Food and territory go hand in hand, we have been telling you this for years and in recent months even more so since a powerful media campaign against Gallipoli and Salento has been pouring over our land in recent months.
Food, traditional recipes are the most representative link of our land. We even created a food and wine tour with these specificities for our first birthday “Radici”, letting the ingredients of our land “speak”.
Having said that, one thing I want to tell you, making a small premise: I do not like to talk and criticize the work of others but in this case it is good to intervene right away, to put stakes on the line between what is typically Salento and what is not and that creates a distorted image of our land.
“The heart of the matter,” the crux of the matter is coffee on ice.
Coffee on ice with or without almond milk and lemon zest: this is Salento coffee
You may be wondering: all this encyclical over a very trivial coffee on ice?
I answer that it is not a trivial matter that I am telling you about. When we talk about Radici and our DNA, we should not shut up and wait for someone to do or say something for us.
Foodismo: our brand manifesto talks about food, sharing, tradition and authentic Salento values. That is why coffee on ice is a part of our heart.
We usually meet people who love Salento and the good and beautiful things our land has to offer. Generally our Foodists, tourists and visitors, turn into brand ambassadors of our land once they return home and this, in our small way, within the work we do, makes us proud and happy because to tell in a truthful and above all authentic way the heel of Puglia, is not an easy thing.
Salento coffee: the deed
Well, on my way back from Rome, I found myself on the Naples-Bari highway, at the height of Avellino, a handful of days ago (exactly August 3) and at a nice Autogrill, I ran into an equally nice barman at the time of the much-awaited coffee break, after having been in line for an hour on the GRA.
The waiter says to me, “Since I can see from your accent that you are from Salento, would you like a coffee just like you do in your neck of the woods? I will serve you, if you want, an authentic Salento coffee.”
I was undecided between having sto sto benedetto “caffè salentino” as he says or a very normal hot coffee in a hot cup as they usually serve it in the Autogrill chain.
In my heart I knew the catch was lurking behind my back (you can safely change the words of what I just wrote, put the right synonyms in the “right place,” the colorful end result will not change). Not indulging my sixth sense, I decide to try this blessed coffee on ice.
Disappointing result, lousy coffee and above all I drank a coffee that is not Salentine.
I don’t resent those who work in there, unfortunately they follow orders and follow recipes and procedures that someone else chooses for them.
But I beg you: don’t pass something off as salentino when you don’t know the customs, traditions and roots of our land. That drink I had is not from Salento and is in no way representative of Salento.
Below I post two photographs of the soda I “tasted” at the Autogrill, receipt included.
If you want to get an idea about Salento recipes you can safely purchase, directly from Amazon, a fantastic guide to the tastes and pleasures of Salento
Get an idea of what I have told you and write in the comments below
Do you Salento people or adopted Salento people, how do you take your Salento coffee? Write about it in the comments!
Gianfranco, sacrificati sull’altare del marketing e apprezza il fatto che il marchio Salento abbia preso piede dappertutto. Che poi ci siano in giro dei mistificatori questo è un altro paio di maniche. Questo è il prezzo ormai che dobbiamo pagare per il fatto di essere sulla cresta dell’onda. Meglio farsene una ragione.
Caro Carmelo,
preferisco che le persone chiamino le cose con il giusto nome. La mia potrebbe sembrare un’esagerazione ma non lo è purtroppo.
Usano la parola Salento in modo leggero, indicando più di una volta le cose sbagliate che certamente non abbiamo desiderato io e te, che amiamo questa terra (da quel poco che ti conosco sei una persona eccezionale con un amore viscerale per il Salento… non a caso stai restaurando il monumento simbolo di questa terra).
Detto questo, penso che dobbiam fare i dovuti distinguo tra ciò che è Salento e ciò che non lo è, giusto per ricordare a chi non conosce la nostra terra che non siamo località di scoppiati e fannulloni. Accanto ai tour delle discoteche esistono altri 1000 volti di fare turismo.
Così come sarebbe forse il caso di ripartire e ripensare il brand Salento che in questi anni è stata svuotato di contenuti e valori!
Ti ringrazio per aver commentato con il cuore! Ci vediamo presto!