symphonic music playing] [speaking Italian] [Stanley] Giuliano

1:08:54 has already started the base of the stew,

1:08:57 which is oil, lard, onion, garlic, and chili.

1:09:07 So a lot of people don't eat pike, I, I've eaten pike, I like pike.

1:09:18 [Stanley] Sì.

1:09:22 Ah.

1:09:44 [Stanley] The name "sbroscia" means slops, or dishwater but, ironically,

1:09:50 the original recipe calls for the purest water, from Lake Bolsena itself.

1:10:17 [Stanley] Wow.

1:10:18 [speaks Italian] [laughs] Oh, wow.

1:10:29 That's incredibly aromatic.

1:10:36 [Stanley] The aroma is somewhere between mint and marjoram.

1:10:45 [Stanley speaking] [Stanley] Si.

1:11:32 slow, tender piano notes ring softly] [Stanley] Oh, yeah.

1:11:41 piano notes continue] Wow.

1:11:45 The final ingredient isn't something that goes in the sbroscia,

1:11:50 but where it's eaten.

1:11:55 [speaking Italian] [Stanley] This unique stew can only

1:12:00 be found in this little corner of Lazio.

1:12:21 [grunts] [Stanley] Mm.

1:12:31 Mm.

1:12:32 Delicious.

1:12:33 Delicious.

1:13:12 Yeah.

1:13:19 Yeah.

1:13:19 Yeah.

1:13:24 Sì, sì, sì.

1:13:49 [Stanley] That's so good.

1:13:51 These men delight in underrated ingredients.

1:13:55 [faint conversation in Italian] Their tastes are proudly rustic,

1:14:02 something they share with some unexpected neighbors.

1:14:06 quiet, tranquil music playing][♪ soft joyful melody playing]

1:14:18 [Stanley] If you're searching for the good life,

1:14:20 the views alone make the village of Trevinano an appealing place to start.

1:14:24 Or for some, restart.

1:14:29 It floats in a sea of green, in the most northwesterly corner of Lazio,

1:14:34 surrounded by some of Italy's most beautiful countryside.

1:14:38 [thunder cracks, rumbles] Not that you can see it today.

1:14:44 It's too cold and windy.

1:14:47 Some might even say miserable.

1:14:49 I would.

1:14:51 They make marvelous wines here,

1:14:53 but I'll have to visit the vineyards another time.

1:14:57 The good news is that somewhere in these cobbled

1:15:00 streets is a restaurant called La Parolina.

1:15:07 Iside de Cesare and Romano Gordini got tired of running

1:15:11 restaurants in Rome and relocated here on the frontier.

1:15:17 Today they harvest the flavors of the countryside to make classic Lazian dishes,

1:15:21 with an elegant twist, like hazelnut steak tartare.

1:15:26 This approach won them a Michelin star.

1:15:31 So beautiful.

1:15:35 delicate piano music resonates softly] Delicious.

1:15:47 Another of Iside's signature dishes is an elegant pasta.

1:15:52 One that is transformed by the addition

1:15:54 of a refined take on the fisherman's rustic sbroscia.

1:16:07 Si.

1:16:08 Let me smell it.

1:16:11 Yeah!

1:16:19 [Stanley] Sì.

1:16:41 [Stanley] Hmm.

1:16:45 You want me to do it?

1:16:46 Okay.

1:16:47 -[Iside de Cesare] Yes.

1:16:48 -Okay.

1:16:48 -You are a perfectionist.

1:16:49 -Yeah, well, you know...

1:16:50 [Iside] So, please.

1:16:55 -[Iside] Yes.

1:16:56 -[Stanley] Tagliolini.

1:16:59 -Yeah.

1:16:59 Oh.

1:17:00 No.

1:17:00 -Oh, yes, please.

1:17:02 It's a big honor for me.

1:17:03 It's an honor for me.

1:17:05 Are you kidding?

1:17:10 -You want to taste?

1:17:11 -Look at how beautiful that is.

1:17:13 Yes!

1:17:18 Oh, my God.

1:17:20 So now me move and we go to prepare the— Oh, we go over there.

1:17:24 Okay.

1:17:25 gentle, dulcet piano chords playing] -[Iside] So we are ready.

1:17:29 -[Stanley] So...

1:17:30 Sbroscia.

1:17:34 chords continue playing] [Stanley] Beautiful.

1:17:58 [Stanley] Mm.

1:17:59 Now you move.

1:18:09 [Stanley] [mouth full] That...

1:18:10 Sorry.

1:18:12 That...

1:18:15 I love that.

1:18:17 triumphant orchestral music reverberates] Iside and Romano

1:18:21 aren't the only Romans in town.

1:18:23 Their neighbors, Giuliano and Simona,

1:18:26 left IT jobs in the city to come here and make wine,

1:18:30 despite having no previous experience.

