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

I'm in a region that I've never been to before.

It's rustic.

It's wild, it's mountainous, it's rough.

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

I'm in Abruzzo.

There's my ride.

I believe that the best way to understand what makes a country and its people unique is through their food.

This is incredible.

Oh, man!

And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

Okay.

Nice. Do you smell that?

Mm, mm, mm!

Where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce you serve it with speaks directly to identity.

-You like it? -I love it.

-Oh, my God, it's so good! - And differentiates the character and history of each region sharply from the next.

It's just not what you expect.

I'm Stanley Tucci.

And I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people, and the food they eat in order to discover the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

Abruzzo is right in the center of the peninsula, midway down the calf of the boot, separated from much of Italy by the Apennines, an impenetrable mountain range that forms the backbone of the country.

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

How does this brutal, yet glorious geography impact upon the people and their food?

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

It's Sunday.

-Welcome to Senarica. -Grazie.

And Chef Danilo Cortellini has invited me to a traditional lunch with his family.

Sun is not shy today.

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

Danilo, however, has been cooking internationally for 25 years, 12 of those as head chef at the Italian embassy in London.

Despite his global pedigree, his Mother Lucia doesn't trust him with today's lunch, a traditional feast day dish called timballo.

♪♪ Stanley. Stanley.

-Mom is making crespelle. -Yeah.

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

So, let's call it crespelle. Let's call it crespelle.

Because there's a French influence here.

-Right, isn't there? -There is.

If you think about the French invasion, they arrived here with Napoleon, the French.

-With Napoleon, right. -Yeah, that was Regno d'Italia.

It was the-- the kingdom run by the-- by Napoleon in Italy.

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

- Sure, yeah. -And then-- - What is it made with? -It's like a crepe but instead of butter, there's-- there's olive oil.

-Uh-huh. -And instead of milk, there's-- -there's water, so it's lighter. -Okay.

That's why they come out so thin.

Yeah, they're very delicate, yeah, right.

But I like to say better than crepes.

Of course.

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

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

was because my family makes this-- what we call timpano.

It's round, it has a dough on the outside, almost like a pizza dough kind of like, ish, thing.

Inside is, um, pasta, and meatballs, and salami, and then baked.

-Baked. -And then, like with this...

-Flipped over. -Flipped.

That sounds like a lot of work.

It was days of work.

It's egg wash with milk.

By putting a little bit of egg wash in the middle of each layer, it serves the same purpose as a bit of a soufflé effect.

-Oh, I see. -So, every-- every layer will rise a little bit -because of it. -Ah.

Yes, it is sort of French, isn't it?

You can see the influence.

We just don't want to tell the French.

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

Many places of Italy, we share the concept of mini meatballs.

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

-But actually, no. -Yeah.

It stems from, uh, something that we do.

Well, in America, everything did get bigger, and saucier, and meatier, and-- because there was more.

You had so much meat, you had a lot of bread, you had a lot of wheat, so everything became bigger, and that's why Italian-American cuisine is so distinctly different from Italian cuisine.

How many layers are in here?

Top of the tray, or we finish the ingredients.

-Yeah. -Depends.

- -Then-- then you stop.

This is a case when we stop because we reach the top.

Yes, I see that.

We can make another one, but maybe later-- -later tonight. -Well, it's a bit-- the show's not that long, I'm afraid.

The crew is incredibly grateful, as this timballo is destined to become their lunch.

But first, it must cook, then rest, a process that takes just shy of two hours, whereas Lucia made this timballo earlier today.

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

A little bit. Yeah, I must say.

We're about to flip this.

The moment of truth. Ready, steady?

Yes.

- Ole. - It's okay.

-Don't just say it's okay. -Ahh, yeah!

-No? -Ohh!

It's more than okay.

-Yeah. - Oh, I'm so pleased.

-That's great. - Here we go. The timballo is ready.

- The heavy timballo. - It's a heavy timballo.

But I didn't drop it.

Danilo's wife, Gaia, daughter Mia, and father Pietro join us at the table.

Papa.

2-She doesn't like timballo? - No.

-No? Alright. - Not much, yet.

-Yet. - Shall I slice?

Oh, yeah.

-Okay, here we go. - - I'm sorry. - Here we go!

Eh...

-That's for you. -Oh! Grazie.

-That's a big one. -That's huge, yes, thank you.

That's the half portion here.

Wow.

Whoa. This is incredible.

The butter and tomato together is so sweet.

-This is delicious. - Mm.

Delicious.

Si. Si.

Si.

That Senarica could only be reached by foot until the mid-1960s is not unusual in this region.

She's eating it! She's eating it! Wow!

New influences don't easily reach cut-off places, but perhaps that increases their impact when they do.

That is amazing.

I'm-- I'm serious.

But what might be the purest form of Abruzzesi cuisine?

For that, I'm heading somewhere even more sparsely populated.

Senarica sits at the edge of the region's largest National Park, Gran Sasso.

The expansive landscape is dominated by Corno Grande, the highest peak in the Apennines.

It doesn't look like Italy.

It's a very, very unusual, uh, landscape, beautiful landscape.

It's vast and peaceful.

Save for the hordes of motorcycle enthusiasts, drawn here by the views and an iconic barbecue joint called Ristoro Mucciante.

- - Stanley.

Si.

I'm here to meet food and motor journalist Cristina Bachetti.

She says this is the place to experience Abruzzo's ultimate culinary rite of passage.

-Hi, Cristina. -Stanley.

Panorama, si, si.

This is and always has been sheep country.

For centuries, these elevated plains were home to a custom known as the transumanza, where shepherds based down in Puglia would drive their flocks over 150 miles north to graze here.

