Stanley Tucci searches for Italy and finds
Parmigiano Reggiano® cheese

STANLEY TUCCI MEETS UP WITH CELEBRATED CHEF MASSIMO BOTTURA
TO LEARN HOW PARMIGIANO REGGIANO IS MADE AND AGED

Most people have now seen Stanley Tucci in the widely-acclaimed new food & travel series on CNN, ‘Searching for Italy’. Tucci grew up in New York in a largely Italian-American community, however he credits much of his love for Italy, its food, culture and traditions to the year he spent in Florence as a teenager. In this show, Tucci travels across Italy in search of the best food that the country has to offer. We’re happy that Parmigiano Reggiano was one of the foods that the award-winning actor, who is also a producer, food writer and mixologist, chose to feature in the show.

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Massimo Bottura joins Stanley Tucci in Modena on a tour of a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese-making dairy. Here’s a snippet from the show.

Stanly Tucci has a special place in his heart (and in his kitchen)
for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

According to a recent article in Parade Magazine, Parmigiano Reggiano is the first item in Tucci’s list of foods he “always has in the kitchen”. So, it is no surprise that one of his stops in ‘Searching for Italy was a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese-making dairy to learn about the history of his favorite cheese, and for a chance to see first-hand how artisans create this masterpiece of the Italian culinary arts by adhering to ancient traditions. And, to make the experience even more memorable, Massimo Bottura, one of the world’s top chefs – and possibly the best known champion of Parmigiano Reggiano – acted as his personal tour guide, proudly sharing his knowledge with characteristic enthusiasm.

Tucci, a former bartender, made a Negroni for his wife – and in the process made Instagram history.

Tucci jokes about almost throwing his back out trying to make Pasta alla Carbonara and becoming a star thanks to his Negroni-making skills.

In a recent article in the LA Times, Tucci tells the writer about the time he almost threw out his back trying to lift an 80 Lb. wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano to cut it, hollow out one half, and make Pasta alla Carbonara in it. Later in the same article, Tucci describes his secret to making great pasta, “… if the ingredients aren’t right, and you don’t do it right, it falls apart. But definitely invest in a good hunk of Parmigiano (Reggiano) for your fridge and grate it yourself.” But, how did all this attention start? Apparently with a cocktail. He originally made a video showing how to use Campari to make a proper Negroni as a way to cheer up folks at Curtis-Brown, the literary agency where his wife, Felicity Blunt, works. In an interview with People Magazine, Tucci said that Felicity suggested he post the video on Instagram. The video hit a nerve during the pandemic, and went viral – something that was a big shock to both Tucci and his wife. “Surprised isn’t the word. I’m shocked and appalled,” he joked: “I’m so flattered. We had no idea.” Here’s a link to see the clip on Instagram.

We look forward to seeing Tucci enjoying more of his travels
in search of the great food that Italy has to offer.

At a time when most of us are missing the pleasure of traveling and exploring different cultures, the show has enabled us to experience Italy through Tucci’s adventures. The show has grown to be extremely popular, and CNN recently announced a second season starting in 2022. So, you can expect to see Tucci continue to explore Italian culinary delights as he travels to more regions throughout the country – and we expect that he will continue to sample dishes that include everyone’s favorite Italian cheese, the inimitable Parmigiano Reggiano.