This episode kind of feels like a fetch quest in a fantasy game, lol. Like, go to the farm and charm the farmer to get the tomatoes, take the tomatoes to the restaurant to get the chef to make pasta basilica, give the pasta to the random villager who said he was craving pasta. That villager takes you to his brothers' house, where, for 39 gold, his brother, the blacksmith, will carve you a legendary hilt for your sword adorned with ancient Norse runes that adds +3 speed and -29 Cooldown.
Hey Alex, if you want to cook those tomatoes you can find them for sale in Paris each year around October-November in RAP épicerie. By putting them in a fresh closet I successfully make them last up to April. What a pleasure to have fresh tomatoes available for the entire winter and this grape of tomatoes always ready for you to pick a few and make a quick sauce anytime.
@@MachoMaster It is expensive, 35€ for a grape that weight around 1.5kg. It's nicely presented, you get your grape suspended in a carton box and the side of the box can be removed so you can store it like that and have air circulating around.
The simplistic brilliance of Italian cuisine. Get a few great ingredients, lightly cook them and let them shine. Combine that with some wine and a view and you have a food experience.
I started to travel to Italy in the beginning of the year 2003, a little bit after the Euro has been introduced. I have visited so much beautiful places since then, and a lot of them will always warm my heart to tears until I die. Italy is a really special country for a lot of reasons. Some places I've been I could have never even imagined they could exist. But the absolute best of the best memories I still have to this day from Italy are of course the Italians, they are so kind and so welcoming and so proud of their roots. But if I had to name specific table-related wonders that I have experienced from Italy that changed my life, it would be some wine tastings on two occasions in Tuscany which combined perfect scenery, perfect human connections, perfect weather, perfect dishes, and to crown it all the best bottles of Brunello di Montalcino and super Tuscans (fun fact that was the first time I tasted a Tignanello and it was a 1989) that I have ever had in my life. These were exceptionnally rare and special moments of profound beauty my life, that I could not even have thought would happen even in the best movies out there. I have to say those experiences in Tuscany were every bit as perfect and close to my heart as tasting the Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio and the Sfusato Amalfitano, those two nature wonders cultivated by people so nice that they can unknowingly give you back the will to live. Those occupy the absolute top of my list of the best things you have to try before you die. Those can sound like curious or surprising choices because you almost never hear about it, but when you get to taste it your whole life suddenly makes sense again, at this level you don't taste food or wine anymore, you touch perfection for a brief moment in your existence and it prints something permanent in your soul forever. Cheers and Love from QC, Canada XXX. Thank you Alex for sharing yet another amazing video, it was so heartwarming, so well produced, so real, so perfect. You are one of my absolute favorite youtuber. Take care, et Salut!!
I'm italian and I'm so happy when people from abroad come in our country and experience our gastronomic culture. I'm so glad you have so much incredible memories from your trips to italy
Netflix couldn't make this better. It's unbelievable how hard you are working on making this video being fluent to understand for everyone. Didn't even noticed first that hes talking italian. Thank you
Anyone else watch Alex’s videos and immediately go cook whatever it was? Didn’t have the same tomatoes but my lord was it still good. My stomach is your biggest fan Alex!
@@bogdandaraban1593 naw man I grabbed some organic cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, good quality spaghetti, added a pound of shrimp, and I already had garlic and nice EVOO. Cost 18 bucks. And it fed 4 adults plenty.
What I just adore about eating Italian food, in Italy, is the simplicity. Here was a perfect dish; pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Five ingredients, in perfect harmony, creating a plate of perfection. Merci beaucoup d'avoir partagé cette histoire e grazie per tutti!
@@tigre3droyce771 I can't make *this* dish either - but there's going to be somebody near you producing something local and excellent. Near where I moved in the UK is Cheddar - synonymous with the commodity cheese. But after a while you find some makers are creating an aged version that's as good as parmesan (not better, but different). Then you find the cider. Then you find for a few weeks a year the best strawberries you've ever tasted. Best thing I ever did was stopping buying fruit and veg at the supermarket and just buying from my local greengrocer - whatever's novel and piled high (and often quite cheap) is usually good - and then just google/youtube a recipe.