The less fortunate animals became arrosticini.

Si.

Arrosticini are simply skewers of cubed mutton.

The shepherds' tradition of grilling the meat in the open air continues to this day.

- Si. - Oh, wow.

No. Si?

I know, I know.

In the 17th century, over 4 million sheep summered on this lush mountain plateau.

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

-Si. Si.

Oh, yeah.

♪♪ - Cheers. -Cheers.

-Cheers. - Cheers.

This is so good. Everything.

Super.

Si?

-Delicious - Delicious.

Delicious.

♪♪ I know!

No!

-No! -Si.

Cin cin.

Such rustic food, forged from Abruzzo's shepherding roots, seems appropriate fuel in this vast, unchanged landscape.

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

Located at the bottom of dramatic slopes in a lush valley, Villa San Sebastiano is found at the westernmost edge of Abruzzo, and is known for a tragic natural disaster.

On September 5th, 1955, a landslide wiped away the village.

Four were killed, dozens more were injured.

The villagers had two options.

They had to decide whether to leave or to rebuild.

They chose the latter.

Starting with the church.

Then, the next most important thing.

The communal bread oven that had fed them for centuries.

Chef Lucia Tellone looks after it today.

This place helped to rebuild the community after the landslide, but gradually, convenience culture meant that those traditional methods fell out of favor.

Eventually, the bread oven closed, taking the social heart of the village with it, until Lucia came along.

Okay.

Lucia resolved to teach the village to bake again, and it turns out that the children are her best students.

Si.

-Si. -Si?

They don't just bake bread.

This local ancient grain also gets made into pan pizzas.

- - Lucia lights the bread oven once a week, on a Saturday, and the community gathers to cook and share lunch.

Okay.

Whoa.

Yes!

-Mm! - Okay.

- Yes! - Mm-hmm, si.

The bread oven feels as relevant now as ever, providing warmth, nourishment, and community to the locals.

But the food that has really put Abruzzo on the world map isn't a staple, it's an indulgence.

Though isolated, sugar and spices were brought to Abruzzo by the trade routes that connected Italy to Asia.

Years ago, the town of Sulmona was an important stop on the spice trail, being strategically located between the port of Pescara and Rome.

The people of this remote provincial town met this influx of luxurious produce with real flair...

creating what are probably Europe's first ever candies...

sugar-coated almonds.

Known as confetti.

Established in 1783, Confetti Pelino is an institution.

Today, seventh generation candy magnate Mario Pelino is giving me a tour of the factory.

-This hasn't changed. -Hasn't changed?

It hasn't changed.

-Nothing changes. Nothing. -Si. Nothing-- - -Nothing changes.

Almonds once grew profusely in the hills surrounding the town.

The original confetti were made of these almonds.

They were toasted and then covered in a sugar shell.

They're being made in the factory today in a process little altered since the 18th century.

-We are inside the hall. -Mm-hmm?

That is the beginning of the process.

-Okay. -Where they do the peeling -of the almonds... -Uh-huh?

...the roasting of the almonds, and the selection of the almonds.

So, they go through them by hand?

They do everything by hand, yes.

It's not really industrialized.

- Can we taste? - Yes, yes.

-It's-- it's hot. -Tell me.

-It's hot. -It's hot.

Oh, I see, it's steaming.

-Mm. Oh, yeah. -Questi sono buoni.

-Very nice. -Very good, they are very good.

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

This is the beginning of the history of the Alfonso Pelino factory.

Sugar panning is the technical term for what happens in these beautiful old machines.

That is a thick solution of sugar.

75% of sucrose and 25% of water.

She puts about five spoons -of, uh, solution. -Right.

And those inside are the almonds.

The sugar solution is repeatedly ladled onto the tumbling almonds over the course of a couple of days, slowly building up the shell one thin layer at a time.

It's at this point a vast array of different flavors can be added, including the exotic spices that were passing through here once upon a time.

That is lemon, I think, the lemon.

Lemon?

What I'm gonna show you now is the copper pan that is producing the cinnamon candy.

It is a very old product, because as you know, the cinnamon -was an important spice. -Yeah.

-Imported from the Middle East. -Right, yeah.

Okay?

-You taste the cinnamon? -Oh, it's delicate.

I like that.

These little candies are an inescapable part of being Italian.

In the workshop, they're crafted into bouquets and trinkets, which appear at almost every celebration across the country.

So, I will introduce you now to Marina.

-Mm-hmm. -Because she's the person -in charge. -Oh, Stanley!

Hi, hi, Marina, how are you?

How many do you make a day?

They're so beautiful. And then, do people-- people give them as gifts?

- They give it as a gift. - Yeah.

-They take it as a souvenir. -Yeah.

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

-Nobody else makes them. -Nobody else make it.

They're used for weddings, 'cause I know...

-these are always used... -They are used for weddings.

-...for Italian weddings. -Yes, they are used for.

-In America too, when you're... -In America.

In America, always you-- when you go to an Italian wedding...

-Yes. -...you always get the little.

Bomboniera, a favor, a favor.

Yeah, a favor, yeah.

Confetti over there means totally something different.

-Confetti's... -This is what they throw.

-It's what you throw. -But you know why?

-Why? -Because they came here, they saw the confetti in different colors, thrown out of the church in the-- in the ceremonies.

-Oh, really? -At the weddings, they used -to throw the confetti. -You mean, the-- the candies?

-Yes, outside. -Oh, that's why -it's called confetti? -Yeah.

That's why it's called confetti.

I always wondered why it was an Italian word.

That's the reason. The reason.

