Listen to Sophie Grigson on the podcast as she shares how a bold move to Puglia reignited her passion for food. Explore more delicious stories on our podcast page.
The real flavour of Puglia
What surprised Sophie most upon settling in was just how different Puglian food is from the Italian fare most Brits know and love. Forget creamy lasagnes and rich egg pasta, the south, she discovered, is a world apart.
“When I got to Puglia, it really brought home how regional Italian food is,” she explains. “Puglian food is very, very different from the food of northern Italy… For instance, pasta is just made with flour and water because they were very, very poor.”
“The landscape is another reason that Puglian food is very vegetable-based…The land is very stony, very hard to till, and there is very little water… So, a lot of pulses, because you could grow them in the winter, harvest them, and then dry them for the summer.”
A country of contrasts
Travelling across Italy, Sophie has become fascinated by the way history and geography shape what ends up on the plate. She describes a culinary journey from the Greek-influenced bitterness of Puglia to the sweet-and-sour flavours of Sicily – a legacy of Moorish influence.
“As you move across through Calabria towards Sicily, you start getting sweet and sour flavours coming in, the agrodolce flavours, which I’d always associated with Sicily. And again, that agrodolce is not so prevalent further north.”
But the differences aren’t just about ingredients – they’re about identity. “Northern Italians think the Southern Italians are lazy, stupid and less educated. Now, it’s not true at all. Some of the hardest working people I know are southern Italians… and then the Southern Italians think the Northern Italians are snobs, too proper, don’t know how to live properly.”
Sophie has her own theory about what binds Italy together: “The way they think about food, it’s like a pyramid. All Italians know that the best cuisine in the world is Italian. Then, the best Italian food comes from their region. Then, the food of their town is better than any other town. And the pinnacle is the cooking of their nonna or mama is better than anything else. And woe betide you if you argue with that.”
Family, heritage and the joy of the unknown
Sophie’s own food heritage runs deep. Her mother, Jane Grigson, was a revered food writer and Sophie grew up in a household where “food mattered” and curiosity was encouraged.
“One of my mother’s great mantras, which actually came from my grandmother, was if you see something on a menu that you don’t know, that’s what you should order. Don’t order the thing that you’re comfortable with. Try something different.”
It’s a philosophy that has served her well in Italy, where she’s embraced local dialects, traditions and a whole new way of cooking. But some British comforts still call her back, such as Sussex pond pudding – a suet-crusted dessert with a whole lemon hidden inside. “That was one my mum made… When you cut into it, this lake of lemony, buttery, sugary syrup comes out and it is divine.”
Kitchen disasters and guilty pleasures
Even the most seasoned cooks have their disasters. Sophie recalls the time she left a gammon in the oven for 24 hours only to discover “a much smaller charcoal version of the gammon.”
As for guilty pleasures? “Scampi fries,” she confesses with a laugh. “There’s just something about them that’s addictive, isn’t it?”
Lessons from a life in food
For Sophie, good food starts with good ingredients, “not expensive, but actually ones that are… fresh, locally grown if you can get them.” And above all, she champions curiosity. “Food is exciting. That’s how you discover food and that’s how you discover a country.”
Whether she’s unearthing the secrets of Puglian pulses or perfecting a tarte tatin, Sophie’s story is a reminder that the best meals – and the best lives – are those seasoned with curiosity, courage and a dash of adventure.
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