I usually think that I’m too cool for school when I’m in Italy. I insist on making all my own arrangement, avoiding restaurants with too much English in their signage, and above all, rejecting taking a tour. It’s hard to,pretend I’m a local (until I open my mouth) if I’m tagging along with a group having this or that historical site explained.
That said, the one exception I always make is for food tours. I can think of no better way to soak up a bit of history and culture, while enjoying some incredible regional delicacies. An added bonus, or maybe the main point, is that you have engaged an enthusiastic, articulate young Italian to speak with you for three or four hours about their lives and their communities. I guess people drawn to this work have extroverted, charismatic personalities to begin with, but we’ve never had a stinker. We’ve done four so far: Bologna, Palermo, Testaccio Market in Rome, and today, Torino.
Our leader today was Cecilia Puca, a sociologist with a specialty in food anthropology who previously worked in management at Fiat, and who along with her Michelin chef Dutch husband, started the I Eat Food company. In addition to her tours, they do in-person and Zoom cooking classes.
Torino is the birthplace of Nutella, so it is no surprise that our first stop was Alberto Marchetti, a shop filled with all sorts of sweet treats, where we sampled hazelnuts in various forms.
From there we went to a pizzeria that won the Best of Italy prize for its various creative toppings and distinctive crust.
Next we headed to a farinata shop, and finally to Solera, where we had a full lasagna dinner that started with three primi: raw veal, veal with tuna sauce, and an assortment of cheeses. No, I would never dream of eating raw veal in America, but here, it’s my second time in two days.
Through all this amazing line-up, we learned about the provenance of what we were eating, and how it came to be part of the characteristic Torinese cuisine. Better yet, we heard about Cecilia’s pride in her native city, passion for her subject matter, entrepreneurial spirit, and devotion to her grandmothers. All in all, a great way to spend an afternoon.
Gigi's Italia 
Eating one’s way around Italy would be a dream come true.
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Hi Gigi,
What a fabulous time you are having. Thanks so. Inch for sharing your excitement & knowledge. I wonder if you might share your food tour experience in Palermo. We are going in May 2024, and would love to hear your experience about a food tour there. Warm regards, Dayle Augusto Eisenhauer
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Dear Gigi,
You know I enjoy all your travel blogs but none so much as those about food and wine.
I don’t know if I told you, but I’m conducting a Solo in Salento Small Group Tour in October 2024. Yes, I need my head examined, but it’s also an opportunity to create a full ten-day immersion of Otranto. We are staying within the ancient walled city and all but two days will be spent there just as I did during my time in Solo in Salento. There are only two days where there are excursions outside the city…..but a mosaic class, a cooking class, a wine tasting, and my friend Paolo will return to give a guided tour of the mosaic floor just like did in the book. We will also tour the castle and the famous sites around the city and surrounding countryside. My last bit is securing pizzica dancers and local musicians. The main theme is food and wine of Puglia.
So your “Another Food Tour” is an inspiration to me. I am so missing Italy as is Ray…..but the second book in the mystery series is scheduled to be released in the spring so it will actually be a 18 months before we return. And at our age, each trip stings with the possibility of it being the last. So soak it all up for yourself and a little bit for me.
Enjoy.
Un abbraccio
Donna
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DearGigi,
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div>I, too, loved “peop
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Wow. Delicious, fun and educational!
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Keep the notes and pictures coming! I almost feel like I am there with you.
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