All language subtitles for A.Taste.of.Italy.S01E03.Sulmona.1080p.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-squalor

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

- I'm chef and
restaurateur, Nisha Katona.

The star of the show there
is a gorgeous aubergine.

I love coming to Italy on
delicious foodie forays,

to see what Italians
are really eating.

This is a tuna hot dog.

I've never seen
anything like it.

Buongiorno!

In the markets.

This is like an Aladdin's
cave for the pork lover,

which I am.

On the streets.

(upbeat music)

And in the restaurants.

(upbeat music)

It's well worth getting
here just to try this.

Now, I'm taking the
path less traveled

to hidden culinary hotspots.

It's one of the most beautiful
cities I have ever seen.

On a voyage to uncover recipes

and ingredients passed
down through generations.

(laughs)

You're bringing your
family, your history.

- Our history is the
base of our future.

- Proving there's
more to Italian food

than just pizza.

(upbeat music)

Mint and tuna, try it.

I would never have
thought about it.

And on the way, I'll be
cooking up new dishes inspired

by my travels.

- It's fantastic.

- A million different colors

and a thousand
different flavors.

So, join me on an
idyllic Italian escape.

Delicious.

(upbeat music)

(soft music)

Located to the east of
the Italian capital,

Abruzzo is a verdant region
of majestic mountains,

and undulating countryside.

Today, I'm in the
beautiful city of Sulmona.

This was the birthplace
of Ovid, the love poet.

It's famous for
this Roman aqueduct

and a little confection
called confetti,

which gives the whole city
a sugarcoated romantic feel.

(clapping)

Visible from all angles
of the lofty peaks

of the mythical
Majella mountains,

which provide the town
with the icy cold waters,

that Ovid once
described in his poetry.

It is this
geographical isolation

that has allowed the city

to retain the old world charm
that makes it so appealing.

What a beautiful place this is.

And this is incredible.

Keeping traditions alive really
is part of the ethos here.

Buongiorno!

And I can't wait to
learn more about them.

One of the great joys of
being in Italy, for me,

is to go 'round these
local food markets,

meet the producers
who have often grown

this fantastic produce
in their own gardens

and in their small holdings.

I recommend it to anyone.

(upbeat music)

The fertile Peligna Valley
acts as a natural larder

for the people of Sulmona,

who live off the bounty
that the land provides.

(dramatic music)

These are completely fresh figs,

they're so sweet
it's ridiculous.

Look at that, bright yellow,
like a sunshine cauliflower.

Today, I've come to
meet a 91-year-old

who knows better than anyone,

what life at the market is like.

Buongiorno, buongiorno!

- Bonjour, good morning.

- [Nisha] Good morning.

- How are you?

- I'm very well, what
a beautiful store.

- Yes.

This is my mother Rosaria.

- [Nisha] Buongiorno!

How long has she been
coming to the market?

- 80 years.

- [Nisha] 80 Years, incredible.

She's beautiful.

(speaking Italian)

Nona Rosario's store groans

under the weight of
lush fruit and veg.

So, it seems like
the perfect place

to pick up some ingredients

for a dish I'll be
whipping up later.

I want to get some
of these tomatoes.

(speaking Italian)

Yeah.

For the heart, good for the
heart, good for the salad.

- Yes.

- These gorgeous green
tomatoes are sweet and sharp

and make a great
addition to a salad.

Six, perfect.

Oh, so these are the bay leaves?

You feel like waving
it like on Palm Sunday,

you know, celebration of Italy.

Beautiful, I'm gonna use that.

Thank you so much.

Are these herbs
from your garden?

- [Local Man] Si, my garden.

- What kind of herbs are they?

Oregano, Timio?

- Oregano, santoreggio.

- [Nisha] Santoreggio.

- Santoreggio, yes.

- [Nisha] Can I smell it?

- [Local Man] Come on.

- [Nisha] Santoreggio has
an intense, fresh aroma,

similar to thyme,
but more lemony.

- It's very good.

- Wow, gosh!

What I love about this
is when you open the jar,

it's like the smell of
that garden floods out.

(speaking Italian)

Bye bye.

- Bye bye.

- Thank you, bye bye.

It's this idea of
living off the land

that I love about Sulmona.

It's not just farmers who grow
things here, it's everybody,

and generously they're
more than willing

to share the spoils.

(soft music)

(speaking Italian)

(laughs)

This chap has got four
truffle hunting dogs

and they bring him a
kilo of truffles a day

and he's just given me one.

For us in the UK, truffles
are a real luxury,

but in many parts of Italy,

these knobbly nuggets of ebony

can be found in the
local countryside

and are used in a
wide range of dishes.

