Original subtitles

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.

Let's go and eat.

-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.

It's incredible.

Really. Perfect.

Tell me what's inside.

So we have the smoked tongue,

the Roman lettuce, the gherkins,

a homemade mustard mayonnaise.

From the eggs to the Roman lettuce,

they are all products you can find here in the market.

So, inside this...

Everything Lazio has to offer is inside.

-Perfect. -Great.

An explosion of flavors.

Thank you, Stan.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

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.

Sparkling water, yes. Thank you.

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 small restaurant.

- Yes, 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.

Little bit of vinegar.

- Little vinegar. - Parsley.

Little garlic, and then you fry it.

And a little bit of spicy.

Yeah. And that's it. And mint.

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.

But you need to eat.

Yeah, I know.

But, well, give me a second. I mean, really.

You sound like my grandma.

She always said, "Eat."

"Eat, eat."

Okay, I'm eating, I'm eating.

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.

The little Sami. For me he's the little one.

-The little one? -Yes.

The little one who grew up.

When he was 14, he would come and help out in the pizzeria.

He would come to the pizzeria after school, at lunchtime.

-Yes? -Bit by bit,

he learned to make pizza, giving me a hand.

And how is he doing now?

Now he's even better than his dad.

Ramadan and Sami are just two

of 20,000 Egyptian pizza makers in Italy.

In the history of pizza the first pizza ever made

was for the pharaoh in Egypt.

Were the pharaohs Italian?

No, the pharaohs in Egypt.

No, no. I was joking.

The Egyptians were the first ones

to come up with bread making.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because it was a piece of, it was bread,

-but very... -Very thin.

...very thin.

Now we're going to make our Roman pizza.

This little ball weighs 150 grams.

So, as per the tradition, it's a very thin pizza

and we spread it with the rolling pin.

And what's in the dough?

We use weak flour with a low hydration.

That way, when it comes out of the oven it will stay crunchy.

But Roman pizza is usually rectangular. No?

That one is Roman pizza "in teglia," in the tray.

It's spread by hand, placed on a tray

and it bakes inside the tray directly.

Instead, here we have the classic traditional Roman pizza.

Oh, yeah.

We spread this one with the rolling pin

and it bakes straight on top of the oven stone.

So, both of them are Roman pizzas.

Got it.

Now we're making a traditional pizza. So, a red one with buffalo mozzarella.

-Yes. -We dry the cheese out

before using it.

That way it won't release its water

inside the oven, right?

And it will stay nice and dry.

How long does it stay in the oven?

Two minutes.

When you take it out the contact with the air makes it crisp.

When the pizza is almost ready, I'll put it in front of the oven

so it can finish drying off even better.

Stop it.

Look at that.

The thing about my pizza is it's not chewy.

It has a crispy crunch.

-Shall I put the oil on it? -Yes, sure.

Thank God for the Egyptians.

The smell too.

What do you think? Is it good?

It's so good.

So good.

Oh, Sami!

Mm. Mm!

It's so simple, and so crispy.

This is my favorite pizza because it's simple.

You can taste the flavor of the tomato,

the buffalo mozzarella.

Just a few ingredients so you can taste the pizza base too.

Because sometimes when we put too many toppings on the pizza,

it hides the base.

Perfect.

-Welcome to Rome. -Thank you.

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.

-So do you know this place? -Yes.

Local winemaker and restaurateur Remigio Sognatesori

is taking me to one of the best porchetterias in town.

It's well known, it's famous.

It is managed by one of the oldest families.

-Oh, really? -This is Eleonora Mancini.

-Hello. -Nice to meet you.

So, let me explain a little.

This is the whole pig.

-This is the part of the ham. -Right.

Then there's the torso and the shoulders and the neck.

It's incredible.

The important thing is the way of making...

Actually, porchetta originates from necessity.

Right.

It was invented by the ancient Romans.

By adding the right amount of salt

they were able to preserve the meat.

So all the bones are removed and it's dressed,

each family has its own absolutely secret recipe,

-which includes... -Is it a secret?

More secret than Coca-Cola.

In Ariccia, each of us...

more than 14 families produce porchetta here.

But each of us has our own history and some secrets.

For example, the consistency of the crust

and the consistency of the meat.

And each of us has learned

from our grandparents' and parents' experience.

What Eleonora reveals is that it's a mix

of garlic, rosemary and other herbs that fill it with flavor.

I'll let you taste a bit of everything.

Oh, my God, look at that.

Mm.

That is so beautiful.

-Thank you. -You're welcome.

By the way, Stanley,

here the meat is so good, right, it melts in your mouth.

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

-But for us, the best part is... -The skin.

- The skin. - The skin.

For you.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, man.

Oh, man!

Are you happy?

Oh, my God, it's so good!

That crunch.

Everyone who lives here is always happy.

We are totally crazy about porchetta.

We are in a great position

because anyone passing through Rome,

and not just Castelli Romani, even far from here

they all come by Ariccia for a porchetta sandwich.

Ariccia is famous for porchetta

but the town after ours, Genzano di Roma

is famous for homemade bread

and it makes one of the five best breads in Italy.