1:18:36 Who's having what wine?

1:18:38 [Simona speaking] [Stanley] They're joining us

1:18:41 for lunch with their daughter Maia.

1:18:44 grand orchestral symphony swells majestically] [Stanley] I mean, delicious.

1:18:52 [Iside speaking] [Stanley] So tell me about why you're here.

1:18:55 So, we had a very stressful life in Rome.

1:18:58 Everything was very comfortable, but we wanted some discomfort.

1:19:02 -[Stanley] Oh.

1:19:03 -[Simona] Yeah.

1:19:03 We were looking for something...

1:19:06 more authentic, more genuine.

1:19:07 We wanted to, you know, be cold in winter, and-and have trouble lighting a fire.

1:19:13 And then to be a farmer.

1:19:15 It's, it's a lot of physical work, but of course it's very rewarding.

1:19:19 -[Stanley] Yeah.

1:19:19 -We're pioneering the area.

1:19:21 But we're trying to revive something that was lost.

1:19:25 So tell me, when you opened the restaurant, how many years ago?

1:19:29 -Nineteen years ago.

1:19:30 -[Stanley] But why here?

1:19:32 [Iside] For the beauty.

1:19:33 We had the, the dream to bring people from the city,

1:19:37 to share the beauty with them, that's why.

1:19:40 [Stanley] Because this landscape, I would think I was in Tuscany.

1:19:43 Yeah, this is Radicofani.

1:19:44 You see the tower?

1:19:46 -[Stanley] So that is Tuscany?

1:19:47 -Yeah.

1:19:47 Oh, no wonder why I feel like I'm looking at Tuscany.

1:19:49 -[chuckles] Yeah.

1:19:50 -[Stanley laughs] So, Maia, for you growing up here,

1:19:54 how do you feel about this place?

1:19:56 It's a beautiful place to live but, like,

1:19:59 there isn't a Chinese place here which I'm very sad about.

1:20:03 [laughing] And, uh, when we take like a day and we go to Rome,

1:20:11 I'm very happy because there is, like,

1:20:13 big stores and, uh, the choice of, of food is so...

1:20:18 -[Stanley] Yeah, yeah.

1:20:18 -The variety of food is...

1:20:20 -Incredible, yeah.

1:20:21 -[Maia] Yeah.

1:20:21 But every time I come back here,

1:20:23 I realize that usually people never have the chance

1:20:26 to come here and see all of this.

1:20:29 So, I'm really happy to live here but in the future, I will have to move.

1:20:34 -I need to have some experience.

1:20:37 -Yeah.

1:20:38 [Maia] But, uh, I will come back.

1:20:39 I will come back.

1:20:40 -[Stanley] Yeah.

1:20:41 -We come here, the dreamers.

1:20:43 We had the dream to bring people to share the beauty.

1:20:48 Because here we can have the inspiration.

1:20:51 Sì.

1:20:52 To the beauty and to the dreams.

1:20:56 -Thank you.

1:20:57 -Salute.

1:20:57 [laughter] [Stanley] These enterprising Lazians are culinary pioneers.

1:21:05 But no matter where you are in this region,

1:21:07 there's one food that brings everyone, city or countryside dweller, together.

1:21:13 epic orchestral music plays] [birds chirping] [sheep bleating] [Stanley]

1:21:27 Lamb is a delicacy that Lazians have always cherished.

1:21:31 Especially in springtime.

1:21:43 delicate, soothing music playing] [Stanley] I've headed back

1:21:49 towards Rome and the rich pastures of Castel Giuliano.

1:21:58 Giancarlo Gentili had a successful career in economics

1:22:01 in the city but escaped back to his flock.

1:22:11 [Stanley] Wow.

1:22:32 [Stanley] Ah.

1:22:56 [Stanley] Sì.

1:23:09 [Stanley laughs] [bleating] [Giancarlo Gentili] Okay.

1:23:33 [rooster crows] [Stanley] Today is Sunday, so Giancarlo and his brother Giuseppe

1:23:45 are cooking a classic Lazian springtime dish.

1:23:48 Okay.

1:23:49 This is abbacchio scottadito.

1:23:51 Abbacchio is freshly slaughtered suckling lamb.

1:24:09 -[speaking Italian] -The ribs, yes.

1:24:31 [Stanley]" The word "scottadito" means scorched fingers.

1:24:36 Grilling the meat in this way one can see how that name came about.

1:24:40 Oh, look at that now.

1:24:44 -Oi.

1:24:44 [bleep].

1:24:45 -[laughter] Well, y-yes, that is its name.

1:25:11 [Stanley speaking][♪ delicate,

1:25:15 tranquil chords playing] [Stanley] Three generations

1:25:25 of the Gentili family live on the farm.

1:25:29 I'll sit here.

