One fine afternoon in September, we had just finished lunch after the Vendemmia (the tradition of harvesting grapes and making wine). We were sitting at a long table and out comes this cake. It was kind of like a pie made with shortcrust pastry.
Franco, who is the Zio of my cousin’s wife, cuts me a piece. I take a bite and taste the sweet shortcrust pastry at room temperature, as if I was eating a biscuit and then straight after a cold, jelly-like part.
Imagine eating a sweet that’s at room temperature but then there’s an almost frozen part in the middle. It’s mind blowing! How did he do this?
Ciao Amici! I’m growing fond of our encounters. I hope you are too! How’s that dream of yours? Go on, take the first step! It’ll be great!
Last time we spoke, I began sharing the story of how I met Vera Italia’s first Culture Creators - the people who humbly keep alive the customs that represent the true and simple beauty of Italian culture.
The people who bring colour to the towns and carry forward the traditions that shape the Italian identity. You’ll remember that Vera Italia (my biggest dream yet) is a platform I’ve created to connect you with these incredible people, their stories and their traditions through experiences in Italy that immerse you in Italian culture.
Sharing this reality with you is a continual ‘pinch myself moment’. It is so amazing being able to finally share something that I have been moulding and growing for so long! Every single person and each experience they offer is so special and it is such a privilege to be able to share it with you!
So, let’s get back to Franco. Franco is a legend. In his simplicity and ingenuity, he manages to create these fantastical sweet creations and then you find yourself picking olives with him for the olive harvest and come 1 pm, he pulls out a basket filled with homemade goodies: salami, prosciutto, fresh tomato salad, ‘frittelle’ - everything required for a delicious and wholesome lunch.
He perches himself under an olive tree and says, ‘adesso mangiamo!’ (now, we eat!). I’m a fan!
One day my cousin’s wife suggests speaking with him about his gelateria - yes, the man also makes gelato! We went to visit and I pitched him the idea of this platform I was developing to bring visitors from all over the world to experience the richness and beauty this area has to offer.
He listened, smiled and said: "I want you to try this”. Back he comes with a little cup of a gelato he had created made with Cedro.
Cedro is a large, fragrant citrus fruit native to the Tyrrhenian Coast of Calabria. It’s one of the oldest citrus species in the world and is deeply rooted in the area's culture and cuisine and it also has strong religious significance.
It’s thick-skinned and unlike its citrus cousins, lemons or oranges, its pulp is minimal and its flavour is found in its rind which is sweet, soft and edible. Calabria is one of the most famous areas in the world for cultivating high-quality Cedro, particularly along the Riviera dei Cedri - where the Vera Italia experience begins.
After placing this gelato in front of me he said, ‘assaggia’ (taste it).
"Most people think you can’t make a milk-based gelato with Cedro because it’s a citrus fruit, but I wanted to find a way and I succeeded.”
My eyes widened in amazement. It was yummy too!
He continued: "My hope is that Cedro will become the symbol of Calabria, just like the lemon is the symbol of the Amalfi Coast.”
Inspired by this vision, the little flame of this big dream of mine began to glow inside me. All of a sudden, I knew I was here to not only make my dream come true, but to also help others make their dreams come true!
Franco was excited too and he continued to present me with various taste-tests of his products made using cedro. This then formed the basis of Il Percorso Dolce del Cedro or ‘Sweet Cedro Route’ which is one of the experiences Franco offers.
I like to call him the ‘Willy Wonka of Cedro’. He’s truly a wonderful man, with such pride and joy in what he does. Above all, he wants to make this fruit famous just so he can put his little town, his patch of the world on the map to bring more people, more frequently to create a future for his children to be able to continue this tradition, his legacy.
I really hope you get a chance to meet him and even if you don’t, or maybe not right now, let’s help his dream come true! Let’s put Cedro on the map! Tell a friend or two and let’s keep making these dreams happen!
Amici, as always, my hope as you read along on my dream-chasing escapades and travel extravaganzas is that it will leave you with a glimmer of hope, an oomph of inspiration and the courage to take-on that little dream you’ve been carrying around in your pocket.
I really hope you will come to visit and meet these wonderful people. They’re really great! Until next time, let’s do this!
Meet Franco, the ‘Willy Wonka of Cedro’ here: https://www.veraitalia.it/culture-creators/francocedro/
