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00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,440
I really have very few memories
of it.
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I've been dreaming of coming back
to Calabria since I was a boy.
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00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,120
I don't remember it
being this green.
4
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It's absolutely beautiful.
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It's a wild and rugged region,
steeped in mystery and myth.
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A place that's as troubled
as it is beautiful.
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But Calabria means
something more to me.
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It's my ancestral homeland,
and I want to get to know the region
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that my family left behind
all those years ago.
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Is this jogging your memory at all?
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It's a long time ago.
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I'm Stanley Tucci.
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I'm Italian on both sides.
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And I'm travelling across Italy
to discover how the food in each
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of this country's 20 regions
is as unique as the people
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and their past.
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Caught between a rock and the sea,
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the Calabrese are
notoriously tough.
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But this is a place where Southern
hospitality is a way of life.
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Oh, my gosh, look at the size of it.
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You should open a restaurant!
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And in this poor region,
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every meal is a celebration.
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Oh, wow! That's like a million
different flavours in there.
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Calabria sits in the toe of the boot
of Italy, connected to Basilicata
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00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,000
in the north and separated
from Sicily in the south,
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only by the narrow strait
of Messina.
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It's a region of rugged landscapes,
dramatic mountain ranges and some
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500 miles of incredible coastline.
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It doesn't have that infrastructure.
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It's still a lot of abandoned
buildings, a lot of poverty,
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a lot of corruption.
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It's really unfortunate
because it is magnificent.
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Like millions of Calabrians,
all four of my grandparents
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emigrated from this region
with nothing
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but the clothes on their backs.
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So I'm headed first to see
the birthplace of my grandfather,
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Stanislaw Tucci, the man
who my father and I are named after.
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The town of Marzi,
population, 900,
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and happily, I'm being joined
by two semi-experienced guides,
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my parents, Joan and Stan Tucci.
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Wow, look at that.
Oh, look at the door.
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That's beautiful.
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This is nice.
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We're walking down Via Morti.
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Yeah, I saw that.
The street of the dead.
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How nice.
I'm not going down there.
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No, don't go there.
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My father has been to Marzi once
before, and because our family
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is obsessed with our ancestry,
he suggested we pay a visit
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to the local town hall
to see what we can dig up
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about my grandfather's life.
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So, what year,
1889?
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My father.
1889.
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OK, 89.
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89.
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There you go.
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Stanislav. Yeah.
Oh, wow.
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Scarpellino,
that was his mother?
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Scarpellino is your vocation.
Yeah.
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Stone carver.
Oh, a stone carver?
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So he was born in 89.
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When did he come to America?
1904.
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So that makes him 15, 16 years old.
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Did he ever come back
to see his parents? Once.
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They never came to America?
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00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,920
So he only basically saw
his mother one more time,
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from the time he was 16, 15, 16.
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It's amazing.
Yeah, it's incredible.
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And a lot of immigrants did.
I know, I know.
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For a culture that is so
family oriented... I know.
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00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,320
..to just move away
is hard to believe.
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00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,160
Oh, there you go, Dad.
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00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:10,800
Look, it's your family home.
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00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,920
Familia Tucci.
Yeah. Let's go in!
76
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,000
Wow.
Could be a relative. Yeah.
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00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,760
As it turns out, being a Tucci
isn't that remarkable over here.
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00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,800
Over half of Marzi's population
shares our last name...
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00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,240
Is this what you remember?
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00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,640
..which turns out to be a big
problem as my dad wants
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00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,520
to find his father's house.
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00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,920
My recollection,
it was perfectly flat.
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00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,760
And there was a place with a...
Let's go.
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00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,120
..huge clock at the top.
85
00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,000
This is the clock
that you just said, right?
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00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,360
You remember a flat area?
Yeah, a flat area.
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00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,400
But do you remember where
the house is?
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00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,840
I think it was down here.
89
00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:52,800
Watch your step.
Yes.
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00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,440
Is this jogging your memory at all?
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00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,680
It's a long time ago,
that I remember.
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I remember the square.
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00:04:58,520 --> 00:04:59,560
28.
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00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:04,720
That's number 30.
95
00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,080
Then that's it.
96
00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,640
So this, we think, could be the
house where your father was born.
97
00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,360
It's only the second time,
and obviously memory fades.
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00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:14,920
Yes, I know, I know.