1:25:30 Most of their produce is destined for Roman tables...

1:25:35 but today it's destined for us.

1:25:55 [Stanley] Mm.

1:26:04 [indistinct chatter] [Stanley speaks Italian] Yeah, it is.

1:26:31 Oh, wow.

1:26:32 [indistinct chatter] Delicious.

1:26:35 Oh, thank you.

1:26:37 Everything on this table is a glimpse into Lazio's past as well as its present.

1:27:06 [Stanley] Ah, sì.

1:27:16 [laughter] [laughter] [indistinct chatter] [Stanley] Rural

1:27:39 Lazio was unknown territory to me.

1:27:43 Its reputation as Rome's larder is well deserved.

1:27:49 But more than that, the capital and the countryside share a joint culinary soul.

1:27:56 A passion for the uncomplicated yet delicious food that I know

1:28:02 will draw me and many others back time and time again.

1:28:07 [sheep bleating]♪♪ [wind] [Stanley] I saw the angel

1:28:18 in the marble and I carved until I set him free.

1:28:22 That's what Michelangelo said, a long time ago.

1:28:26 He was talking about this marble here in Carrara, which is in Tuscany.

1:28:38 I believe that the best way to understand what makes

1:28:41 a country and its people unique is through their food.

1:28:44 This is incredible.

1:28:47 Oh, man!

1:28:49 And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

1:28:53 -Okay.

1:28:54 -Nice.

1:28:54 Do you smell that?

1:28:55 -Mm, mm, mm, mm.

1:28:57 [Stanley] Where even the shape of your pasta

1:28:59 and the sauce you serve it with, speaks directly to identity.

1:29:03 -You like it?

1:29:04 -I love it.

1:29:05 Oh my God, it's so good.

1:29:07 And differentiates the character and history

1:29:10 of each region sharply from the next.

1:29:14 Which is not what you expect.

1:29:15 I'm Stanley Tucci and I'm exploring the complex connections between the land,

1:29:22 the people and the food they eat in order to discover

1:29:25 the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

1:29:34 -Good evening.

1:29:36 [Stanley] Good evening.

1:29:39 Well, that looks good.

1:29:50 And it tastes good too.

1:29:53 Every region of Italy is beautiful, but Tuscany is a masterpiece.

1:30:01 The cradle of the Renaissance.

1:30:04 [church bells] Tuscan art and ideas have shaped the way we see the world.

1:30:10 But while this historic artistry is so clearly present in the region's grandeur,

1:30:15 how is it reflected in Tuscany's food?

1:30:22 I'm starting my journey in the capital, Florence.

1:30:28 A city where I spent a memorable year of my childhood.

1:30:35 This is the David, but it's not the David.

1:30:37 This is where it stood originally.

1:30:39 I just thought I'd tell you that.

1:30:41 Just so you didn't get confused.

1:30:44 He doesn't have a twin.

1:30:46 Florence blossomed in the 1400s under a family

1:30:49 of impossibly wealthy bankers known as the Medici,

1:30:55 whose opulent tastes transformed the city into an epicenter of art and culture.

1:31:01 But despite the city's affluence,

1:31:03 many of Florence's surviving recipes are peasant dishes, like lampredotto.

1:31:09 It's universally beloved by the locals and inexplicably eaten for breakfast.

1:31:16 -Lampredotto is something only Florentines seem to cook with.

1:31:20 Nobody else wants to touch it.

1:31:21 [Stanley laughs] [Stanley] Australian-born food writer Emiko Davies has

1:31:25 spent the last two decades writing about Florentine food.

1:31:28 [Emiko] This is the spot.

1:31:31 The best lampredotto I think, in Florence.

1:31:32 -The best Lampredotto?

1:31:33 -The best lampredotto hands down.

1:31:49 [Stanley] Sergio Pollini's kiosk has been here for 25 years,

1:31:52 serving this Florentine dish, popular since the Dark Ages.

1:31:57 So what's the history of Lampredotto?

1:31:59 -So lampredotto is fourth stomach of the cow.

1:32:03 -The fourth stomach?

1:32:04 -The fourth.

1:32:05 The Florentines, you know,

1:32:06 historically have been pretty ingenious at using let’s say

1:32:10 leftovers and things that would otherwise go to waste.

1:32:17 [Stanley] Gorgeous.

1:32:18 Gorgeous.

1:32:21 [Emiko] This is the bit I love,

1:32:22 they dip the top of the bread into the broth, so it’s super juicy.

1:32:26 -Ooo.

1:32:27 -Look at that.

1:32:29 And only, only Florentine bread does this, because it’s, it’s really crunchy.

1:32:32 [Stanley] Wow.

1:32:38 [Emiko] We need some of these.

1:32:41 [Sergio] Eccolo.

1:32:42 [Emiko] We brought our girls up on these.

