Food, culture, new perspectives

The meeting was conducted by Gabriele Paleari, an ethnographer and lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.
With him, the discussion focused on cuisine not to find "the right recipe", but to understand how each tradition carries a different meaning.

His approach was clear: observe, collect, compare.
Without judging, without simplifying. 

Because the same preparation can change completely from one place to another – and each has its value in its own context.

I want to mention the pizzoccheri with and without sage, because I often find myself in this debate where everyone wants to be right (wrongly, therefore).

No flags on the plates, we must learn to contextualize and not to demonize diversities.

Gabriele made us ideally move between Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro.
We learned how the food culture is full of nuances: the same recipe, different names, varying ingredients, customs that change even by crossing a border for just a few kilometers.

He talked to us about the history of Maraschino... how the main 2 brands compete for supremacy (and in the end, they are both excellent)

And then words like “merenda”, “marenda”, “colazione”… which take on different meanings depending on where you are.
The point? Avoid categorizing everything because cuisine has no clear boundaries – we are the ones who sometimes invent them.

At the end of the evening, chef Luca Ferri proposed a tasting inspired by the themes discussed, stepping out of his comfort zone to narrate – through flavors – what we had just listened to.
All accompanied by the wines of Marcel Zanolari, precise, curated, recognizable by his special "touch."

This workshop was not an event to “just watch.” 

I was passionate about listening, understanding how often we make hasty conclusions, just for "feeling".
It was a moment to question some certainties, to discover new interpretations of things we thought we already knew.

If you're interested in experiencing stories, territory, and real content, keep an eye on the upcoming workshops by Valtellina & Co.
Sign up for the Telegram Channel of Calendario Valtellinese to stay updated on all events