Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South: Series Premiere (ITV Sunday 22 October 2023)

Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South: Season 1 Episode 1 of 6 airs Sunday 22 October 2023 on ITV.

What is this episode about

In his most recent series, Gino travels across land and under water to uncover the best-kept food secrets of Puglia and Basilicata, two regions in southern Italy.

In this series, Gino will travel to a fantastical land complete with craggy mountains, underground cities, sandy shores, and azure seas. The toes and heels of southern Italy are Italy at its grandest. A wide variety of cultures, from the Ancient Greeks to the Byzantines and the Spanish, have left their mark on the modern cuisine and traditions of southern Italy, making these areas a veritable treasure trove of hidden information.

In the premiere episode Gino travels to Matera in best James Bond–style and spends his time there sampling Amaro Lucano and “Nun’s Breast” cakes, two of his father’s favourite foods. In no time at all, he is in the kitchen with a master baker, learning the art of making “the best bread in Italy.” Then, he meets a grandmother of 86 who shows him how to make fried lampascioni balls out of hyacinth bulbs, the most delicious of all peasant foods. He concludes his trip at a local farm where senatore capelli wheat is grown, which is safe for those with gluten sensitivities. Gino uses an old pizza oven to prepare a beef in breadcrumbs extravaganza in this picturesque setting on the banks of a reservoir.

When can we see the episode

Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South: Season 1 Episode 1 of 6 airs Sunday 22 October 2023 at 7:30pm on ITV

Featured Image Credit: ITV