1:32:44 This is how they- [Stanley] Oh really?

1:32:45 [Emiko] We weaned them on lampredotto.

1:32:46 -They went from, from milk to lampredotto.

1:32:48 -To Lampredotto.

1:32:49 -That only makes sense.

1:32:50 -Natural progress.

1:32:50 -Of course.

1:32:51 [Stanley] Yeah.

1:32:52 Alright.

1:32:52 Ready?

1:32:53 -Cheers.

1:32:53 -I’m going in.

1:33:00 -What do you think?

1:33:01 -I think it’s delicious.

1:33:03 I think it’s amazing.

1:33:04 [Emiko] It’s so different to what people think tripe is.

1:33:06 -It’s so soft and, and I don’t know, and there’s a sweetness to it too.

1:33:11 -Yeah, yeah.

1:33:12 [Stanley] It’s like you’re eating a pastrami sandwich— -But juicier.

1:33:17 -Juicier.

1:33:18 I love tripe, I love it, but I was a little afraid, I don’t know why.

1:33:23 It’s named after an eel right?

1:33:25 -Oh yeah.

1:33:26 -The lamprey eel?

1:33:26 -So these eels they used to live in the Arno River they’re...

1:33:29 -Right.

1:33:29 -...no longer there.

1:33:30 You won’t find them anymore there.

1:33:31 -I can imagine.

1:33:32 Yeah.

1:33:32 -But eels were reserved for nobility and aristocrats, um so this was like,

1:33:37 a, this is the poor people’s version of that special fancy eel dish.

1:33:41 Everyone can have lampredotto.

1:33:46 [Emiko] So the, the darker part is the lean

1:33:48 meat and then the whiter part is fattier but tastier.

1:33:52 So he chops it all up together, on the board right there,

1:33:56 and he spices it up so you get a bit of everything.

1:33:58 [squeaky bike approaching] -Can somebody get

1:34:02 a little olive oil for that guy’s bike?

1:34:08 [Sergio] Chin Chin.

1:34:17 [Stanley] Though the Florentine nobility took

1:34:18 the best cuts of meat for themselves,

1:34:21 the poor became adept at imitating the food of the rich.

1:34:25 A tradition that's proudly continued to this day.

1:34:31 On the other side of town, in the working-class neighborhood of Santo Spirito,

1:34:36 there's a restaurant that is unashamedly

1:34:38 celebrating this creative type of cuisine.

1:34:41 -Hi.

1:34:42 -Hi.

1:34:42 -Nice to meet you.

1:34:43 -Nice to meet you too.

1:34:45 Chef and owner Matilde Pettini comes

1:34:47 from a family of respected Florentine restaurateurs.

1:34:52 But in 2021, she opened her own place, Dalla Lola.

1:34:59 -So.

1:35:00 -So.

1:35:01 -This is our tiny kitchen.

1:35:04 Chef.

1:35:05 -Hi, Stanley.

1:35:06 -Hi Marteen.

1:35:06 -Nice to meet you.

1:35:10 [Chef Marteen] Today we have quite a bit of Tuscan specialties,

1:35:12 we have the Francesina di lingua.

1:35:14 Which is a very cool dish, it’s basically a stewed beef tongue.

1:35:19 [Matilde] It’s the best.

1:35:20 [Chef Marteen] We use a lot of onions to stew it,

1:35:21 and that’s why it’s called the Francesina.

1:35:22 Because the French they love to use a lot of onions, basically.

1:35:25 [Stanley] Oh yes it’s true.

1:35:26 They do yes.

1:35:26 [Chef Marteen] Now we have a very funny dish, which is the fake tripe.

1:35:29 [Stanley] Oh yes I’ve heard about fake tripe.

1:35:31 -It’s already a poor dish and we decided to make it even poorer.

1:35:34 -Make it poorer.

1:35:34 Yeah, yeah, that’s great.

1:35:35 Pretty soon, they’ll be nothing on the plate.

1:35:37 [Chef Marteen] No, no.

1:35:38 Have a nice lunch.

1:35:39 [Stanley] See you later.

1:35:41 See you later.

1:35:46 Matilde's idea is to revive long forgotten peasant recipes,

1:35:50 that to her, represent true Florentine cuisine.

1:36:23 [Stanley] Yeah.

1:36:28 -This is the tongue?

1:36:29 -Yes.

1:36:30 -Ah, okay.

1:36:32 -May I?

1:36:33 -Sure.

1:36:33 -It’s my favorite dish over here.

1:36:36 -Really?

1:36:36 -My favorite.

1:36:38 It takes like 24 hours.

1:36:39 -It does.

1:36:40 -From cooking and cool it down and cooking again.

1:36:44 -Oh man.

1:36:46 And it’s so delicate.

1:36:48 All the things that we think are so gross, tongue, trippa.