It’s really fun to see that people like their simplicity in cooking. me myself I am half Italian and what I cannot stand in Italy is the simplicity in their cooking. the same food I will cook at home for lunch isn’t supposed to be what I’m ordering in a restaurant in my liking. Simple food is something I can do myself. when I go to a restaurant I want them to do better than I can do at home. Italians are very proud of the quality of their products and they should be, but I have to say that it hasn’t happened a lot in the Italian kitchens the last hundreds of years. it’s still basil tomatoes oil and garlic. The year is 2022 and I think it’s time for changes and modernisations.
I’m a spanish guy with italian origins. Honestly, the italian food is the best in the world. I know their food and if you go there, in italy, you can have a culinary experience as nowhere else in the world. Food in italy is life And italy is food.
I've spent a year in northern Italy (Emilia romagna region) and can honestly say that italian food is highly overrated. It's really nothing special and usually quite boring. I'm not saying it's bad, but boring for sure.
@@anbos33 i think that the right term is "simple" , and as a chef ,trust me if i say that simplicity is not a synonymous of easy, probabily you taste 1% of all italian food , because, if you dont know , in Italy there isnt various typical food for each region , but almost every city have one special own food
Northen italy has a strong influence from other country like Germany. If u want to taste real italian food u have to come south. Campania, Sicilia, Puglia, Lazio are the regions u have to go
@@profkronfeld4743 I'm not trolling, just stating my opinion... I know Italians are always very defensive when someone talks bad about their food so it's clear where you are from. And I'm from Lithuania btw, don't know why that matters, I'm not saying Lithuanian food is better, only that Italian food is boring. That being said I've only stayed in north of Italy, next summer I'll try south.
I never liked raw tomatoes before i spent my vacation in Italy. I'm used to have tasteless, juiceless, jelly-like tomatoes. But quality tomatoes a whole new level. They don't even need any spice- they ARE the spice themselves!
Thank you for showing so many views of the landscape, Alex. My Dad was there when Vesuvius erupted in the 40s, and he told me about it but I never had an idea of what the area looks like. Also, now I am hungry. It's rainy and cold here, and I would like to be eating pasta with special tomatoes on the sunny slope of the mountain.
Living vicariously through Alex is the most difficult thing ever, since we don't get to taste and smell the food, but I'm always in awe of the things you get to see and do. Thanks for sharing these adventures. Now if only I could find those dang tomatoes in Toronto, lol.
It’s the dead of winter here downtown and I’ve got a couple of Roma tomatoes plants growing in the condo. Tomatoes will grow anywhere with a bit of artificial light. Try it yourself!
Videos like this always remind me of the locality philosophy: Maybe there's some amazing local ingredient uniquely near you that would work (almost) as well as this one! That would also be more sustainable than importing THE best of everything from around the world or using recipes made by people where those imported ingredients are local.
I visited a vine yard on the slopes of Vesuvius back in 2018 and tasted their produced wines. You could really taste the natural salt from the ash rock fertilised ground in the wine. I had spaghetti there to with these tomatoes! not even realising the background behind them and just WOW! what an incredible flavour sensation. I've not had anything like it before. Thank you for this video Alex. I've learnt about something i've already had and knew so little about.
I'm from the place you visited in the video. I am extremely proud when someone like you is able to show the world that Naples has so much to say and to give .. your intelligence and sensitivity shines through this video as you understand the humanity we have and the identity we have never forgotten as so many European capitals have done. Thank you very much
I ordered pasta norma in Milano this fall. First bite.. I was blown away by the taste of the tomatoes sauce. When I ask about the secret, the waitress said the tomatoes are from Sicily. She then asked me where I am from, and I said Germany.She gave me a sweet cute smile and said, good luck finding them there 😭. Our German tomatoes are called Dutch watermelons here.
I'm Italian and I love sauerkraut, which are pretty much impossible to get here 😅 Anyway, there are very good italian tomato sauces available in Germany, as Mutti and Cirio. Not the same as fresh tomatoes from Vesuvio, but this is what Italians use in many recipes.
@@tigre3droyce771 if you can get the "pomodorini" (cherry tomatoes) version of these sauce brands, the taste gets very close to fresh cherry/Piccadilly tomatoes! Dry tomatoes are absolutely great but not for tomato sauce, I'd use them to make a pesto alla siciliana/Red sicilian pesto (dried tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, olive oil and pecorino cheese all grinded and blended together, no cooking - delicious!)