And therefore in the world.

Yes, in the world, because Italy is the best country

in the world when it comes to bread making.

With this bread the flavor of the porchetta changes completely.

Have I tempted you to try it?

Yes, of course.

Just a little bit.

Can I have something to drink?

Shall I let you try a Castelli Romani wine?

Leave it to me.

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.

Listen to the sound the crust makes when I cut the bread.

In Castelli Romani it's music.

Food is music. It's art.

Incredible.

This is the real porchetta sandwich.

-Here you are. -Thank you.

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

Mm.

Mm.

The soft bit is amazing, but the crust is even better.

The crust is wonderful.

Inside it has everything you need.

It's a cuddle.

-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.

My grandfather bought this place to make wine.

Only wine?

Only to produce wine and give joy, because wine always brings joy.

Ahh. Sì.

Look how beautiful it is.

Do you know why they are called fraschette?

Because in the past on hooks like this,

they hung laurel branches or "frasche."

That was a sign to customers who came here

to let them know if they had a new barrel of wine or not.

Come inside, I'll show you the place.

-Let's go. -So, let me introduce you

to my very young brother-in-law.

-Hi. -Nice to meet you.

-What's your name? -Andrea.

Andrea, Stanley.

...Stanley.

Please take a seat.

I'll go and prepare a special thing for you.

It's called fagotto.

Okay.

Now I'll have you taste some Frascati Superiore.

Really?

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.

Here you are. This is the fagotto bundle.

Thank you.

-Now I will show you what it is. -What do I do?

You have to open it, it is yours now.

That's nice.

I've tried to...

Mm. It's very good.

Okay, so...

There's bread, some cheese.

This is buffalo ricotta.

Uffa.

But in the past the food came from their house.

It came directly from home.

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

It's... It's brilliant.

These are friarielli, broccoli rabe.

I love those, yeah.

Mm.

And that's not all, there's more.

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.

-And then? -The last floor.

Oh, my gosh.

This is porchetta. The one from Ariccia.

Like we had this morning.

It is a very peculiar cheese because it is made

with buffalo milk and also sheep milk.

What is it called?

It is called "buforino."

It is a name we invented with the producers.

Oh, my gosh. This is amazing.

Are you a chef?

No, I am a curator, a host.

My job is not to show you how good I am at cooking

The important thing is giving you the best experience.

Which is not only food, it is not just the decor,

it is not just food, nor just wine.

It's all of it together.

That makes a real experience.

Yes, it is an experience.

Also, your porchetta is really good.

-Yes. -I'm an expert now.

The unique thing about this fagotto

is it takes you back to the old way of doing things.

A way of welcoming...

To share. Sharing.

Sharing.

If you think about it

this is the first time we have eaten together.

But this is not "my" dish that I'm letting you taste.

This is "our" meal. This thing is so powerful.

Like a picnic.

-Yes. -Yes.

But...

If it rains, we will not get wet.

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.

-Good morning. -Good morning.

-How are you? -All good. All good.

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.

What are they called in Italian?

These ones?

-These are eels. -Eels.

Then there's tench and pike.

So, now?

Now we clean all the fish

and we make what we call the sbroscia,

the lake fish soup.

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.

-Hi, good morning. -Hi, hi.

What beautiful eels.

Giuliano has already started the base of the stew,

which is oil, lard, onion, garlic, and chili.

Now we go with the pike.

Pike, okay.

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

How many different fish?

Few, two or three.

Each kind of fish gives its own flavor.

Sì.

You've always got to have tench in a sbroscia.

Ah.

The black fish now.

So, this recipe is old but is it really simple?

It's really simple.

I've been a fisherman for 50 years

but I've been eating sbroscia for more than that.

I won't tell you how many more but it is more.

We need water, clean water.

The name "sbroscia" means slops, or dishwater but, ironically,

the original recipe calls for the purest water,

from Lake Bolsena itself.

Pour it in.

That's enough.

We take water from the lake.

Can you drink the lake's water?

I always drink it.

Straight from the lake?

From the lake, with my hands.

And fortunately, I've kept healthy.

I've had only one fever in my life.

Wow.

This is the secret of the sbroscia.

-Mint? -Calamint.

Oh, wow. That's incredibly aromatic.

It gives the fish an amazing taste.

The aroma is somewhere between mint and marjoram.

Okay. The smell...

It's unique, I've never...

It's incredible.

You then start to boil it

and then we add the white fish, the pike.

Being a fisherman here, you fall in love.

The lake takes your heart like a beautiful woman.

If I came back in another life, if it's possible,

I'd choose to be a fisherman again.

It rewards you in more than just money.

It enriches your heart.

To live on the lake is something indescribable

just like the smell of sbroscia.

You can't put it into words.

-It's ready. -It's ready?

Give it a try.

Oh, yeah.

Wow.

The final ingredient isn't something

that goes in the sbroscia,

but where it's eaten.

Put it on the table. Here, give me your plate.

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

So, this is a bit of eel.

Thanks.

-And a bit of pike. -Yes.

Oh, nice.

A bit of sauce.