Just imagine.

These are the truffle
hunting dogs that he has.

You have quatro?

- Si.

- He's bringing the jewels
of the forest down to us.

(speaking Italian)

Thank you.

Thank you.

But while truffles are always
highly prized in Sulmona,

even the most basic
ingredients are revered.

Ah, buongiorno.

- Hello, hello.

- Hello, is this red
garlic from Sulmona?

- It is the best
garlic in the world.

- The best garlic in the world?

- [Vendor] (speaking Italian)

- Does it taste different?

(speaking Italian)

So strong and spicy?

So, it's getting that flavor
from the soil in Sulmona.

Yeah.

Local growers still use
very traditional methods

to store the bulbs,

braiding the long
sinuous stalks together.

This allows the air to circulate
once the garlic is hung

and it means it can last
for up to 10 months.

(speaking Italian)

Thank you so much.

Looking forward to it.

(speaking Italian)

Already, it's clear that
there's a deep connection

between the past
and present here.

The centuries of knowledge
and experience shaping the way

that things are done.

As a chef and restaurateur,
I really, really appreciate

those ancient dishes
that are passed down.

And Italy's full of restaurants,

where they revere these
old ways of cooking.

One such place is
Restaurante Clemente.

People flock here for the
plentiful portions of hearty,

local food.

Most notably, the
smoky succulent kebabs

known as arrosticini, cooked
by the owner himself, Clemente.

Ah.

- Ah, Nisha.

(speaking Italian)

- Very happy now.

This looks amazing.

Is it a kebab?

- It's like kebab.

Different because
no herbs, no spices.

Just a meat and salt.

- [Nisha] So simple.

- Yes, yes, very simple.

It's the Abruzzo street food.

It's like a religion in Abruzzo.

- But while it
might look simple,

this dish is actually
an age old tradition.

Originally eaten
by local shepherds

who needed portable sustenance

that would cook quickly,
but remain tender.

And is it lamb or is it pork?

- Lamb, lamb.

In Abruzzo, the lamb is
the meat most popular here.

Abruzzo lamb is
full of flavor, no?

- So you get the fragrance
almost of your local pastures

in this meat, really.

- Yes, yes.

- I can see quite a bit
of fat, which I love.

Is it important that there's
quite a bit of fat in it?

- Yes, because the fat
make the meat more tender.

- [Nisha] Fat also brings flavor

by allowing the meat to char
while still remaining juicy.

The meat is so
delicious on its own,

that chefs forego
any vegetables,

giving the skewers a
distinctly slender appearance.

After all, in Italy, even the
food needs to stay in shape.

Is there a special
way to eat it?

- Yes, I show you, yes.

- Oh, great!

- In this way.

Mmm.

(Clemente laughs)

Okay.

- It's so good.

- It's almost herbal.

It's sweet.

It's salty.

It's magnificent flavor.

It's like the taste of the
Abruzzo Hills, isn't it?

- Yes.

- Keep eating, sorry.

Fantastic.

Thank you so much.

Salute, to arrosticini.

The appearance of food here
seems as important as the taste,

adhering to the Italian
concept of looking good.

La bella Figura, which literally
means the beautiful figure.

I want to track down the
best looking bites in town,

which sadly won't do much
good for my own Bella Figura.

You may not know, but Sulmona
is famous for its confetti,

not the paper shards
thrown at weddings,

but sugarcoated almonds that
are given out at celebrations.

Not only is confetti
Salmona's prettiest delicacy,

but it's also what the
city is most famous for.

People come here from all
over the world to stock up

on these beautiful
rainbow jewels.

The Pelino family
are one of the oldest

and most prestigious
producers in the city.

Buongiorno!

- Buongiorno.

- This is beautiful.

I thought they were real
flowers walking along.

I thought they're stunning.

- No,, no, this is confetti.

- Incredible.

Wow, what a magical shop.

The nuns of the nearby monastery

of Santa Chiarra were the
first to turn the sugary sweets

into these stunning bouquets

as gifts for the
local noblewomen on
their wedding days.

Wow.

These are like jewels.

What are the
different colors for?

- The gold for 50
years marriage.

The silver for 25
years marriage.

This is for children.

This is for degree university,
the white for the marriage.

- And there are a few
brides in particular

that Pelino was
proud to supply to.

You've even produced these for
the Royal, the Royal wedding.

- Harry and Megan, Charles
and Diana, William and Kate.

- And William and Kate as well,

they ordered them
from this shop.

- Royal wedding.

- Incredible!