-You see how fast she is? - -Si? -You're like a magician.

Being a father to young children, returning home empty-handed from a visit to a candy factory is not an option.

Thankfully, the store stocks upward of 50 different flavors, from cappuccino to champagne, in a bemusing array of shapes, sizes, and colors.

Delicate little treats like confetti are the last product you'd expect to come out of this wild region.

Generally, Abruzzo has a reputation for being tough to live in, due to its very rugged landscape.

Its craggy Adriatic coast being no exception.

♪♪ Head east of Sulmona, go as far as you can, and you hit a 24-mile stretch of treacherous shoreline punctuated by jagged rocks.

This is known as the Trabocchi Coast because of these distinctive wooden fishing platforms, that use a complex system of winches to hoist fishing nets up and down.

Chef Gianluca Di Bucchianico runs a restaurant on one of these trabocchi and he has agreed to show me the ropes, quite literally.

The product of desperation, these amazing platforms were built by peasants facing famine, a last-ditch attempt to pull what protein they could from the sea.

A history that's reflected in Gianluca's menu.

Si.

Okay.

The torcinello, or mutton offal, is served with prawns, a little liquid from their roe, and a reduction of the region's eminent red wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Wow.

-Bonne Appetit. -Come here.

Who's got that-- give me that-- get over here.

You got it? I want to eat this right here.

Oh, man. Oh, man!

Who would put lamb intestines-- I know it sounds gross...

coupled with shrimp and two different-- like an emulsification of-- oh, , sorry.

The second antipasto is a pancotto, or bread soup, inspired by Gianluca's ancestors.

-Bonne Appetit, Stanley. - Bravo.

- -That's amazing.

That's amazing.

-The old bread, stale bread. -Okay.

Si.

Si.

With his restaurant not yet open for service, Gianluca is going to join me at the table for some pasta.

A simple spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and sweet chili pepper, elevated by the addition of lobster extract.

It's pretty here, isn't it?

No.

Bonne Appetit.

Oh, wow.

Trabocchi are incredible inventions, part madness, part genius, not unlike serving shrimp with mutton.

This ingenuity defines the Abruzzesi spirit, and there's further proof of it out in the wildest pocket of this region.

Like many other villages across Abruzzo, the hamlet of Castrovalva has been hit hard by population decline.

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

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

Yeah.

Beautiful.

Si. Si.

Davide is going to make the defining dish of his childhood.

A recipe that evokes Abruzzo perhaps like no other, pecora al cotturo, or mutton stew.

Okay.

Despite its natural beauty, the population has long been in freefall.

The economy was left in tatters by the Second World War.

That, combined with the challenging topography and a series of devastating earthquakes prompted many to leave.

Davide emigrated from here like many before him, but he's back permanently.

Oh, look at that. Mm.

Okay.

Ah. Si, si, si, si.

Thank you.

Wow.

-Yeah. Really, yeah. - After simmering for about an hour and a half, the mutton stew is ready.

Beautiful.

Ah, yeah. Si.

Mm.

Delicious!

It's amazing.

No, no. It's okay.

-Si. Cheers. -Cheers.

All throughout Italy I've met so many people who emigrate only to return.

Like Davide, they're drawn back by Italy's unparalleled food culture, and compelled to write its next chapter.

I can understand the appeal that Abruzzo has.

Isolated from external influences by its uncompromising geography, and a cuisine that is robust and pure.

♪♪ I'm in Rome.

I was here last year making a major motion picture, and at the end of my two months' stay, I happened upon a little eatery, in which I ate one of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had in my life.

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

I believe that the best way to understand what makes a country and its people unique is through their food.

This is incredible.

Oh, man.

And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

-Okay. -Nice. You smell that?

Mm, mm, mm!

Where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce you serve it with speaks directly to identity.

-You like it? -I love it.

Oh, my God, it's so good!

And differentiates the character and history of each region sharply from the next.

It's just not what you expect.

I'm Stanley Tucci...

and I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people, and the food they eat in order to discover the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

♪♪ ♪♪ Mmm.

These are the brothers Trecastelli.

Nicoló and Manuel.

They're responsible for this creation that has redefined my idea of what a sandwich is.

Mm-hm.

Uh-huh.

The Trecastelli brothers' sandwich reinforces the reputation of Lazio as Rome's larder.

The region is halfway up the shin of Italy.

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

The rolling countryside cradling the capital boasts quaint villages, wide green fields and abundant produce which fuels the city.

Rome, of course, is rather different.

This was once the capital of a huge empire.

Now it's a layer cake of ancient history...

...and modern chaos.

But throughout time, the city has been fed by the incredible seasonal produce of the region, creating distinctly Roman dishes, such as carbonara and cacio e pepe.

And in this city, "Un buon rapporto qualita prezzo" or, "Value for money," is essential, which is why my first stop is a humble eatery.

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

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

It's a local, a local restaurant.

Lavinia Martini is Roman born and bred.

After studying Latin and Greek, she devoted herself to writing about classic Roman food.

You have one trattoria in every good neighborhood.

In every good neighborhood, yeah.

-More than one. -At least one, yeah.

-At least one. -Yeah. Yeah.

Maybe you can choose the, the neighborhood to live, the neighborhood to live...

-By the trattoria. -Yeah, if they have a good one.

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

-Yes. -Yeah.

This is a really nice place and I love it.

- Frizzante? - Yes.

- -So nice.

-This is the menu of the day. -Uh-oh.

I thought you were gonna sit down.

Thank you. Oh, my God, look at that menu.

That's a big...

That's a big menu for a very small restaurant.