This is such an emotional story! Every town needs to have its own historically wealthy food item that can’t be beaten and uses the landscape to speak to you. Thanks Alex - let’s hope the future of food is getting people to learn and appreciate what’s on their doorstep.
Italy is a beautiful country, but by far the best reason to go to Italy is for the people. Their hospitality, humor and joy is such a pleasure to be around.
Great episode! I've actually taken them with me on the plane when I was there. In Italy nobody bothered. I had to re-check in in Germany and customs were asking a lot of questions. I had them for 6 months in my cupboard, super delicious still.
Tiramisu Adventure next. Please! There is so much chemistry you can work with to make a series, and it's in the Italian theme while you're at it. First you taste tiramisu in a few places, and when you go back to the studio you make your own perfect one.
You'd think it weird that japan is the primary importer of some random cultivar of tomatoes but japanese have a real fascination with rare & expensive fruits and vegetables. A good gift in japan is like a handful of fruits you've spent a fair amount of money on. The best melon I've ever had was in a yakiniku restaurant in tokyo where the owner offered us some melons that an acquaintance of his grew and which were not available to market anywhere, and even after the absolutely mental meal I'd just had (I'm talking some mind-blowingly good meat and probably the best black sesame ice cream in the world) I was still impressed with how good the melon was despite being just simple slices of plain fruit.
A friend of mine, who is a farmer, has just send a box of Broccolo fiolaro, which is a peculiar vegetable from Creazzo (Vicenza), in Japan. It's incredible!
I don't think you can understand how many Japanese pizza masters there are. These guys are girls are driving the market for this key ingredient. All of the small pizza places I have been to in Tokyo, the chef has studied for a few years in Italy.
My wife and I visited Mount Vesuvius in 2013 but I had no idea there were special tomatoes growing there. Now I wish we had tried some of the local cuisine.
@@Ketnip23Kombativ Yeah, but we didn't have a lot of time. It was just a day trip as part of a cruise around the Mediterranean. We climbed up to the top of Vesuvius and that was about all the time we had. It was worth it though.
So I ordered these seeds 7 months ago. It is an amazing plant for my environment. I'm seriously in awe. I live where it is arid and has been very hot the last few months (over 100 nearly every day). I didn't prune the plants. They are bushed out bigger than any other tomato I have planted except for the "super sweet 100". It's dark green and not affected by the dry conditions like all the others struggling right now. They taste very good but I still have yet to harvest the loads on the vine right now.
@@DurzoHighwind I've got my last vine to harvest this week. They really took off when the temperature went down. They have alot of pectin in them and make for a naturally thick sauce. When I tried to keep the vines and let them hang before they got knocked off.
We in Brazil are lucky to have a great variety of tomatoes and it does make a diference on having them ultra fresh. This video made me a lot more emotional than I expected!
Alex, this is one of your best video of all time! Truly enjoying that the fact this video accentuate how prominent and integral one single ingredient is. Beautifully shot, awesome story, and as per usual, a little geeky.. Keep up the good work!
I cultivated exactly this tomato on my balcony in Germany. I took the seeds from one little tomato that was gifted to me by my Italian deli. They told me, how precious and extraordinary it was. I didn't believe to be successful with cultivation, but I was wrong. Though cultivated in our not very warm German climate, the plant produced surprisingly plenty of very sweet tomatoes. From all tomato plants this was the one that died at last in the fall, it seemed to be highly fungi resistant. The skin of the fruit is a bit hard, but this is beneficial for storage. I consumed the last fruit on 20.12.2021.
what part of germany did you cultivate in? I imagine that it may be feasible in the rhine valley or bavaria, but very hard in brandenburg or mecklemburg.
I complained about the previous video feeling too fast paced and overly dramatized. THIS is a perfect Alex travel video. Personal, heartwarming, adventurous. I loved every second and felt like I was along for the journey myself. 💛 Excellent work
When Carlos mentioned that his tomatoes also aged and develops other complexity, I was hooked on the idea of getting a bunch in season slowly tasting them throughout the year to the next season.
South Italy is hard to beat for product quality. Naples is a special place with a lot of history and troubles :D But it's hard to find someone who isn't passionate about food.