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00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,520
I've always wanted to come here,
you know, because I never came...
100
00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,240
No. ..when we were young.
But we're glad we saw the town.
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This town? Yeah, so pretty.
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Yeah.
Should we eat?
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Sure.
Sounds like a good idea.
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Is there a restaurant called Tucci?
Maybe.
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00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,000
But I'm not going to let
you try to find it.
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00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,320
Marzi sits in the
valley of the Savuto,
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known as the valley of wheat,
108
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,880
where, fed by the mineral
rich waters of the mountains,
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there's a thousand year old history
of bread making, and there's a place
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nearby still making bread, according
to ancient Calabrian tradition.
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Wow!
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Stanley,
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Stanley, Giovanna.
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00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,480
Pina Olivetti runs Panificio Cuti,
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one of the most famous artisanal
bakeries in the region.
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Oh, my God,
it is very heavy.
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That's a heavy bread.
Yeah!
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Sour dough is a living, breathing
bread that has been made
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since the beginning of human
civilisation, but is somehow
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00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,760
still notoriously tricky
to get right.
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Oh, my gosh, it's so hot.
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Its slow, natural fermentation means
this bread stays fresh much longer
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than ordinary bread.
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No trivial matter in a region
where food wasn't always plentiful.
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Knowing we've come to Marzi
in search of things past,
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Pina's prepared us a little treat
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that would have been on every family
table 100 years ago, a filled bread
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00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,560
bowl called morzello, which is
typically stuffed with meat
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and seasonal vegetables like
local favourite, cime di rapa,
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00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,160
or broccoli rabe.
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The bitterness of that...
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This ingeniously portable dish
meant that farmers, hunters
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and even stonemasons
like my grandfather
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could carry a not so little slice
of home anywhere they went.
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That's beautiful.
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Oh, my gosh, look at the size of it.
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No, you're first!
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Delicious. Delicious.
So good.
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It's all sunk in.
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That's good for you.
That's great. Delicious.
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As we head out of Marzi, I think
of my grandfather Stanislaw leaving
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Calabria and of that special bond
that Italian immigrants have to food
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that reminds them of home.
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Perhaps that's why bread
is never missing on our table.
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While my parents are relaxing
by the pool, or the bar,
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I'm heading out to a place
I've always wanted to visit.
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Built atop a 150-foot cliff,
overlooking the warm waters
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of the Tyrrhenian Sea,
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Tropea is Calabria's
crown jewel.
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Over the centuries, it's been prone
to almost constant invasions
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from neighbouring empires
who all wanted to possess
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this enchanting town.
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But I'm here to wrap my head
around something
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of a botanical mystery.
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Tropea is renowned all across Italy
for its singular red onions.
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They are so sweet they can be served
in everything from pastas
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to preserves, even in ice cream,
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if you're so inclined.
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I'm not.
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To find out what makes these onions
so special,
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I'm meeting up with Tropean
restaurateur, Michael Pugliese.
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Despite their incredible popularity,
the Tropea onion only grows
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in a small stretch of coastline
surrounding the city.
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Just a few miles further out,
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and it loses that sweetness
that makes it unique.
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Wow.
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Yeah, that's gorgeous.
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00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,560
First grown here over 3,000
years ago,
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Tropea onions were an unexpected
gift brought by foreign conquerors
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from the Middle East.
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Though today the Tropea Onion
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is beginning to be produced
commercially,
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there are still a few farmers left
like Francesco and Onofrio,
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who harvest their onions
by hand using only
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traditional irrigation methods.
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Despite having suffered invasions
for over 3,000 years, Calabrians
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are tenaciously hospitable.
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So Michael is not allowing me
to leave Tropea before eating
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something at his restaurant,
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Osteria della Cipolla Rossa,
The Red Onion Inn.
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The restaurant is run by Michael's
wife, Romana, who is so obsessed
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with farm to table dining
that she refuses to own a fridge.
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The Osteria's specialty
is the unapologetically simple
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red onion spaghetti.
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00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,880
But don't underestimate simplicity.
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Oh, my gosh!
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That's delicious.
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There's nothing to this
but onions, broth and pasta.
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But the combination of these
three simple ingredients
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becomes something sublime.
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Oniony, but it's not oniony.
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I don't know how to describe it.