- Yes, it is, it is. -Yes.

And it changes every day.

-What? - Huge, yes.

The menu, like all good trattorias, changes with the seasons to feature the best of what's available and fresh.

We've ordered two springtime vegetable dishes, artichoke alla Romana and zucchine alla concia.

I can have, like, a kilo of this.

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

A little bit of vinegar.

-A little bit of vinegar. - Parsley.

Maybe a little garlic, and then, and you fry it.

A little bit, and a little bit of spicy.

Yeah.

Yes, a little bit of menta.

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

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

By the people who know how to make it.

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

Like this. It's so good.

Yes. Artichoke, it's like our religion.

-And pasta. -Yes, of course.

Speaking of...

Grazie. Oh, boy.

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

Spaghetti with cheese and pepper.

This is one of my favorite dishes ever.

- La pajata? - Yeah.

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

That still has the mother's milk.

Yeah. And it's uh...

-Inside of it. - Inside of it.

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

But it's delicious, but it came out of...

A culture of, uh, no waste.

-No waste. No waste. -No waste.

Mm.

This is really good, because you get the sweetness of the tomato and then the slight sourness of the, the milk in the intestine.

It's really good.

So, they serve traditional Roman dishes.

Yes. And the reason why I love this place is that it's so familiar, it is comfortable.

You feel at home but you are not at home, and it's crucial for the neighborhood to have a place like this, to meet your friends.

Like, in England you'd have your local pub that you'd go to.

It's a place that everybody congregates.

Those places are absolutely crucial to making, like, keeping a society healthy, and in Italy it takes the form of a trattoria.

Yes.

This is unpretentious, down-to-earth food which showcases the high quality and variety of Lazian produce.

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

Roman pizza.

No one really knows why, but the Roman version is thin and crispy unlike its fluffier Neapolitan cousin.

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

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

Grazie.

Si.

Ramadan and Sami are just two of 20,000 Egyptian pizza makers in Italy.

Si.

Si.

Mm-hm.

Aah!

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Stop it.

Look at that.

Thank God for the Egyptians.

The smell too.

Oh, Sami!

Mm. Mm!

It's so simple, and so crispy.

Ingredients allowed to speak for themselves.

This is essential to Roman cooking.

But so many people who come to Rome have never really ventured beyond the city, myself included, until now.

♪♪ My first stop into Lazio is a town that once vied with Rome in terms of power and influence.

Roughly 20 miles southeast of Rome lies Ariccia, one of 16 towns and villages called the Castelli Romani.

Ancient Romans came here to sacrifice pigs to the gods.

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

Today, tourists pass through sampling what Ariccia's expert butchers learned to do with all that pork.

Local winemaker and restaurateur Remigio Sognatesori is taking me to one of the best porchetterias in town.

Si.

Shh!

What Eleonora reveals is that it's a mix of garlic, rosemary and other herbs that fill it with flavor.

Mmmm!

Oh, my God, look at that.

Mm.

That is so beautiful.

I don't even know what to say, it's so good.

- The skin. -The skin.

For you.

Oh, man.

Oh, man!

Oh, my God, it's so good!

That crunch.

You might think that a light red wine is best with pork, but the people of the Castelli Romani instead pair theirs with a glass of the local fizzy white, which is said to remove the fat from your palate.

Cheers.

Incredible.

Oh, that bread is beautiful. You're right.

Mm.

Mm.

-A cuddle? Mm, I like that. -Yes.

-But for your soul. -For your soul?

-Oh, yes. -Yeah.

-And for your stomach. - Ariccia's porchetta shows what can be achieved when you decide to do one thing and do it really well.

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

Remigio's hometown has been famous since antiquity for its wine.

Made from the grapes grown in the south-facing vineyards that surround it.

Almost as celebrated are the shops called fraschette, where thirsty day-trippers can sample it.

Remigio is taking me to one that's very close to his heart.

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

Ahh. Sì.

No.

...Stanley.

Okay.

♪♪ The fagotto Remigio is assembling is a combination of the tastiest products from the surrounding towns.

An homage to the days when visitors would bring their own food from home to accompany the wine.

That's nice.

Mm. It's very good.

Okay, so...

Uffa.

But in the past the food came from their house.

Ah, ah!

Imagine that you came here, with your food and our wine.

It's... It's brilliant.

I love those, yeah.

Mm.

Oh, my God. Wait. What?

The handcrafted morsels keep coming.

Buffalo mozzarella, and what may look like French fries but are actually roast potatoes with breadcrumbs prepared with Remigio's own recipe.

Oh, my gosh.

Ah!

Buforino?

Oh, my gosh. This is amazing.

Are you a chef?

Also, your porchetta is really good.

-Yes. -I'm an expert now.

To share. Sharing.

-Yes. But... -Yes.

These signature products are a testament to a tradition of true artisanship in these villages.

They're local specialties that have become famous throughout Lazio and beyond.

-Thank you. -You're welcome.

But outside the reach of the big city, the flavors aren't quite as familiar.

Okay.

Daniele Papi has been a fisherman all his life, here in Marta.

Near the borders with Umbria and Tuscany.

Where Lakes Bracciano, Vico, and my destination, Bolsena.

are nestled in the hills.

They were created tens of thousands of years ago when a string of collapsed volcanoes filled up with rain and spring water.

They've long been famous for the quality of their fish which once graced tables across Italy.

Today, this freshwater catch can be found in discerning kitchens around Europe.

Okay.

Sbroscia traditionally uses only the fish left behind after the most prized have been sold.

Buongiorno.

Today, as every day, it's being made for the fishermen by Giuliano Rocchi, the president of their cooperative.