I grow this variety in the Northeast USA, they are outstanding. My 75 yo mom thinks it’s the only variety we should grow next year, I have other plans though, but they are a keeper for sure. I almost want to invite you here to try them to compare in the late summer, but I am just a home cook/ gardener. 🙂 Ooh thinking I should try to confit them next year.
There's something oddly nostalgic about videos like this one, reminds me of my great grand parents. I really gotta visit Italia at some point in my life.
I really appreciate how you speak English in a well-pronounced, casual way. Your native accent adds some nice French flavour to your English, without over-shadowing it. Many French presenters often speak English far too quickly.
I am an italian who don't like this country and the parochialism of my people for its cuisine or culture. But i have admit that seeing through the eyes of a tourist, through your eyes, its wonderful and it's beautiful. Thank you.
WOW! been to naples a couple of days ago and saw these tomatoes hanging around many shops. Couldnt understood how they are preserved etc. Now I am back to Greece watching this video! We Visited Pepe in Grani as well and I am speechless. Thank you so much Alex for making those videos!
Your ability to tell a story is second to none, I like how you manage to take in and describe the whole process and not just the taste of one mouthful.
Many years ago, during a final weekend of a summer long study abroad in Paris, we took train to Rome. Winding up in Piazza Navarro, we roamed the side streets and wound up in a tiny little restaurant with the absolute best, simplest pasta dish and wine that the waiter chose for us. I could not eat pasta in the US for near ten years afterward. The difference was striking.
I once looked at the ingredients of pasta they have at Walmart - they have a gazillion additives. Even the most commercial low quality Italian made pasta - Barilla - has only one ingredient: semolina wheat flour, another thing that influences the recipe is the water you use and tap water in the US is treated differently than in Italy.
Alex, I have followed you for the last couple of years and simply seeing how you appreciate ingredients and where it all comes from has inspired me to do the same for everyday things in my life. This was a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing with me. With us.
We have them in Spain too, a heirloom variety from catalan speaking areas and the name is related to "tomàquets de penjar" with many dialectical variations. In English that would be something like "Tomatoes to be hanged" and they are kept hanged still in the vine and last all winter at room temp until the next crop is ready
I would be really surprised if this was actually the only place with the variety. They’re an American fruit not brought to Italy until the Colombian exchange; it’s not like some pre human evolutionary line extends to them. That said, plenty of details in soil microbiome and climate can change aspects to the plants I’m sure
@@unappropadope well be surprised because this is a variety that grow only there and the varieties from south America are only ancestors to what is grown now in Italy. Nothing to do with what they firstly brought.
I just discovered this channel and I'm so happy you got to visit my homeland! (I'm a home cook living in Campania, the same region where this was filmed :) )
Oh man we were in the area of Naples only a few weeks ago, we stayed there for 3 weeks, and the food we had there was unbelievable. Seeing this video makes we want to go back right now! Beautiful video Alex, well done!
This night I dreamt about going to a tomato farm, getting the very best tomatos and eating spaghetti at Vesuvio. It was amazing and after I told my gf about it she questioned if it was all just a dream. But no it was your video that resonated with me so much it influenced my dream and makes me want to cook the very best Spaghetti al Pomodoro I can right now. Tx Alex for making cooking very clear (by showing good methods) and a little bit magical (with your adventures/tastings).
I would like to have some tomatoes with a pinch of sunshine right now, please! This video was very interesting and nice to look at again. Italian people and they connection to food always amazes me.
It cheezy but when i see people enjoying food and getting so excited about something it makes me feel understood.^^Really love our passion and content.
I am not the one who usually demands something like this...but man, I (and my mom, she's a big fan of yours) would love to see you do a series on anything of Indian cuisine
Funny I had pasta for dinner tonight but just watching this made me feel so good and of course frustrated that I wasn't eating right along with Alex. This is the way and reason for travel for me. I love food, and understanding the connection between the soil, the people, the plant and the dish takes cooking to a level that brings heaven down to earth. This was short but so sweet to me and I hope they are still around when I make my first trip to Italy where I can also practice my very rusty Italian.
My best friends family was from Italy, and moved to California straight from Ellis Island over a hundred years ago. Her Great Uncle had about an acre of land in Echo Park Los Angeles, where a lot of Italians settled back then. We would go to his house and he grew these very tomatoes, he was from this part of Italy. Absolutely the best tomatoes, and her family spoiled me with them.