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It's hard not to be enchanted
by the beauty of Tropea
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00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,240
and its unique red onions, but to me
the real magic of this place
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00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,400
is the warmth and hospitality
of its people.
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00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,360
The Calabrians have always had
to rely on the sea for sustenance
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00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,800
and surrounded by water
on three sides,
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00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,200
the catch here is as unique
as it is plentiful.
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00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:33,680
Look at that. Silver snake.
200
00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,200
God, they're incredible.
Yes. They look fake!
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00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:44,240
I've come to a Calabrian fish
auction to get a sense of the catch.
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00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,320
But because I'm a fish out of water,
respected restaurateur,
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00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,280
Gianni Giordano
is showing me around.
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00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:01,680
Is it octopus?
Octopus. Everything?
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00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,840
Everything right here.
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00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,960
Tuna, swordfish,
sharks.
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00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,280
Oh, this is a biggest squid.
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00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,680
Calamari.
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00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,720
He screams all the time.
210
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:20,880
You've got to fight with everybody
because nobody got to take the fish.
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00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,280
No sea creature is more respected
or prized in Calabria
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00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:25,720
than the swordfish.
213
00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,760
Catching one of these sabred
sea monsters is not easy,
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00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:30,400
but it is lucrative.
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00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,200
A single fish can fetch
up to $5,000.
216
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,640
Yesterday, 20? 20, really?
217
00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,680
Today, only one.
Every day it's different.
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00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,760
Every day is different, yeah.
You want to buy it?
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00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,040
I don't have room in my hotel!
220
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,840
Gionni's promised some fresh
swordfish awaits me at his place.
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00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,640
But before getting lunch,
we stop off to have a look
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00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,000
at his hometown, Scilla.
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00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,160
This town dates back to a time
when Calabria was at the heart
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00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,920
of Magna Graecia,
225
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,640
Greece's empire in Italy.
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00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:07,680
Wow!
227
00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,440
That's Sicily?
Yes, it's Sicily.
228
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,800
The other side of this is Scilla.
229
00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,560
Ancient Greek legends
like the Odyssey,
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00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,880
told of the perilous passage
in this narrow strait where sailors
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00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,240
were forced to choose between
a vicious sea monster called Scilla
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00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,360
and a deadly whirlpool.
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00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:30,600
Is this true or...
234
00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,480
No, it's true.
It's true.
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00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,360
If they catch swordfish.
236
00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:52,400
Remarkably, a traditional form
of sword fishing passed down
237
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,680
from the ancient Greeks is
still practised here in the waters
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00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,440
around Scilla to this day.
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00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,240
We're heading to the family's
restaurant, the Prince of Scilla,
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00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,520
and I'm in for the royal treatment.
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00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:43,760
This one.
Nice fish.
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00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,400
This swordfish was caught
so recently you can eat it
243
00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:50,680
straight off the bone.
244
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,720
Caught this fresh
and sliced this fine,
245
00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,400
it's like prosciutto
and smoked salmon
246
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,920
had a lovechild.
247
00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:11,960
Oh, so good.
248
00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,120
Next, Gionni wants to cook me
something more traditional,
249
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:25,560
scialatielli alla gurta, long, thin
strands of pasta in a swordfish
250
00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:27,200
ragu, of sorts.
251
00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,600
He starts things off with a sofrito
of garlic and sweet Tropea onion.
252
00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:44,840
Yeah.
253
00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,480
I'd like to have a shirt
made out of this.
254
00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,600
Thank you for coming.
Thank you for having me.
255
00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:20,480
Is it good?
256
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,520
Yeah.
257
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:29,560
Yep.
258
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,680
You should open a restaurant!
259
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:34,320
That's really good.
260
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:35,880
And see the swordfish boats?
261
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,680
And they're up in the
crow's nest up there.
262
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:40,320
It's really beautiful.
263
00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,200
It's curious to think of Calabrians
still heading out
264
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,120
into these perilous waters to battle
against ancient sea monsters.
265
00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:52,920
But in this land of myth and legend,
the sea is a mirror to the soul.
266
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,640
Look at those mountains.
267
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,760
I'm leaving Calabria's coast behind
and heading deep
268
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,280
into the back country of
the Aspro Monte mountains.
269
00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,720
Rugged and shrouded in folklore,
few tend to venture
270
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,680
through its impenetrable forests.
