Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South

Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South

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Series overview

In his latest series, Gino goes on an odyssey, both on land and in the depths of the sea, to discover his homeland’s true hidden gems as he explores the well kept food secrets of Italy’s deep South in Puglia and Basilicata.

The series will see Gino explore a romantic realm: full of rugged mountains, ancient cave cities, beaches, and clear turquoise waters. The southern heel and sole of the country is Italy at its most epic!  These regions are a melting pot of secrets; with much of their culinary fare influenced by former occupiers, ranging from the Ancient Greeks to the Byzantines and Spanish, who all left their mark on the modern day dishes and traditions found in Italy’s deep south.

Episode 1:

Gino arrives, James Bond style, in Matera and explores the cave town, sampling his father’s favourite drink Amaro Lucano and “Nun's Breast” cakes. Soon, he’s kneading dough with a master baker and learning the secret of how to make ‘the best bread in Italy.’ Next, he meets an 86 year-old grandmother who teaches him how to make the most tasty peasant food, fried lampascioni balls from hyacinth bulbs. He finishes his journey at a local farm, where senatore capelli wheat, perfect for the gluten intolerant, is grown. Here, surrounded by undulating hills on the banks of a reservoir, Gino cooks up a beef in breadcrumbs extravaganza, using an old pizza oven.