There is one thing I love doing while I’m grocery shopping or cooking, and that’s listening to podcasts. There’s something special about a familiar voice coming through my headphones while I’m selecting the best zucchini at the supermarket, or stirring piping hot tomato sauce in the pan for dinner. What I love even more when I’m busy with kitchen chores is listening to podcasts about Italian food. My mouth waters while I listen to recipes, ingredients, and the delicious sizzling of a homemade meal being prepared.
The world of podcasts is a crowded one. And so is the world of Italian food lovers. But worry not, here’s La Cucina Italiana’s guide to the best 5 podcasts about Italian food you can find on the internet right now. We have selected one episode or show for five key Italian specialties: coffee, pasta, olive oil, pizza, and bread. Enjoy!
Coffee
Gola, about Italian food, its history, and culture. Food journalist Katie Parla and culinary historian Danielle Callegari chat about Italian favorites, telling you all about where they come from and what they mean in Italian culture. The podcast is a pleasure to listen to, and the hosts are always up for a good laugh. It’s like listening to two good friends talking about the things they’re most passionate about, in an informal and yet informed way. Gola has released episodes on pretty much everything. We have selected their episode about coffee, Properly Caffeinated, because c’mon, it’s Italy we’re talking about and coffee can’t be on this list. Moreover, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Starbucks has come to Italy, and its opening of a big, shiny store in Milan’s city center has made a big stir with espresso lovers. Listen here.
Pasta
Planet Money, the business podcast from NPR. Planet Money has released over 900 episodes and everything business and finance. It doesn’t sound like food would be their strong suit, but back in 2012, when the financial crisis was raging, they released an episode about pasta production that is worth listening to. We eat pasta every day and we stock our pantry cabinets with blue Barilla carton boxes, so we know what they’re talking about. The episode will not teach you about the best way to cook your spaghetti (for that, stick with La Cucina Italiana, we have your back), but it’s a 20-minute-long story of a business success in the south of Italy, that which can give you simple but fundamental notions about Italy's economy and history. Do you love your food? We know you want to know about what's happening, economically and historically, in our neck of the woods. Listen here.
Olive oil
A Taste of the Past, a weekly podcast about the history of food, hosted by culinary historian Linda Pelaccio. The great thing about this podcast, and the reason we’re bringing it to your attention, are the guests. Almost every episode has fascinating guests that talk about the food they’re most knowledgeable of, and what can be better than learning about ingredients and food culture from the original source? Sure, from a sound editing point of view, this podcast could improve, but the content is worth it. A Taste of the Past dedicated many episodes to Italy, but another great thing about it is that it wanders outside national borders to explore foods from all over the world. In the past year, the show has released an episode on olive oil, which as you all know is what Italians basically drink for breakfast. In it, they interview a member of a family that has been producing oil for 30 generations. Listen here.
Pizza
Okay, NPR’s Morning Edition is not a podcast, but it’s still delicious content you can listen to while buying fresh tomatoes or on your way to work. Plus, it’s short, and the National Public Radio being National Public Radio, it deserves a mention in our list of delectable audio stories. And who doesn’t want to know more about pizza? Pizza is everywhere and it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like it. But what’s its story? Where does it come from? And what happened when Naples, the homeland of the most delicious pizza, decided to make 2km (approximately 1.24 miles) of it? The episode is just a few minutes long, and you’ll have something interesting to tell your friends next time you stop for an impromptu slice in the middle of the night. Listen here.
Bread
Last but not least, we have the real deal, the host with the Italian accent. Giulia Scarpaleggia is a self-described “Tuscan bred and born country girl,” and she knows what she’s talking about when she talks about food. Her podcasts have just a few episodes – it was released in January 2019 – which means you can catch up soon. The great thing about it are the guests and the recipes Giulia is happy to share with her listeners. In every episode, she mentions many different recipes and always makes sure to share a link for them. If you want to learn how to cook like a true Tuscan girl, this is the podcast you’re looking for. We’re sharing with you the episode about Tuscan bread, a staple of Tuscan cuisine, that has the magical power of being delicious while being completely unsalted. Listen here.