271
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,640
But I'm heading to meet a chef who's
opened a restaurant in this most
272
00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,520
remote corner of Calabria.
273
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,240
This river that flows in our
property is called the Calabretto
274
00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,760
and comes directly from
our big mountain, the Aspro Monte.
275
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,320
All the southern part
of Calabria
276
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,400
is just surrounded by Aspro Monte.
277
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,440
Nino Rossi has been living
and working out here since 2016,
278
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,440
making food that celebrates
the unique biodiversity
279
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,240
of this mountain.
280
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,320
And this land's been in your family
for many generations?
281
00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,320
I think we are sixth generation.
282
00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,760
Did you grow up here?
283
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:04,080
I grew up in Rome, but I never
stopped being a Calabrian child.
284
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,360
Growing up in a well-to-do family
1,000 thousand miles away from here,
285
00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:12,240
Nino's keen interest in traditional
Calabrian cooking came as a bit
286
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,840
of a surprise to his friends
and family.
287
00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:16,360
You didn't train as a chef?
288
00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:18,320
I am a self-taught chef.
289
00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:23,000
But at the same time, in the past,
I had the opportunity to learn
290
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,200
from an ancient housekeeper
called Maria.
291
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,920
And that's the way I got
all the cuisine from the people.
292
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:34,080
Then I put all the things together
and I started just experimenting.
293
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:38,160
Once I would like to learn
how to make pastry.
294
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:39,680
I start only make pastries.
295
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,600
So if you invite myself to a dinner,
I would just show up
296
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,760
with one of my cakes and
say, "Oh, this is for you."
297
00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:47,760
You became obsessive?
Yeah.
298
00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,080
Obsessive, yes.
299
00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,680
Over the last few years, Nino's
obsession has driven him to turn
300
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,800
this remote area into
his culinary playground.
301
00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,240
So this is where you do
your foraging? Yeah.
302
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,880
I used to walk along the river
303
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,800
and then go also higher
into the mountain.
304
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,680
But here you can find
a lot of special things.
305
00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:11,200
This is the water mint.
306
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:15,280
It's wild and has
a strong, citrus taste.
307
00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:16,880
An orange taste.
308
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,200
Yeah. You know that once,
I poisoned myself.
309
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:22,800
So this is safe?
No, this is safe.
310
00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,360
I'm going to make it through?
311
00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,760
What did you poison yourself with?
312
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,400
What was it? With the crocus?
313
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,560
And I thought it was white garlic.
314
00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:36,120
And it was really... Yes,
that can be very bad for you.
315
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,800
Yeah, but I studied a lot.
That's good.
316
00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,440
And I pretty know everything
about this place.
317
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,360
From the upper part,
318
00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:47,120
we take the silver fir
and I show you.
319
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:51,880
It's just a fir tree.
320
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:53,000
White fir.
321
00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:55,840
Yeah, it's nice.
322
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:57,360
Really aromatic.
323
00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,360
Yes, I love it.
324
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:00,720
So should we go cook?
Yeah.
325
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:02,520
I'm going to cook for you.
All right.
326
00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,240
Nino's restaurant is a love letter
to the Aspro Monte
327
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,840
and the unique and undiscovered
ingredients that can be found only
328
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,400
here on the mountain.
329
00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,280
Today, he's preparing me a dish
330
00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,560
that has helped cement
his Michelin star.
331
00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,560
A dessert called Fire.
332
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,000
This is a meringue.
333
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,200
So it's just egg white and sugar?
334
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,360
And we put this vegetable
carbon powder.
335
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,000
So this is just charcoal?
Yep.
336
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,600
What did people think about it?
337
00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,520
A lot of people think that putting
charcoal in a meringue,
338
00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,120
it was something a little bit crazy.
339
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:45,240
In 2021, over 60 wildfires ravaged
Calabria, leaving a trail of death
340
00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,200
and devastation in Nino's
beloved mountains.
341
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,600
Foraging was completely different
after the fire because you can see
342
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,040
a lot of mountainsides
completely black.
343
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,520
But at the same time, walking
around, you can see all this strong
344
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,680
nature and colours going
through the ground. Right.
345
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:07,240
And just go up and show
its greatness.
346
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:12,120
Then I came back home and say,
OK, I have to tribute the mountain.
347
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:18,400
Nino's obsessive baking has paid off
in this tribute to the mountain.