Giuliano has already started the base of the stew, which is oil, lard, onion, garlic, and chili.

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

Sì.

Ah.

The name "sbroscia" means slops, or dishwater but, ironically, the original recipe calls for the purest water, from Lake Bolsena itself.

Wow.

Oh, wow. That's incredibly aromatic.

The aroma is somewhere between mint and marjoram.

Si.

Oh, yeah.

Wow.

The final ingredient isn't something that goes in the sbroscia, but where it's eaten.

This unique stew can only be found in this little corner of Lazio.

Mm. Mm.

Delicious. Delicious.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Sì, sì, sì.

That's so good.

These men delight in underrated ingredients.

Their tastes are proudly rustic, something they share with some unexpected neighbors.

If you're searching for the good life, the views alone make the village of Trevinano an appealing place to start.

Or for some, restart.

It floats in a sea of green, in the most northwesterly corner of Lazio, surrounded by some of Italy's most beautiful countryside.

Not that you can see it today.

It's too cold and windy.

Some might even say miserable.

I would.

They make marvelous wines here, but I'll have to visit the vineyards another time.

The good news is that somewhere in these cobbled streets is a restaurant called La Parolina.

Iside de Cesare and Romano Gordini got tired of running restaurants in Rome and relocated here on the frontier.

Today they harvest the flavors of the countryside to make classic Lazian dishes, with an elegant twist, like hazelnut steak tartare.

This approach won them a Michelin star.

So beautiful.

Delicious.

Another of Iside's signature dishes is an elegant pasta.

One that is transformed by the addition of a refined take on the fisherman's rustic sbroscia.

Si. Let me smell it.

Yeah!

Sì.

Hmm.

You want me to do it? Okay.

- Yes. -Okay.

-You are a perfectionist. -Yeah, well, you know...

So, please.

- Yes. - Tagliolini.

-Yeah. Oh. No. -Oh, yes, please.

It's a big honor for me.

It's an honor for me. Are you kidding?

-You want to taste? -Look at how beautiful that is.

Yes!

Oh, my God.

So now me move and we go to prepare the-- Oh, we go over there. Okay.

- So we are ready. - So...

Sbroscia.

Beautiful.

Mm.

Now you move.

That...

Sorry.

That...

I love that.

Iside and Romano aren't the only Romans in town.

Their neighbors, Giuliano and Simona, left IT jobs in the city to come here and make wine, despite having no previous experience.

Who's having what wine?

They're joining us for lunch with their daughter Maia.

I mean, delicious.

So tell me about why you're here.

So, we had a very stressful life in Rome.

Everything was very comfortable, but we wanted some discomfort.

- Oh. - Yeah.

We were looking for something...

more authentic, more genuine.

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

And then to be a farmer.

It's, it's a lot of physical work, but of course it's very rewarding.

- Yeah. -We're pioneering the area.

But we're trying to revive something that was lost.

So tell me, when you opened the restaurant, how many years ago?

-Nineteen years ago. - But why here?

For the beauty.

We had the, the dream to bring people from the city, to share the beauty with them, that's why.

Because this landscape, I would think I was in Tuscany.

Yeah, this is Radicofani. You see the tower?

- So that is Tuscany? -Yeah.

Oh, no wonder why I feel like I'm looking at Tuscany.

- Yeah. - So, Maia, for you growing up here, how do you feel about this place?

It's a beautiful place to live but, like, there isn't a Chinese place here which I'm very sad about.

And, uh, when we take like a day and we go to Rome, I'm very happy because there is, like, big stores and, uh, the choice of, of food is so...

- Yeah, yeah. -The variety of food is...

-Incredible, yeah. - Yeah.

But every time I come back here, I realize that usually people never have the chance to come here and see all of this.

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

-I need to have some experience. -Yeah.

But, uh, I will come back. I will come back.

- Yeah. -We come here, the dreamers.

We had the dream to bring people to share the beauty.

Because here we can have the inspiration.

Sì.

To the beauty and to the dreams.

-Thank you. -Salute.

These enterprising Lazians are culinary pioneers.

But no matter where you are in this region, there's one food that brings everyone, city or countryside dweller, together.

Lamb is a delicacy that Lazians have always cherished.

Especially in springtime.

I've headed back towards Rome and the rich pastures of Castel Giuliano.

Giancarlo Gentili had a successful career in economics in the city but escaped back to his flock.

Wow.

Ah.

♪♪ Sì.

Okay.

Today is Sunday, so Giancarlo and his brother Giuseppe are cooking a classic Lazian springtime dish.

Okay.

This is abbacchio scottadito.

Abbacchio is freshly slaughtered suckling lamb.

- -The ribs, yes.

" The word "scottadito" means scorched fingers.

Grilling the meat in this way one can see how that name came about.

Oh, look at that now.

-Oi. . - Well, y-yes, that is its name.

Three generations of the Gentili family live on the farm.

I'll sit here.

Most of their produce is destined for Roman tables...

but today it's destined for us.

Mm.

Yeah, it is.

Oh, wow.

Delicious. Oh, thank you.

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

Ah, sì.

Rural Lazio was unknown territory to me.

Its reputation as Rome's larder is well deserved.

But more than that, the capital and the countryside share a joint culinary soul.

A passion for the uncomplicated yet delicious food that I know will draw me and many others back time and time again.

♪♪ I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.

That's what Michelangelo said, a long time ago.

He was talking about this marble here in Carrara, which is in Tuscany.

I believe that the best way to understand what makes a country and its people unique is through their food.

This is incredible.

Oh, man!

And this is true nowhere more than Italy.