Dude you have the best channel on youtube. I don't care what anyone says. At the very least, this is hands down my favorite channel. Every single video is amazing. I've been subscribes for a few years now (may be on other channels i have) and I can say your content is THE BEST .
Oh Alex, your videos are always so inspiring. The passion and love you bring to the culture of cooking is consuming. You always leave me with an urge to go cook something delicious. Often it is to experiment with a dish that I've never cooked before. Thank you so much.
Super ta vidéo Alex. Encore merci de nous faire découvrir des choses. Je te suis depuis pas mal de temps et je trouve toujours tes contenus bien faits. Forza!
I have been watching this channel for a while now and after a while of not watching them and then coming back really just points out how good your vids really are !
Aside from showing your passion about food and beautiful Italy and being beautifully filmed, this video like all the other ones on your channel, is such a refreshing nice positive 13 mn. Thank you Alex!
I have watched this episode as much as anything Else. When Alex chomps into the raw tomato I love the sound. When they cook the pasta for him i can’t stand the audacity. This is one of my favorite things on UA-cam. It’s a top 10 for sure. I keep coming back for comfort when I feel bad and have this wish I could travel with Alex for a day or two. I am not just saying this. I feel this. I truly come here when I’m depressed. Obviously am here right now, for reasons. I just hope everyone is doing well and that’s all I can say without being sad
I love those travel videos; they're a well-balanced mixture of entertainment, journey, and education. But I have to say, I can't wait for the next video or series in which you'll cook yourself again.
My primary reason for gardening is the flavor! Second reason is, certainty of no chemicals and max minerals. Grocery veg tastes like cardboard and is probably about as nutritious.
Great video, love it! One simple ingredient, but a whole world opens up once you dive into it. Going further down the rabbit hole. So much fun - thanks Alex!
I can’t believe you’re so close to me now, and I watch you enjoying our everyday food, and you seem to be a true Italian, perfectly at ease in this context.
what a brilliant idea to do sometimes. Get some special ingredient and bring it to chef to make something. Gotta try that sometime. Fun and connection for everyone involved
Alex, you should visit Austria (Burgenland) in the summer! We have a lokal celebrity whos called Erich Stekovics (Nickname: The tomato emperor). He colects Tomato plants and has about 3200 varieties (as I am aware the biggest collection in the world). He also collects chili and garlic. Also there is only 1(!) video of him on youtube with english subs (on the swiss greenpeace channel). Would be a great video!
I can't wrap my head around the fact that these can stay good for up to nine months. Here I am buying onions that can bad in a few days if bought after new year yet I could just chuck these in a cool pantry... amazing!
This episode kind of feels like a fetch quest in a fantasy game, lol. Like, go to the farm and charm the farmer to get the tomatoes, take the tomatoes to the restaurant to get the chef to make pasta basilica, give the pasta to the random villager who said he was craving pasta. That villager takes you to his brothers' house, where, for 39 gold, his brother, the blacksmith, will carve you a legendary hilt for your sword adorned with ancient Norse runes that adds +3 speed and -29 Cooldown.
Best comment I've seen for a while. Thanks.
Thus this channel is a fantasy cooking* game, engineer character start is a bit OP to be honest.
:D
Love it. 👊🏼
Welcome to the world of an enneagram 7 type lol.
As someone who collects rare and antique tomato varieties, this moistens me.
What other rare varieties of tomato do you have?
Yep pretty wet here too
i want seeds myself
Want to see my tomato ?🥴
You should seek tomatoes from Margarita Island Venezuela
Hey Alex, if you want to cook those tomatoes you can find them for sale in Paris each year around October-November in RAP épicerie.
By putting them in a fresh closet I successfully make them last up to April. What a pleasure to have fresh tomatoes available for the entire winter and this grape of tomatoes always ready for you to pick a few and make a quick sauce anytime.
Tu sais pas s'il en reste ? :D
@@Aezandris La dernière fois que j'y suis passé je n'en ai plus vu en vente mais peut-être en réserve.
@@Fe_lix merci bien !
Felix, do you mind telling how expensive are they?
@@MachoMaster It is expensive, 35€ for a grape that weight around 1.5kg.