348
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:19,880
It looks like glass.
349
00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,880
After three hours in the oven,
the notoriously temperamental
350
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,360
meringue is perfectly
light and crisp.
351
00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:30,800
Here we have silver fir balls,
it's a silver fir extract,
352
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,120
water and lemon.
353
00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:36,760
We make a base like this,
and then we bring the apple.
354
00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:38,520
So the apples come from
the mountains?
355
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,320
Yes, comes from Aspro Monte.
356
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,320
I put the white chocolate foam.
357
00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,120
I put back the white fir.
358
00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:51,360
We had to call this dessert
New Life After The Fire.
359
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:55,880
Because what we are building now
is a new life, giving the second
360
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,920
opportunity to the mountain.
361
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,120
And this is like the last
minutes of a fire.
362
00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:03,520
Yes, absolutely.
363
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,480
You have to taste it.
I will, thank you.
364
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,200
Oh, wow!
365
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,520
That's like a million different
flavours in there.
366
00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,120
That's amazing.
367
00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:20,600
Citric and balsamic.
Yeah.
368
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:21,960
And I love it.
369
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:23,480
Oh, that's amazing.
370
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:24,800
I'm just, keeps like...
371
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,160
And with the apple and...
372
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,160
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
373
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:30,720
That's just...
374
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,560
That's great.
375
00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,520
Wow!
376
00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:38,720
Thank you.
377
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,280
It's not fancy tricks
nor strange ingredients
378
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,040
that make Nino's food extraordinary.
379
00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:47,000
It's that he's managed to perfectly
capture the alchemy and enduring
380
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,080
beauty of this place.
381
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,320
I've come to the northernmost
point of Calabria's Aspro Monte,
382
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,720
to the mountain hamlet of Martone.
383
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,200
It's a town that's ailing
from an issue that's rampant
384
00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,080
throughout the region.
385
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,320
Blighted by social
and economic hardship,
386
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,640
there are over 200 mountain towns
in Calabria that are at risk
387
00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:36,040
of being abandoned.
388
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,960
But not everyone
is packing up their bags.
389
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,480
Annalisa Fiorenza is a farmer
and local activist who is using
390
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,640
organic agriculture as a means
to create opportunities
391
00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,040
in her community.
392
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,120
But Annalisa has had to contend
with some deep rooted issues
393
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,760
that come with the territory.
394
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:38,040
These mountains are a stronghold
of the Ndrangheta,
395
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,680
the notorious Calabrian mafia.
396
00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:42,400
Formed in the 1800s,
397
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,000
this brutal criminal syndicate took
root in the most impoverished
398
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,480
and rural parts of the region.
399
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,440
Today, they're one of the most
powerful criminal networks
400
00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,360
in the world,
401
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,200
with an estimated
$60 billion annual turnover.
402
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:43,120
The only way Annalisa has been able
to survive is by joining forces
403
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,400
with a cooperative of local
farmers called GOEL Bio,
404
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,160
which helped her rebuild
after she was attacked.
405
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,480
Today, a few members are meeting up
for their monthly lunch at a local
406
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,840
restaurant, La Colinecta.
407
00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,240
And Annalisa and I are joining.
408
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,920
The restaurant is run by fellow
farmer and chef, Pino Tremblay,
409
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,720
who is preparing us
a feast of Calabrian dishes.
410
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:17,440
Pino decided to join the cooperative
in 2019 as a means to promote
411
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,480
his incredible organic produce
outside of his restaurant.
412
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,640
This is time honoured cooking,
and by time honoured,
413
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:38,600
I mean, like, the Stone Age.
414
00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,840
Cooking in clay perfectly seals in
the flavours of the meat.
415
00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:44,280
But there's a trade off.
416
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,080
It takes over four hours per dish.
Oh!
417
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,320
Pino's down to Earth cooking would
have been a sure-fire success
418
00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:00,720
anywhere in Italy.
419
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,400
But running a thriving business
in this part of Calabria
420
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,240
often comes at a price.
421
00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,720
Whenever somebody like Pino
is threatened or attacked,
422
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,280
the cooperative gather around
the victim to protect them,
423
00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:14,280
even funding rebuilding efforts.
424
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,560
Oh, my...
425
00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:21,840
Oh, yeah, put it down.
426
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,760
It's a bold approach,
but one that's working.