-Okay.

-Nice. Do you smell that? -Mm, mm, mm, mm.

Where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce you serve it with, speaks directly to identity.

-You like it? -I love it.

Oh my God, it's so good.

And differentiates the character and history of each region sharply from the next.

Which is not what you expect.

I'm Stanley Tucci and I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people and the food they eat in order to discover the essence of each region in the country I love, Italy.

-Good evening.

Good evening.

Well, that looks good.

And it tastes good too.

Every region of Italy is beautiful, but Tuscany is a masterpiece.

The cradle of the Renaissance.

Tuscan art and ideas have shaped the way we see the world.

But while this historic artistry is so clearly present in the region's grandeur, how is it reflected in Tuscany's food?

I'm starting my journey in the capital, Florence.

A city where I spent a memorable year of my childhood.

This is the David, but it's not the David.

This is where it stood originally.

I just thought I'd tell you that.

Just so you didn't get confused.

He doesn't have a twin.

Florence blossomed in the 1400s under a family of impossibly wealthy bankers known as the Medici, whose opulent tastes transformed the city into an epicenter of art and culture.

But despite the city's affluence, many of Florence's surviving recipes are peasant dishes, like lampredotto.

It's universally beloved by the locals and inexplicably eaten for breakfast.

-Lampredotto is something only Florentines seem to cook with.

Nobody else wants to touch it.

Australian-born food writer Emiko Davies has spent the last two decades writing about Florentine food.

This is the spot.

The best lampredotto I think, in Florence.

-The best Lampredotto?

-The best lampredotto hands down.

Sergio Pollini's kiosk has been here for 25 years, serving this Florentine dish, popular since the Dark Ages.

So what's the history of Lampredotto?

-So lampredotto is fourth stomach of the cow.

-The fourth stomach? -The fourth.

The Florentines, you know, historically have been pretty ingenious at using let’s say leftovers and things that would otherwise go to waste.

Gorgeous. Gorgeous.

This is the bit I love, they dip the top of the bread into the broth, so it’s super juicy.

-Ooo. -Look at that.

And only, only Florentine bread does this, because it’s, it’s really crunchy.

Wow.

We need some of these.

Eccolo.

We brought our girls up on these.

This is how they- Oh really?

We weaned them on lampredotto.

-They went from, from milk to lampredotto.

-To Lampredotto. -That only makes sense.

-Natural progress. -Of course.

Yeah. Alright. Ready?

-Cheers. -I’m going in.

-What do you think? -I think it’s delicious.

I think it’s amazing.

It’s so different to what people think tripe is.

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

-Yeah, yeah.

It’s like you’re eating a pastrami sandwich-- -But juicier. -Juicier.

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

It’s named after an eel right?

-Oh yeah. -The lamprey eel?

-So these eels they used to live in the Arno River they’re...

-Right. -...no longer there.

You won’t find them anymore there.

-I can imagine. Yeah.

-But eels were reserved for nobility and aristocrats, um so this was like, a, this is the poor people’s version of that special fancy eel dish.

Everyone can have lampredotto.

So the, the darker part is the lean meat and then the whiter part is fattier but tastier.

So he chops it all up together, on the board right there, and he spices it up so you get a bit of everything.

-Can somebody get a little olive oil for that guy’s bike?

Chin Chin.

Though the Florentine nobility took the best cuts of meat for themselves, the poor became adept at imitating the food of the rich.

A tradition that's proudly continued to this day.

On the other side of town, in the working-class neighborhood of Santo Spirito, there's a restaurant that is unashamedly celebrating this creative type of cuisine.

-Hi. -Hi.

-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you too.

Chef and owner Matilde Pettini comes from a family of respected Florentine restaurateurs.

But in 2021, she opened her own place, Dalla Lola.

-So. -So.

-This is our tiny kitchen.

Chef.

-Hi, Stanley. -Hi Marteen.

-Nice to meet you.

Today we have quite a bit of Tuscan specialties, we have the Francesina di lingua.

Which is a very cool dish, it’s basically a stewed beef tongue.

It’s the best.

We use a lot of onions to stew it, and that’s why it’s called the Francesina.

Because the French they love to use a lot of onions, basically.

Oh yes it’s true. They do yes.

Now we have a very funny dish, which is the fake tripe.

Oh yes I’ve heard about fake tripe.

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

-Make it poorer. Yeah, yeah, that’s great.

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

No, no. Have a nice lunch.

See you later. See you later.

Matilde's idea is to revive long forgotten peasant recipes, that to her, represent true Florentine cuisine.

Yeah.

-This is the tongue?

-Yes. -Ah, okay.

-May I? -Sure.

-It’s my favorite dish over here.

-Really? -My favorite.

It takes like 24 hours.

-It does.

-From cooking and cool it down and cooking again.

-Oh man. And it’s so delicate.

All the things that we think are so gross, tongue, trippa.

But it’s all so delicate.

-Super delicate. -When it's made properly.

Matilde's signature dish, fake tripe, is an ancient recipe, prepared by Florentine housewives when even offal was unavailable.

-Only the Florentines would think of fake tripe.

-Only the Italians. -Yeah, I know.

Okay, let’s eat this.

This is so exciting, I can’t bear it.

-That’s amazing. -I’m so proud.

-You are yeah. Can we, can we.

-Thank you.

Elevating the poorest of foods into these beautiful creations is a Florentine art form, still practiced today.

But elsewhere in Tuscany, this craft is being taken to even greater heights.

In the Northernmost part of the region lie the Apuan Alps, the marble mountains that have built cities all over Italy.