Confetti Pelino, grazie mille.

- You're welcome.

- Thank you.

Well, if they're good
enough for the Royals,

they're good enough for me.

In Sulmona, understandably,
confetti has a big influence,

even on the sacrosanct
world of Italian coffee.

(upbeat music)

Named after the city's
most famous son,

Caffe Ovidio makes hundreds
of these very special coffees

every single day.

- [Man In Coffee
Shop] Buongiorno!

- Buongiorno!

(speaking Italian)

- It's a secret?

(speaking Italian)

- The exact recipe may be
a closely guarded secret,

but it looks like a mixture
of hot espresso and thick,

fresh cream, and that
sugary sprinkling

of crushed confetti
is unmistakable.

It's beautiful.

Bellissimo.

Wow.

What is this name?

(speaking Italian)

- Caffe con confetto.

Well, bottom's up.

Mmm.

It's like a dessert.

It's so sweet.

It's beautiful.

(speaking Italian)

- Deliciosa.

(speaking Italian)

Sweet and strong and wow,
I've got it in my eye.

(laughs)

It's incredible because
it's coffee, yes,

it's got that lovely bitterness,

but then it's almost
like a creamy meringue

and then nuts at the finish.

It's really, really delicious.

(speaking Italian)

- This is all you
need for the day.

Yeah, I think I could
get used to this.

Salute.

(speaking Italian)

- To quote Ovid, Sulmona
is my hometown rich

with ice cold waters and
hot, delicious coffee.

Okay, I might've
added that last bit.

The locals here clearly
have a taste for traditions

and I'm not leaving until
I've tried them all.

(glasses clanking)

So, before I whip up my own
homage to Abruzzan cuisine,

there's an ancient pasta
that I just have to try.

Today, I'm in Sulmona,

an undiscovered
medieval city nestled

in the Emerald enclave of
Italy's Abruzzo region.

So far, I've eaten my
way around the old town

with glistening
arrosticini, crisp confetti,

and a coffee that packs a punch.

I can't wait to
cook my own tribute

to these delicious
dishes, but first,

I've got one more
thing left to try.

In Abruzzo, I've heard they use

an ancient guitar-like
implement to make pasta.

So, I've come to see that happen

at a place where keeping
ancient dishes alive

is a real passion.

(guitar music)

Pacentro is a medieval
mountain village

just outside Sulmona.

This is a place where
time seems to stand still.

So, where better to learn
about a traditional,

Abruzzo cooking device?

Buongiorno!

- Buongiorno.

(speaking Italian)

Stella Chiore and her family
have been cooking here

for generations, and
the star of the show?

Spaghetti Alla Chitarra

with a tomato basil and
goat's cheese sauce.

(speaking Italian)

- [Nisha] Two eggs?

- [Woman] Quatro.

- [Nisha] 4 eggs!

That is a lot of egg

because I've seen
people make pasta

with one egg, with two eggs,

but four I've never seen.

All that egg will
make Stella's pasta

especially rich in
both flavor and color,

as well as give it a more robust
texture than normal dough.

This is important
as we'll make sure

that when we use la
chitarra to cut it,

the dough doesn't fall apart.

(speaking Italian)

- [Nisha] And always
with your hand.

- Si.

(speaking Italian)

- Gosh.

What a privilege it is to be
shown this precious heirloom.

And your mother taught you,
you taught your daughter.

(speaking Italian)

- Do you make this
fresh every day?

(speaking Italian)

- It's important that
Stella sets the strings

to the correct tension so
that the dough is cut cleanly.

It's even got tuning.

(speaking Italian)

- It's really like
an instrument!

Speaking of which it's time
for Stella's guitar solo.

Wow!

Now, my turn.

You ready?

(speaking Italian)

(both women laughing)

- That's a compliment.

Wow!

(speaking Italian)

- I could get a little job here.

I really enjoyed that.

(speaking Italian)

(mellow music)

While Stella gets cooking,

I'm going to make
myself comfortable.

And what better to
wash down our meal with

than a glass of the local wine.

(cheerful music)

It was just such a lovely moment

to make that pasta in the
way that children have

with their grandmothers, for
generations in these houses.

And it makes you want kind

of an Italian
grandmother, doesn't it?

That's as close as I get.

(speaking Italian)

- Oh, how beautiful.

What a beautiful place this is.

And this is incredible.

(speaking Italian)

So, this is from
your own goats, huh?

Fantastic.

(speaking Italian)

I love how ingrained the concept

of farm to table dining is here.

Not only is the pasta homemade,
but everything else too.

(speaking Italian)

Yes, it coats it.

