a love letter to my grandmother's land

the secret Italian region - Ciociaria

My grandma would always talk about goats. We would be making her famous meatballs and out of nowhere, there was a story about her family’s land. And goats. Some sheep, wine too but always goats.

No wonder the most famous cheese of Ciociaria is an aged goat cheese. Maybe that was the secret to my grandmother’s improbable strength and memory of a 20-year-old at 95 years old.

Still, it’s not only the cheese or the goats - it was the land where they grazed and where she was raised - a mystical place, one often buzzed by as people race off to Rome, Napoli, or the Amalfi Coast, with ancient food traditions, unadulterated nature, and big food secrets.

This area is Ciociaria.

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before the newsletter, a quick question!

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Before I finally kick off Spaghetti Stories this Thursday, I wanted to shed light on one of Italy’s biggest secrets - Ciociaria. It’s where my family is from and also the first Spaghetti Stories interviewees which include 3 of the best chefs in the Lazio region.