500 years ago, Michelangelo would have traveled up here, looking for the finest stone to carve his masterpieces.

I've retraced his steps to this secluded mining town of Colonnata to learn about the people who make Tuscany's white gold.

Fabrizio Cattani comes from a line of Colonnata quarrymen.

Their family owns one of the local mines.

Really?

But marble isn’t all they do here.

Fabrizio also helps run a local butchery where he produces one of Tuscany’s most inspired dishes, the most decadent of Tuscan cold cuts, Lardo.

-The house of lard. -The House of Lard.

Lardo di Colonnata has been made here since the earliest days of marble mining.

In fact, the same marble used to create those Renaissance masterpieces plays a vital part in its unique curing process.

A technique likely born in the mines, salting the back fat and resting it in marble, helped preserve it for longer.

-I didn’t know that’s how you did it.

Wow.

Every lardo making family has their own closely guarded spice recipe that usually includes cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.

Yeah you couldn't do it no.

Carlo carries on this process until the basin is full to the brim and leaves it to age for up to 10 months, while the naturally insulating marble keeps it cool.

These marble mountains inspired creativity for centuries.

But perhaps, the quarrymen’s greatest invention was learning to craft food from stone.

Beautiful.

Like in many of the local recipes, the marbled lardo complements whatever modest meat the quarrymen could get their hands on.

Oh wow who did this?

Beautiful.

I’m getting hungry just looking at it.

But clearly, the men derived some of that strength from the women who were feeding them.

While Roberta lets the rabbit stew for another hour, Fabrizio, Carlo, and I take the time to chew the fat.

Were you born here?

Yes?

Oh my God.

Woah!

Thank you.

Gorgeous, gorgeous.

Woah.

How come when I make rabbit, it doesn’t come out like that?

Man, that’s good.

It’s so moist.

It might seem less grand than carving angels from marble, but food that melts in your mouth like this is just as worthy a creation.

Cheers.

-Cheers!

Thank you.

It's little wonder that the people here take such pride in these humble artisan traditions.

But a very different kind of artistry is required to create Tuscany's most prized ingredient.

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

And I'm going to meet some cowboys and eat some cows.

The Southernmost corner of Tuscany, the Maremma, is Italy's wild west.

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

And home to one of the most ancient Tuscan cattle breeds.

-Yah! Yee!

Yee!

These are Maremmana cows, reared for their incredible steaks, which were once reserved exclusively for Tuscan royalty.

Today, they're still looked after by a group of unconventional cattle ranchers known as Butteri, who rear this majestic beef according to centuries-old traditions.

Stefano Pavin is the head Buttero.

The leader of these Tuscan cowboys.

Unlike most modern beef farming, The Butteri are out here every day, moving cattle around this 11,000-acre farm, in search of the best pastures.

A meticulous practice which ensures the high quality of this artisan beef.

Yes, right, yes.

-Wow.

This ancient form of cattle ranching may be a dying art, but in the past, there was great respect for this skilled and dangerous profession.

For centuries, these local cowhands were iconic figures of this frontier landscape, admired like heroes in a Hollywood Western.

Though their pride in their work hasn't wavered, Stefano, Alessandro, Luca, and Sara have more responsibilities as Butteri than ever before.

They train horses, mend fences, and even perform basic veterinary operations.

And today, they're showing me the product of their hard work.

Oh, look at that steak.

Yeah.

Shall we?

The modern technique of dry aging means these steaks are more tender than ever.

And still amongst the most prized cuts of the region, fetching up to $100 apiece.

Oh I love that.

Oh my god.

Oh my.

That’s really good.

Delicious. Woah.

The butteri’s hard work unquestionably pays off with this incredible meat.

Wow.

But without young people willing to take on the mantle, this noble profession is at risk of disappearing.

Thank you so much.

Oh my God, thank you.

Hopefully more young people like Sara will keep fighting to preserve the unique way of life of the Butteri and continue creating something so perfect.

But perfection doesn't always come from playing by the rules.

Sometimes, you have to break them.

There's an Italian concept that to me sums up why Tuscans are so keen to fight for their traditions.

Campanilismo, from the Italian for bell tower, is a fierce belief that you belong not to your country, but to the area within earshot of your bell tower.

But the word also carries with it a darker connotation, a fear of anything that is foreign, be it people, religion, or even food.

Where did you grow up? In this neighborhood?

Yes. I grew up in this neighborhood.

And the 'mercato' it's really the heart of Sant'Ambrogio.

Yeah.

I’ve come back to Florence to meet up with restaurateur Giulio Picchi, whose provocative vision for Tuscan food is challenging the status quo.

This is a market from local people.

For the locals.

It’s used by Florentines, and this is make it the best, because it’s still authentic.

Yeah.

Located on a discreet side road in the center, this 16-seater restaurant has been accused of breaking some of Florence's 800-year-old culinary rules.

Thank you.

Originally, Cibleo was set up by Giulio's father, the late Fabio Picchi, one of Florence's most acclaimed chefs.

Beautiful.

Yes, thank you.

Today, it's run by Giulio, alongside his chef Masaru Kawai, and serves a unique fusion of Tuscan and Asian cuisine.

How long has it been here?

2017.

And how did people react to it?

-It's not easy you know because we have to manage how the Florentines react, at the restaurant we don't serve bread here.

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

Oh my god...

Yes.

Uh, and also when we opened Cibleo the city came out with this rules, Unesco.

In the center of Florence.

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

-Wasn’t the rule also they had to use a certain, like a certain percentage of the ingredients.

-Yeah, exactly. You had to, to, to find a way to demonstrate that 80% of what you have it’s come from Tuscany.