1:36:54 But it’s all so delicate.

1:36:56 -Super delicate.

1:36:57 -When it's made properly.

1:36:59 Matilde's signature dish, fake tripe, is an ancient recipe,

1:37:04 prepared by Florentine housewives when even offal was unavailable.

1:37:13 -Only the Florentines would think of fake tripe.

1:37:15 -Only the Italians.

1:37:16 -Yeah, I know.

1:37:18 Okay, let’s eat this.

1:37:20 This is so exciting, I can’t bear it.

1:37:42 -That’s amazing.

1:37:43 -I’m so proud.

1:37:45 -You are yeah.

1:37:46 Can we, can we.

1:37:57 -Thank you.

1:38:00 Elevating the poorest of foods into these beautiful

1:38:03 creations is a Florentine art form, still practiced today.

1:38:09 But elsewhere in Tuscany, this craft is being taken to even greater heights.

1:38:21 [Stanley] In the Northernmost part of the region lie the Apuan Alps,

1:38:24 the marble mountains that have built cities all over Italy.

1:38:31 500 years ago, Michelangelo would have traveled up here,

1:38:35 looking for the finest stone to carve his masterpieces.

1:38:40 I've retraced his steps to this secluded mining town of Colonnata

1:38:43 to learn about the people who make Tuscany's white gold.

1:39:02 [Stanley] Fabrizio Cattani comes from a line of Colonnata quarrymen.

1:39:07 Their family owns one of the local mines.

1:39:25 [Stanley] Really?

1:39:33 [Stanley] But marble isn’t all they do here.

1:39:36 Fabrizio also helps run a local butchery where

1:39:39 he produces one of Tuscany’s most inspired dishes,

1:39:44 the most decadent of Tuscan cold cuts, Lardo.

1:40:06 -The house of lard.

1:40:08 -The House of Lard.

1:40:11 Lardo di Colonnata has been made here since the earliest days of marble mining.

1:40:22 [Stanley] In fact, the same marble used to create those Renaissance

1:40:25 masterpieces plays a vital part in its unique curing process.

1:40:51 [Stanley] A technique likely born in the mines,

1:40:54 salting the back fat and resting it in marble, helped preserve it for longer.

1:41:14 -I didn’t know that’s how you did it.

1:41:57 [Stanley] Wow.

1:42:07 [Stanley] Every lardo making family has their own

1:42:09 closely guarded spice recipe that usually includes cinnamon,

1:42:13 allspice and nutmeg.

1:42:41 [Stanley] Yeah you couldn't do it no.

1:42:45 Carlo carries on this process until the basin is full

1:42:48 to the brim and leaves it to age for up to 10 months,

1:42:52 while the naturally insulating marble keeps it cool.

1:43:07 [Stanley] These marble mountains inspired creativity for centuries.

1:43:11 But perhaps, the quarrymen’s greatest invention

1:43:14 was learning to craft food from stone.

1:43:25 [Stanley] Beautiful.

1:43:53 [overlapping Italian chatter] [Stanley] Like in many of the local recipes,

1:44:03 the marbled lardo complements whatever modest meat

1:44:05 the quarrymen could get their hands on.

1:44:08 [Stanley] Oh wow who did this?

1:44:41 [Stanley] Beautiful.

1:44:56 [Stanley] I’m getting hungry just looking at it.

1:45:21 [Stanley] But clearly,

1:45:22 the men derived some of that strength from the women who were feeding them.

1:46:08 [Stanley] While Roberta lets the rabbit stew for another hour,

1:46:12 Fabrizio, Carlo, and I take the time to chew the fat.

1:46:19 Were you born here?

1:46:35 [in Italian] Yes?

1:46:41 [Stanley] Oh my God.

1:46:44 [Stanley] Woah!

1:46:45 [in Italian] Thank you.

1:47:09 [Stanley] Gorgeous, gorgeous.

1:47:16 Woah.

1:47:17 How come when I make rabbit, it doesn’t come out like that?

1:47:21 Man, that’s good.

1:47:22 It’s so moist.

1:47:49 [Stanley] It might seem less grand than carving angels from marble,

1:47:54 but food that melts in your mouth like this is just as worthy a creation.

1:48:00 Cheers.

1:48:01 -Cheers!

1:48:03 [in Italian] Thank you.

1:48:06 [Stanley] It's little wonder that the people here

1:48:07 take such pride in these humble artisan traditions.

1:48:11 But a very different kind of artistry

1:48:13 is required to create Tuscany's most prized ingredient.

1:48:26 -I'm in the Maremma, which is a part of Tuscany that is rather flat and dry.

1:48:34 And I'm going to meet some cowboys and eat some cows.

1:48:44 The Southernmost corner of Tuscany, the Maremma, is Italy's wild west.