-Here you go. -Thank you.

That's enough.

-Bon appétit. -Cheers.

Cheers, thank you, thank you.

How is it?

Mm. Mm.

Delicious. Delicious.

Delicious.

No, I never had...

It's a taste...

so very different.

A new taste for me.

And I like fish.

I like all fish soups

but this is different.

Fishermen back then, the old ones, would live longer.

They lived a long time.

Because they had sbroscia for lunch everyday.

They would take out their boats

to their fishing spots.

They would come back ashore and would make the sbroscia.

It was the fisherman's breakfast.

Yeah. Yeah.

But of course it wasn't exactly like this,

it was more improvised, let's say.

Sì, sì, sì.

With what they caught from the lake that day.

If they didn't catch much, they wouldn't eat much.

Wouldn't eat much.

It's a poor dish, this one.

-A simple dish. -Yes.

But it's good. It's so good.

I'm eating with my hands.

This should be eaten mostly with your hands.

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.

-May I try? -Of course.

Terrible.

I don't like it.

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.

We will use this as the base for a dish.

We have taken the flavors of the traditional fish dishes.

What is left...

is this sauce to which we'll add fresh mint.

And we add some saffron too.

Sì.

And we let it cook until it reduces.

And for how long?

Until we like the consistency.

Obviously, the more it thickens, the richer it becomes.

And here we have a pesto sauce

made with elephant garlic and parsley.

-I love elephant garlic. -Me too.

Hmm.

I ask you to throw in the pasta.

You want me to do it? Okay.

Is it salted?

- Yes. - Okay.

-You are a perfectionist. -Yeah...

So, please.

Beautiful.

Tagliolini?

- Yes. - Tagliolini.

A bit thicker. Now, stir.

-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.

What is this?

This is an herb leaf with caviar on top.

Beautiful.

We have tried to refine the rough edges of tradition.

Yes. An elegant sbroscia.

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?

White for me.

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

I mean, delicious.

Thank you.

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.

To health, and to love.

-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.

Shall we let them out to graze?

Yes, yes.

Lamb is a delicacy that Lazians have always cherished.

Especially in springtime.

-They are very small sheep. -Yes.

It's now the breeding season so there are some rams

-who will be busy. -Ah, yes.

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.

How many are there?

Here we have around 150.

Up there about 200.

Wow.

So, yes, we are a small business.

-Did your father do this? -My father and my grandfather.

But my grandparents had another type of sheep.

This is a Sicilian sheep, it is called comisana.

It is perfect for cheese making

because there are a lot of fat and proteins in their milk.

Ah.

Today they are a bit undisciplined.

In Lazio there is a lot of sheep farming.

It is traditional from the ancient Romans, Etruscans.

So it is fundamental for our economy

and for our traditions.

Sì.

Where are they now?

They've disappeared.

-They've gone? -They've escaped.

-To where? -They must have been starving.

They are up near the wood in their meadow.

An animal that is put to pasture eats naturally

and you can taste it in the flavor of the cheese.

Yes.

You could say the milk tastes floral.

Tell me about meat.

The taste of the meat is next level.

Well, I'm hungry.

Okay.

It needs to be very hot.

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.

We put it on the grill. A bit of salt.

And that's it? Without...

With no marinade, no.

The taste of the meat...

is better on its own.

It's a simple dish.

Chops are here.

The ribs, yes.

So, Stanley, this is the typical Roman abbacchio.

Less than 40 days old.

-It has drunk only milk. -Milk from the mother.

So, no grass, nothing...

Its weight...

is around eight kilograms.

"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..

Did you get burned?

Well, y-yes, that is its name.

Do you like it?

-So sweet. -So good.

There is more to come, Stanley.

We have offal, roast lamb,

chicory, our cheeses.

You still need to taste them.

Let's go to the table.

Let's put it here.

Three generations of the Gentili family live on the farm.

Dad, sit at the head of the table.

I'll sit here.

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

but today it's destined for us.

-May I? -Yes, thank you.

I recommend this.

-Lamb offal and onion. -Onion.

Thank you.

Mm.

So good.

-Thank you. -You're welcome.

There's chicory too, Stanley.

Yes, I'd love some chicory.

Here's the three cheeses that we make.

Pecorino, which you can eat with fava beans if you like.

What is this one?

It's a cheese made with plant-based rennet.

It should make it a little bitter.

Yeah, it is.

Here we have the caciotta that we make with thistle flowers.

You see the different consistency?

Yes, it's unique.

Very unique.

Oh, wow.

Delicious. Oh, thank you.

Everything on this table is a glimpse into Lazio's past

as well as its present.

At the time of Augustus, Rome had one million inhabitants

and all these people had to be fed.

And here being 50 kilometers from Rome

you could transport produce there in a day.

So there were these big farms here

and they transported their produce to Rome by cart every day.

Ah, sì.

There was a system in place,

very, very organized.

We could take you to the market with a cart.

Thank you. Thank you for everything.

Thank you.

He doesn't need to drive, does he?

No.

I'm walking.

To digest all that lamb you'll have to walk

all the way to Rome anyway.

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.