Can you see my chitarra?

Yeah.

(laughs)

It's a shame.

These big, big fat pasta.

One is with skill
and one is without.

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Stella, I've
had the most wonderful day.

Really such a special
thing to be here.

(speaking Italian)

(glasses clanking)

Oh, Stella, your kind
words are music to my ears,

as was that delicious
spaghetti alla chitarra.

(uptempo music)

I've really got a taste
for the local techniques,

so before I take up my job
as Stella's apprentice,

I think it's time I did
some cooking of my own.

Sulmona has such
unique ingredients.

Lamb is what it's all about.

And it makes the perfect
starting point for my dish.

Lovely lamb kebabs with
a tangy tomato salad.

Really important to
look for marbled meat

or slightly fatty meat.

Lamb shoulder is a good option

and it's cheaper
than other cuts too.

It's high fat content will
make the meat more tender,

as Clemente showed us earlier.

Unlike the arrosticini however,

my kebabs will use
vegetables from the market

and have a zingy
acidic marinade.

I want these acids to
start working on that meat,

breaking it down a bit
so the flavors can go in.

Salt, of course.

That'll help draw out
those meaty juices.

Next, santoreggio,

from that divine
91-year-old market trader,

but thyme and a dash of lemon
would work just as well.

And then in go my bay leaves
for a hint of bitterness.

The next thing I need,

'cause it's almost like
creating a moisturizer

for your meat, is to
put your oil base in.

And, of course, we're in Italy,

so it's got to be extra-virgin.

Let's just toss those together.

Now, time for some of
that ruby red garlic.

Pierce the cloves to
release the flavor

and then just chuck
them in whole.

Just get it in there.

Don't be afraid of the skins.

You'll eat 'round it.

It's all gorgeous.

It's all flavor.

And if you can't
find red garlic,

then just use normal cloves

and add a few more

to get that same intensity.

I love these peppers, you know,

how they're half sort
of red, half green.

Red bit's sweet,

the green bit's got that
lovely bitterness to it.

So, you're getting a
ton of different flavors

from one vegetable.

Big chunks of pepper like this
are really easy to skewer,

but cut them to
whatever size you like

and then toss them in so
that everything gets coated

in that gorgeous
garlicky dressing.

I think this is ready.

Brilliant way to check.

Get your lemon,

rub it in the flavored oils.

There you go, cooking with gas.

I'm gonna leave those
lemons on the griddle.

That's because I
want them to soften,

they start to
release their juices,

they ease up a bit,

squeeze them on my lamb.

Now, time to
assemble my skewers.

It's really important that the
garlic goes next to the lamb.

Always think about
the flow of flavors

and you always want those
most powerful flavors next

to the lamb.

Lamb and a pepper.

And we're on.

Look at the color,
it's incredible.

And, you know,

the fat starts applauding
when it goes black.

Gorgeous.

Let's get on with this
really simple tomato salad.

I'm using the green tomatoes I
bought at the market earlier,

but you could use
cherry tomatoes

or really nice ripe tomatoes
to get a similar sweetness.

So, it's almost floral
shape going down.

It's beautiful and knobbly,

the knobblier the
better, in my view,

just look at the shapes that
you get when you slice them.

Add some thinly
sliced white onion.

Sweet onions going
into a salad, for me,

is sweetness going into salad.

Tear in some basil, add a
splash of vinegar for acidity,

and just a sprinkling of salt

to draw out those
lovely tomato juices.

I'm gonna put a little
drizzle of olive oil on.

Then notice I do that after
the acid and after the salt,

because it can form
a barrier otherwise

and I want our salt and acid
to draw those juices out.

And my final ingredient, metro
vebruzzo, it's this honey.

Now, that is how I'm
bringing sweetness

to those green tomatoes.

So that salad's ready.

Now, I love my lamb
a little bit pink.

Think about how you want it.

My mom would want
it charred to death.

To me, those are done right.

Just as a lovely
finishing flavor, those
lovely warm lemons.

Can you see the juice that
comes out of them now?

Happy lemons!

Right, let's plate up.

So, there they are.

My super simple lamb kebabs,

succulent, tender, and
incredibly moorish,

topped off with a
tangy tomato salad

like you've never tasted before.

In all my years of
coming to Italy,

I can't believe I've
never visited Sulmona.

From the rainbow-hued markets,

to the sizzling arrosticini,

world renowned confetti,

and ingenious pasta.

(speaking Italian)

There are a treasure trove
of treats here just waiting

to be discovered.

This may have been
my first visit,

but it certainly
won't be my last.

(cheerful music)