So what we do is we, we take some like traditional Japan idea, like gyoza, and then we stuff it with pork from Tuscany.

-I understand what they’re trying to do, but it doesn’t, in practice it doesn’t really make sense.

You can open a, a Tuscan restaurant that does traditional dishes but it could just be a bad restaurant, right?

-Yeah. Exactly.

-Okay, now I'm starving!

First, a trio of reinvented Tuscan classics, including a new favorite of mine.

-Fantastic. -Thank you.

Go with the spinach.

Go with this, okay.

There we go.

-This is one of the recipes from the beginning of Cibleo.

-Really? -Indian. A lot of Indian.

-Yeah, you can taste it, yeah.

-Yeah, for the fried spinach, with chickpea flour.

And what was the red on top?

-Um, raspberry.

Oh my God.

Now I’m, I’m more hungry.

-Me too.

What should I eat next?

The lampredotto. You know...

You risk to be killed.

-I think it’s incredible.

You know, now I love lampredotto, but this then takes it to a whole ‘nother level.

The onions and the miso transform the lampredotto it’s a little sweet, and the meatball is a little crunchy and that’s uh, we are not scared to propose this lampredotto to Florentine people because we know it’s good.

-If they don’t eat it they’re stupid!

-Ah right. -Ok. So now.

-Its work like, like a prosciutto.

The age, the salt, the smoke.

And I tell, "Are you crazy?

It doesn’t work."

Then we tried together and it’s unbelievable.

Okay. Let's go.

Woah.

I would never put the cheese with fish.

-At the beginning you feel the smoke part, then it’s okay, it’s ham, then you have the, the back of fish flavor.

Uh-huh. That's amazing.

By working with local produce Giulio and Masaru have managed to circumvent the city's red tape.

What's he doing?

I think he have an extra.

-Oh. -Something like that.

-Really? -Yes.

-What Masaru wants to do is use everything about this fish.

Wow this is amazing.

Absolutely, I’m completely blown away.

Wow. Oh wait. We have to try this.

-This is the, the end. -Okay, aspetta.

The last provocation on the menu is a Japanese Ossobuco.

Replacing veal shank with raw swordfish bone marrow.

The point is not which type of cuisine you propose, the point is the quality of what we do.

Yeah. It’s absolutely delicious.

Everything. Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

Cuisine like this, that creatively challenges traditions, yet still embraces them, is a rarity in Tuscany.

Perhaps not surprising when they are so proudly upheld.

But is this fixation with the past stifling Tuscany's creative spirit?

There's an event that may answer that question, quite dramatically.

Before it was united in the 1500s by the Medici family, Tuscany was a collection of warring city-states and kingdoms.

None more powerful than the Republic of Siena.

Located in central Tuscany, Siena is split into 17 separate districts or Contrade, all centered around the Piazza del Campo.

I've come here to witness a remarkable spectacle where Tuscan history comes alive.

Siena. I’ve been here many times, the first time I came here I was about 12 years old with my family and I was completely awestruck by this incredible piazza.

Twice a year, for four days and nights, the whole city gathers here for the Palio di Siena, a medieval celebration that culminates in a dramatic three lap horse race.

The origins of this event date back to the 13th century when the city first decreed a day of racing and feasting to celebrate a brutal victory over Florence.

We've been given rare access to film this spectacular event and see why the locals are so deeply invested.

So today we’re here for the practice run of tomorrow’s race.

The whole race only lasts 45 seconds.

A huge amount of work for 45 seconds, so I guess it’s something they enjoy.

Ancient tensions and rivalries still exist between the competing Contradas.

Some going back centuries to when the Palio was a much bloodier affair.

They're riding bareback, which as anyone knows who's ever mounted a steed is not an easy thing.

The colors are incredible!

They're off!

The Palio's archaic rules may seem confusing to outsiders.

Jockeys can barge into and whip each other freely and the loser is considered the horse that comes in second place.

A rider got thrown at the very beginning, so the horse without the rider is in the lead so far.

I don’t know what happened.

Now they’re trying to stop the horse but they can’t.

And this is a race where if the rider is thrown, the horse can still win the race.

Whatever the result though, these practice races are just that, practice for the big event the next day.

But the real reason that I've come to Siena is to witness an event that, to me, is even more impressive.

On the third night, it is tradition for all the competing Contradas to take back the streets of Siena and throw an auspicious feast in celebration of their district.

So I'm heading now to the, to the dinner that is being done by the Contrada who were kind enough to let us film.

That we just passed through, all that stuff we just passed through is another contrada and that's a dinner for probably, I don't know 1,000 some people.

In the upper part of medieval city at Contrada Valdimontone, the Contrada of the Ram, a small army of cooks has been up since dawn, to get the preparations going for tonight's feast and spirits are high.

No! What?

Not only is it impressive to pull off cooking risotto for thousands of people, many of these volunteers have never worked in professional kitchens.

-I’m a dentist. Yeah.

Really?

-Yeah, really.

-Good because I have a pain, right here.

I’ll show you later.

-Not tonight. It’s dangerous for you.

-Yes. -Very dangerous.

Today each Contrada funds itself via donations and dinners like this one and reinvests those funds into activities that benefit the community.

Amazing.

Outside thousands of people are getting ready to toast their Contrada.

Although these feasts are a relatively new tradition, one of the Contrada Chiefs tells me that they've become as meaningful to the locals as the race itself.

Despite the ancient rivalries, it seems clear to me that the Palio is a unifying event.

It's a living monument to the ability of Tuscans to walk between past and present, finding inspiration in ancient traditions and creating things of extraordinary beauty.