De gustibus (Eating History: Italy)
John is the only foreigner that Italians trust to tell them the story of their globally famous cuisine.
First transmitted on History Channel Italia in 2016, this six-part history of Italian food based on John’s book Delizia! has been shown all over the world.
It was History Channel Italia’s second most popular programme of the year.
This TV history of Italian food is now available on Amazon Prime in the UK.
Episode 1 – What the Romans ate Spoiler: it wasn’t just one great big toga party .
Episode 2 – Holy food Why did devout Italians make eggs out of rice and fish glue? For centuries, the Pope told Italians what they could and could not eat.
Episode 3 – Power lunch From Renaissance princes to Fascist dictators, Italy’s rulers have brought power and propaganda to the table
Episode 4 – The private life of pasta Who really invented pasta? And why did a King of Naples eat maccheroni with his hands?
Episode 5 – Going Hungry Italy would not be the land of plenty it is today if it had not been haunted by hunger for centuries
Episode 6 – Viva l’Italia 200 years ago, European travellers thought Italian food was disgusting. What changed?