1:48:59 Tenuta di Alberese is a 900-year-old ranch, once owned by that Medici family.

1:49:09 And home to one of the most ancient Tuscan cattle breeds.

1:49:13 -Yah!

1:49:14 Yee!

1:49:18 Yee!

1:49:24 [Stanley] These are Maremmana cows, reared for their incredible steaks,

1:49:29 which were once reserved exclusively for Tuscan royalty.

1:49:34 Today, they're still looked after by a group

1:49:36 of unconventional cattle ranchers known as Butteri,

1:49:41 who rear this majestic beef according to centuries-old traditions.

1:49:57 [Stanley] Stefano Pavin is the head Buttero.

1:50:00 The leader of these Tuscan cowboys.

1:50:16 [Stanley] Unlike most modern beef farming, The Butteri are out here every day,

1:50:21 moving cattle around this 11,000-acre farm, in search of the best pastures.

1:50:27 A meticulous practice which ensures the high quality of this artisan beef.

1:50:53 [Stanley] Yes, right, yes.

1:51:19 -Wow.

1:51:24 This ancient form of cattle ranching may be a dying art,

1:51:28 but in the past, there was great

1:51:30 respect for this skilled and dangerous profession.

1:51:33 For centuries, these local cowhands were

1:51:36 iconic figures of this frontier landscape,

1:51:38 admired like heroes in a Hollywood Western.

1:51:44 Though their pride in their work hasn't wavered, Stefano, Alessandro,

1:51:47 Luca, and Sara have more responsibilities as Butteri than ever before.

1:51:55 They train horses, mend fences, and even perform basic veterinary operations.

1:52:04 And today, they're showing me the product of their hard work.

1:52:08 Oh, look at that steak.

1:52:30 [Stanley] Yeah.

1:52:33 [Stanley] Shall we?

1:52:34 The modern technique of dry aging means these steaks are more tender than ever.

1:52:39 [Stanley] And still amongst the most prized cuts of the region,

1:52:42 fetching up to $100 apiece.

1:53:11 [Stanley] Oh I love that.

1:53:59 [Stanley] Oh my god.

1:54:03 Oh my.

1:54:21 [Stanley] That’s really good.

1:54:24 Delicious.

1:54:25 Woah.

1:54:35 [Stanley] The butteri’s hard work unquestionably

1:54:37 pays off with this incredible meat.

1:54:40 Wow.

1:54:41 But without young people willing to take on the mantle,

1:54:44 this noble profession is at risk of disappearing.

1:55:49 [Stanley] Thank you so much.

1:55:52 [Stanley] Oh my God, thank you.

1:55:57 Hopefully more young people like Sara will keep fighting to preserve the unique

1:56:01 way of life of the Butteri and continue creating something so perfect.

1:56:09 But perfection doesn't always come from playing by the rules.

1:56:13 Sometimes, you have to break them.

1:56:20 [church bells] [Stanley] There's an Italian concept that to me sums

1:56:33 up why Tuscans are so keen to fight for their traditions.

1:56:38 Campanilismo, from the Italian for bell tower,

1:56:42 is a fierce belief that you belong not to your country,

1:56:46 but to the area within earshot of your bell tower.

1:56:50 But the word also carries with it a darker connotation,

1:56:55 a fear of anything that is foreign, be it people, religion, or even food.

1:57:03 [Stanley] Where did you grow up?

1:57:05 In this neighborhood?

1:57:06 [Giulio] Yes.

1:57:06 I grew up in this neighborhood.

1:57:08 And the 'mercato' it's really the heart of Sant'Ambrogio.

1:57:12 [Stanley] Yeah.

1:57:13 I’ve come back to Florence to meet up with restaurateur Giulio Picchi,

1:57:17 whose provocative vision for Tuscan food is challenging the status quo.

1:57:22 [Giulio] This is a market from local people.

1:57:24 [Stanley] For the locals.

1:57:25 [Giulio] It’s used by Florentines,

1:57:27 and this is make it the best, because it’s still authentic.

1:57:29 [Stanley] Yeah.

1:57:30 Located on a discreet side road in the center,

1:57:33 this 16-seater restaurant has been accused

1:57:35 of breaking some of Florence's 800-year-old culinary rules.

1:57:42 [Stanley] Thank you.

1:57:44 Originally, Cibleo was set up by Giulio's father,

1:57:46 the late Fabio Picchi, one of Florence's most acclaimed chefs.

1:57:50 Beautiful.

1:57:58 [Stanley] Yes, thank you.

1:58:00 Today, it's run by Giulio, alongside his chef Masaru Kawai,

1:58:04 and serves a unique fusion of Tuscan and Asian cuisine.

1:58:08 How long has it been here?

1:58:09 [Giulio] 2017.

1:58:12 [Stanley] And how did people react to it?