427
00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,160
The cooperative hasn't suffered
an attack in five years,
428
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,360
and that's something
worth celebrating.
429
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,120
Wow!
430
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,240
This battle is by no means won.
431
00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,920
But Pino and Annalisa's stories
are a reminder that food
432
00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,400
can be a powerful tool
for social change.
433
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:00,960
It just falls apart.
434
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,120
It's delicious.
435
00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,760
And there's reason to be hopeful
because, as Pino says,
436
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:09,080
Calabria is made up of good people.
437
00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:12,600
To all of you.
438
00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:27,920
I remember this very distinctly,
439
00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,680
but I don't remember it
being as verdant as this.
440
00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,320
Obviously, it was 48 years ago,
so the trees were smaller.
441
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,000
But you must have come
with neighbourhood charm.
442
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,760
My time in Calabria is coming
to a close, so my parents
443
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,280
are joining me for one last trip.
444
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:47,640
We've come to visit my maternal
grandparents' home, Cittanova.
445
00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:50,480
And I never saw this,
all the times we've been here.
446
00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,560
No, I don't remember this.
447
00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:54,120
But time's up.
448
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,960
My grandfather, Vincenzo,
was a battlefield medic
449
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,920
in World War I who, emigrated
to Westchester, New York,
450
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,520
where he met and married
a girl from his hometown,
451
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,040
my grandmother, Conchita.
452
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,960
That's an awful lot of people
from a small city.
453
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,200
Italia Caduti In Cverra.
454
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,040
Those who fell in the war.
455
00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,160
This is our family, Tropeano.
456
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,000
Tropeano, Tropeano.
457
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,040
So happy we saw this,
never even known it was here.
458
00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,040
But there's another reason
why we've come to Cittanova.
459
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,640
The last time we were here
was on our first family trip
460
00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,720
to Calabria in 1973.
461
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:36,120
We stayed then with my grandfather's
family and made a promise to return.
462
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,480
Today, we're keeping that promise
and finally getting to have
463
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,840
an intimate family reunion,
or as intimate as you can get
464
00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,080
with a family of this size.
465
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:03,960
I know, I know,
it's a lot of people.
466
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,800
Let's go!
467
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,800
In typical Calabrian fashion, my
relatives have been up day and night
468
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:20,200
for half a week, preparing a feast
of some of our favourite dishes
469
00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,000
like this, stockfish,
Cittanova style.
470
00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,640
This is a Tropeano family dish
471
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,400
that is very similar to the Baccala
and tomato sauce
472
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,960
that I grew up with.
473
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,840
My mother would make this
with baccala.
474
00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:55,640
Wow!
475
00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,800
It's so good!
476
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:03,960
But no family feast, at least
in our household, is complete
477
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,600
until you have these, zeppole.
478
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,520
These delicious, deep-fried
beignets-like things,
479
00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,320
often smothered in
confectionary sugar, are a staple
480
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,200
at Italian-American
festivities.
481
00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:37,520
But here in Calabria, zeppole
are made savoury instead of sweet.
482
00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:44,720
What do you think, Stan?
They're good. They're good.
483
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:47,560
It's a meal.
Are they as good as mine?
484
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:50,720
I'm not answering that question.
485
00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:52,240
Delicious!
486
00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:56,600
But another dish, a simple, nameless
preparation of roasted goat,
487
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,560
reminds me of that trip here
almost 50 years ago.
488
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:22,320
I don't know.
489
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,360
It had a great influence on me, just
driving up, getting it, putting it
490
00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,920
into the back of the car,
into the trunk of the car.
491
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:30,040
It was dead, but it was so good.
492
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,480
It was probably prepared like that.
493
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:34,800
Right?
Beautiful.
494
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,640
For our family, there has always
been a strange and magical bond
495
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:42,280
with food that drives
so much of what we do.
496
00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:00,200
I believe that the food we enjoy
together strengthens the bonds
497
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:01,680
we will share forever.
498
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:28,560
I'll take some potatoes.
499
00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,200
I love that.
500
00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:36,520
The region my family left behind
all those years ago
501
00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:39,360
is still as troubled
as it is beautiful.
502
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:40,880
Oh, my God.
503
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:44,320
But the true magic of this land
is how it inspires people here
504
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:49,440
to do things that are equally as
beautiful and how everywhere you go,
505
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:53,400
you will be treated like family.