Hot on the heels of the success of his CNN Searching for Italy series in 2022, the American actor and foodie has returned to our screens with Tucci in Italy. Produced by SALT Productions and BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, in partnership with National Geographic, Stanley Tucci visits a selection of Italy’s regions for a deep dive into food traditions and the people who keep the culinary customs alive. Cookbook author and food journalist Emiko Davies talks about introducing the actor to Florentine offal.
How did the Stanley Tucci gig come about?
An email came through from National Geographic. At the time they didn’t tell me what it was really for. “We’re working on this food and travel show in Italy, and we’d love to get your perspective.” They wanted me to tell them some of Florence’s culinary history. At the beginning, I was like, “Okay, well, you know, I’ve written a book about it. (laughs) You could just read the book.” They were like, “Oh, yes, we have it.” We exchanged a few emails and they asked me questions like, “If you were going to take someone to eat in Florence and they only had one meal, where would you take them?” I instantly said, “Oh, lampredotto, easy.” That’s the only thing you’re going to find in Florence and nowhere else. Obviously, it’s not universally appealing, so not everyone is going to rush out there and try cow stomach. But they were really into it, and so eventually they told me it was for Stanley Tucci.
So, did he like it or not? Be honest.
I believe that he really liked it because he seemed quite surprised by it. We filmed all morning and there were bits and pieces that didn’t make it into the cut. We actually started filming in piazza dei Ciompi, but I think Sant’Ambrogio is a little more photogenic, so they chose that bit in the end. There was a moment when they were changing scenes or checking something out, so we were just standing there with our sandwiches, waiting for them. We were off camera and he said to me, “You know, I always have to say I like this on this show, but this is really good.” He didn’t have to say that.
There’s a scene where a local rides past on his creaking bike and Stanley Tucci quips about giving him some olive oil. Was that impromptu?
That actually happened. I swear that guy was not paid to come through and do that. I was in the middle of talking and stopped because you just can’t hear me at a certain point due to this guy’s bike. That was hilarious, but some people were just completely clueless as to what was happening. It was early morning and that guy was carrying something from the market. As it got later, other people recognized Stanley Tucci and were like, “Oh…” Some guy actually even interrupted us in the middle of filming and came over to give his restaurant’s business card to Stanley. Stanley was like, “Oh…” And we were like, “Man, we’re filming here.” But, yes, that guy on the bike was real.
How does the responsibility sit with you about promoting something in Florence in the city centre and the possible aftermath?
I actually wrote about this in my newsletter. I love Florence, but I can’t live there anymore because of the way things have become so over the top. There’s the knock-on effect of Stanley Tucci’s previous show with the wine doors, for example. They are a pet peeve for me because they are no longer a historically real experience. It’s also an extremely inefficient way to get a glass of wine! And you don’t even know what wine they’re giving you. They could be pouring something out of a box. I would never tell anyone to go and do that. So I really thought about it for a long time. In the end, I decided lampredotto was a valid choice because it tells a real story about Florentine food that’s not made up like the wine doors and also it isn’t universally appealing like a glass of wine, a gelato or an affogato. It’s something that only a really small number of people are actually going to want to try.
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about the overwhelming number of bistecca restaurants in Florence. There are literally hundreds of steaks on show in the windows. It made me wonder where they are getting all these steaks from. It seems very wasteful. So, I went to my butcher to ask him how many bistecche you can get from a cow. He said, “Well, depending on the size of the cow obviously, but between eight and ten.” So, how many cows are being slaughtered just to fill the windows of these Florentine restaurants? And then what’s happening to the rest of the cow? If we were willing, like people in the past were, to eat more offal, then we wouldn’t need to kill so many cows. There’s this overconsumption of steak in Florence because obviously it’s a symbol of Florentine cuisine. I get that, but there’s a really rich culinary history using offcuts in Florentine cuisine. I never ate offal until I moved to Florence and I love it. If someone is a conscientious omnivore and they’re looking to expand their repertoire, I think a lampredotto sandwich is a pretty good one to try because it’s really delicate. The texture was one of the things that surprised Stanley.
Where else does Stanley Tucci visit in his Tuscany episode?
Giulio Picchi is in it, following in his father’s footsteps because Stanley was with Fabio Picchi in the previous show, and Dalla Lola, so they mention that her family has Cammillo around the corner. She’s also doing really interesting things in her restaurant: a lot of offal and all these forgotten dishes. Then he goes to Lunigiana and Maremma.
Tucci in Italy is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