1:58:13 -It's not easy you know because we have to manage how the Florentines react,

1:58:17 at the restaurant we don't serve bread here.

1:58:20 You know the Italian people without the bread is look, you don't have bread?

1:58:23 Oh my god...

1:58:24 [Stanley] Yes.

1:58:25 [Giulio] Uh, and also when we opened Cibleo

1:58:28 the city came out with this rules, Unesco.

1:58:31 In the center of Florence.

1:58:33 It can’t be open a restaurant, it’s not a pure, Tuscan, traditional restaurant.

1:58:41 -Wasn’t the rule also they had to use a certain,

1:58:44 like a certain percentage of the ingredients.

1:58:46 -Yeah, exactly.

1:58:47 You had to, to, to find a way to demonstrate

1:58:51 that 80% of what you have it’s come from Tuscany.

1:58:56 So what we do is we, we take some like traditional Japan idea,

1:59:01 like gyoza, and then we stuff it with pork from Tuscany.

1:59:05 -I understand what they’re trying to do,

1:59:07 but it doesn’t, in practice it doesn’t really make sense.

1:59:11 You can open a, a Tuscan restaurant that does traditional

1:59:14 dishes but it could just be a bad restaurant, right?

1:59:16 -Yeah.

1:59:17 Exactly.

1:59:19 -Okay, now I'm starving!

1:59:24 First, a trio of reinvented Tuscan classics, including a new favorite of mine.

1:59:47 -Fantastic.

1:59:47 -Thank you.

1:59:49 [Giulio] Go with the spinach.

1:59:50 [Stanley] Go with this, okay.

1:59:52 There we go.

1:59:56 -This is one of the recipes from the beginning of Cibleo.

1:59:59 -Really?

1:59:59 -Indian.

1:59:59 A lot of Indian.

2:00:01 -Yeah, you can taste it, yeah.

2:00:02 -Yeah, for the fried spinach, with chickpea flour.

2:00:05 [Stanley] And what was the red on top?

2:00:07 -Um, raspberry.

2:00:09 [Stanley] Oh my God.

2:00:11 Now I’m, I’m more hungry.

2:00:15 -Me too.

2:00:18 [Stanley] What should I eat next?

2:00:19 [Giulio] The lampredotto.

2:00:20 You know...

2:00:27 [Giulio] You risk to be killed.

2:00:32 -I think it’s incredible.

2:00:34 You know, now I love lampredotto,

2:00:36 but this then takes it to a whole ‘nother level.

2:00:38 [Giulio] The onions and the miso transform the lampredotto it’s a little sweet,

2:00:43 and the meatball is a little crunchy and that’s uh,

2:00:45 we are not scared to propose this lampredotto

2:00:47 to Florentine people because we know it’s good.

2:00:50 -If they don’t eat it they’re stupid!

2:00:52 -Ah right.

2:00:53 -Ok.

2:00:53 So now.

2:00:58 -Its work like, like a prosciutto.

2:01:00 The age, the salt, the smoke.

2:01:03 And I tell, "Are you crazy?

2:01:05 It doesn’t work." Then we tried together and it’s unbelievable.

2:01:10 [Stanley] Okay.

2:01:11 Let's go.

2:01:18 Woah.

2:01:19 I would never put the cheese with fish.

2:01:23 -At the beginning you feel the smoke part, then it’s okay,

2:01:26 it’s ham, then you have the, the back of fish flavor.

2:01:32 [Stanley] Uh-huh.

2:01:33 That's amazing.

2:01:39 By working with local produce Giulio and Masaru

2:01:42 have managed to circumvent the city's red tape.

2:01:47 What's he doing?

2:01:50 [Giulio] I think he have an extra.

2:01:52 -Oh.

2:01:52 -Something like that.

2:01:53 -Really?

2:01:54 -Yes.

2:02:06 -What Masaru wants to do is use everything about this fish.

2:02:17 [Stanley] Wow this is amazing.

2:02:19 Absolutely, I’m completely blown away.

2:02:24 Wow.

2:02:25 Oh wait.

2:02:25 We have to try this.

2:02:28 -This is the, the end.

2:02:30 -Okay, aspetta.

2:02:33 The last provocation on the menu is a Japanese Ossobuco.

2:02:38 Replacing veal shank with raw swordfish bone marrow.

2:02:54 [Giulio] The point is not which type of cuisine you propose,

2:02:58 the point is the quality of what we do.

2:03:01 [Stanley] Yeah.

2:03:02 It’s absolutely delicious.

2:03:03 Everything.

2:03:04 Thank you.

2:03:05 -Thank you so much.

2:03:07 [Stanley] Cuisine like this, that creatively challenges traditions,

2:03:11 yet still embraces them, is a rarity in Tuscany.

2:03:15 Perhaps not surprising when they are so proudly upheld.

