Local Aromas from Italy

Everyone jokes that Italians speak with their hands. 🤌🇮🇹 The funny thing is ... they're right! 😜 But it turns out there's much more to it than simply being expressive. In this episode, we went down a rabbit hole that completely surprised us. We discovered that Italian gestures may have roots in Ancient Rome, medieval monasteries, bustling trading ports, and even centuries when people nee...

Do you know what we get genuinely excited about every year? Strawberries. Artichokes. The first tomatoes of summer. The arrival of peaches. And then ... we happily say goodbye to them until next year. In this episode, we're chatting about something that is deeply rooted in Italian culture:  enjoying the wait . Valeria and Benedetta talk about why Italians naturally eat with the seasons, why we...

Everybody knows  ciao . But did you know that the word actually comes from a phrase that meant "I am your servant"? And did you know that Italians don't just say hello with words? We also say hello with cheek kisses, handshakes, eye contact, and a whole set of unspoken social rules. In this episode, we chat about one of the most everyday parts of Italian culture: greetings. From the...

Have you ever tasted something and suddenly found yourself back in a completely different moment of your life? 😶‍🌫️ In this episode of Local Aromas from Italy, Benedetta and Valeria share the foods, smells, and flavors that instantly transport them to childhood summers, family vacations, grandparents' homes, and some of life's happiest memories. Together, they explore why food is so deepl...

Italian food is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. There’s just one problem: Italian food doesn’t actually exist. In this episode of Local Aromas from Italy, Benedetta and Valeria explore why Italy is not home to one cuisine, but hundreds of regional and local food traditions. From pesto in Liguria to couscous in Sicily, from lampredotto in Florence to cacio e pepe in Rome, every dish t...

What does “never giving up” really look like? In this very first episode of Local Aromas from Italy, Benedetta and Valeria open up about something that shaped their entire lives: never giving up. From becoming pastry chefs and sommeliers to starting Local Aromas in their 40s, the two sisters share an honest conversation about divorce, career changes, motherhood, COVID, social media hate, purpose,...