2:03:20 But is this fixation with the past stifling Tuscany's creative spirit?

2:03:26 There's an event that may answer that question, quite dramatically.

2:03:42 [overlapping chatter] [Stanley] Before it was united

2:03:57 in the 1500s by the Medici family,

2:04:00 Tuscany was a collection of warring city-states and kingdoms.

2:04:04 None more powerful than the Republic of Siena.

2:04:12 Located in central Tuscany,

2:04:13 Siena is split into 17 separate districts or Contrade,

2:04:19 all centered around the Piazza del Campo.

2:04:23 I've come here to witness a remarkable

2:04:25 spectacle where Tuscan history comes alive.

2:04:29 Siena.

2:04:30 I’ve been here many times, the first time I came here I was about 12 years old

2:04:37 with my family and I was completely awestruck by this incredible piazza.

2:04:47 [Stanley] Twice a year, for four days and nights,

2:04:50 the whole city gathers here for the Palio di Siena,

2:04:54 a medieval celebration that culminates in a dramatic three lap horse race.

2:05:00 The origins of this event date back to the 13th century when the city

2:05:04 first decreed a day of racing and feasting

2:05:07 to celebrate a brutal victory over Florence.

2:05:13 We've been given rare access to film this spectacular

2:05:16 event and see why the locals are so deeply invested.

2:05:25 So today we’re here for the practice run of tomorrow’s race.

2:05:30 The whole race only lasts 45 seconds.

2:05:33 A huge amount of work for 45 seconds, so I guess it’s something they enjoy.

2:05:42 ceremonial music playing] [Bell tolling] [Stanley] Ancient tensions

2:06:04 and rivalries still exist between the competing Contradas.

2:06:08 Some going back centuries to when the Palio was a much bloodier affair.

2:06:14 They're riding bareback,

2:06:15 which as anyone knows who's ever mounted a steed is not an easy thing.

2:06:22 The colors are incredible!

2:06:27 [canon blast] They're off!

2:06:35 [Stanley] The Palio's archaic rules may seem confusing to outsiders.

2:06:39 Jockeys can barge into and whip each other freely

2:06:43 and the loser is considered the horse that comes in second place.

2:06:48 A rider got thrown at the very beginning,

2:06:51 so the horse without the rider is in the lead so far.

2:06:58 [canon blast] I don’t know what happened.

2:07:02 Now they’re trying to stop the horse but they can’t.

2:07:06 And this is a race where if the rider is thrown,

2:07:10 the horse can still win the race.

2:07:14 [crowd singing in Italian] [Stanley] Whatever the result though,

2:07:20 these practice races are just that, practice for the big event the next day.

2:07:25 But the real reason that I've come to Siena is to witness an event that, to me,

2:07:31 is even more impressive.

2:07:33 On the third night, it is tradition for all the competing Contradas to take

2:07:37 back the streets of Siena and throw

2:07:40 an auspicious feast in celebration of their district.

2:07:44 So I'm heading now to the, to the dinner that is being

2:07:47 done by the Contrada who were kind enough to let us film.

2:07:52 That we just passed through, all that stuff we just passed through is

2:07:55 another contrada and that's a dinner for probably,

2:07:57 I don't know 1,000 some people.

2:08:05 In the upper part of medieval city at Contrada Valdimontone,

2:08:10 the Contrada of the Ram, a small army of cooks has been up since dawn,

2:08:15 to get the preparations going for tonight's feast and spirits are high.

2:09:19 [Stanley] No!

2:09:20 What?

2:09:21 Not only is it impressive to pull off cooking risotto for thousands of people,

2:09:26 many of these volunteers have never worked in professional kitchens.

2:09:48 -I’m a dentist.

2:09:50 Yeah.

2:09:50 [Stanley] Really?

2:09:51 -Yeah, really.

2:09:52 -Good because I have a pain, right here.

2:09:54 I’ll show you later.

2:09:58 -Not tonight.

2:09:59 It’s dangerous for you.

2:10:01 -Yes.

2:10:02 -Very dangerous.

2:10:11 [Stanley] Today each Contrada funds itself via donations and dinners like

2:10:15 this one and reinvests those funds into activities that benefit the community.

2:10:43 [Stanley] Amazing.

2:10:46 Outside thousands of people are getting ready to toast their Contrada.

2:10:50 Although these feasts are a relatively new tradition,

2:10:53 one of the Contrada Chiefs tells me that they've

2:10:55 become as meaningful to the locals as the race itself.

2:11:42 [singing in Italian] [Stanley] Despite the ancient rivalries,

2:11:50 it seems clear to me that the Palio is a unifying event.

2:11:59 It's a living monument to the ability

2:12:01 of Tuscans to walk between past and present,

2:12:04 finding inspiration in ancient traditions

2:12:07 and creating things of extraordinary beauty.