It's nicely presented, you get your grape suspended in a carton box and the side of the box can be removed so you can store it like that and have air circulating around.
The simplistic brilliance of Italian cuisine. Get a few great ingredients, lightly cook them and let them shine. Combine that with some wine and a view and you have a food experience.
As an italianguy i just love to see a frenchguy enjoying so much our products and food. Consider yourself hugged, Alex.
I started to travel to Italy in the beginning of the year 2003, a little bit after the Euro has been introduced. I have visited so much beautiful places since then, and a lot of them will always warm my heart to tears until I die. Italy is a really special country for a lot of reasons. Some places I've been I could have never even imagined they could exist. But the absolute best of the best memories I still have to this day from Italy are of course the Italians, they are so kind and so welcoming and so proud of their roots. But if I had to name specific table-related wonders that I have experienced from Italy that changed my life, it would be some wine tastings on two occasions in Tuscany which combined perfect scenery, perfect human connections, perfect weather, perfect dishes, and to crown it all the best bottles of Brunello di Montalcino and super Tuscans (fun fact that was the first time I tasted a Tignanello and it was a 1989) that I have ever had in my life. These were exceptionnally rare and special moments of profound beauty my life, that I could not even have thought would happen even in the best movies out there. I have to say those experiences in Tuscany were every bit as perfect and close to my heart as tasting the Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio and the Sfusato Amalfitano, those two nature wonders cultivated by people so nice that they can unknowingly give you back the will to live. Those occupy the absolute top of my list of the best things you have to try before you die. Those can sound like curious or surprising choices because you almost never hear about it, but when you get to taste it your whole life suddenly makes sense again, at this level you don't taste food or wine anymore, you touch perfection for a brief moment in your existence and it prints something permanent in your soul forever.
Cheers and Love from QC, Canada XXX. Thank you Alex for sharing yet another amazing video, it was so heartwarming, so well produced, so real, so perfect. You are one of my absolute favorite youtuber. Take care, et Salut!!
I'm italian and I'm so happy when people from abroad come in our country and experience our gastronomic culture. I'm so glad you have so much incredible memories from your trips to italy
If you ever feel depressed I legimately think having a roadtrip around italy can cure your depression. Just be open to all kinds of experiences.
I love the artistic direction Alex brings with these videos. Truly one of a kind
Will this be the birth of Alex French Guy Gardening .. cause I'm down!
Yes, with the first project being "Alex builds a volcano" 😆
@@joffff lol me too
That is an amazing idea
Yes! Heck yes!
I hope
Netflix couldn't make this better. It's unbelievable how hard you are working on making this video being fluent to understand for everyone. Didn't even noticed first that hes talking italian. Thank you
Anyone else watch Alex’s videos and immediately go cook whatever it was? Didn’t have the same tomatoes but my lord was it still good. My stomach is your biggest fan Alex!
i'll just go bite regular tomato
@@bogdandaraban1593 dont be ridiculous
@@plotted_pant42 what do you mean? Almost 90% of everything cooking UA-cam is expensive stuff. Not everyone can afford this.
I was stunned to find that I did in fact grow these tomatoes in my garden this year, and they really did last longer than the others.
@@bogdandaraban1593 naw man I grabbed some organic cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, good quality spaghetti, added a pound of shrimp, and I already had garlic and nice EVOO. Cost 18 bucks. And it fed 4 adults plenty.
What I just adore about eating Italian food, in Italy, is the simplicity. Here was a perfect dish; pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Five ingredients, in perfect harmony, creating a plate of perfection.
Merci beaucoup d'avoir partagé cette histoire e grazie per tutti!
More important, is the quality. I cannot replicate the taste of these dishes here in northern Europe with basics super market products.
@@tigre3droyce771 I can't make *this* dish either - but there's going to be somebody near you producing something local and excellent.
Near where I moved in the UK is Cheddar - synonymous with the commodity cheese. But after a while you find some makers are creating an aged version that's as good as parmesan (not better, but different). Then you find the cider. Then you find for a few weeks a year the best strawberries you've ever tasted.
Best thing I ever did was stopping buying fruit and veg at the supermarket and just buying from my local greengrocer - whatever's novel and piled high (and often quite cheap) is usually good - and then just google/youtube a recipe.
It’s really fun to see that people like their simplicity in cooking. me myself I am half Italian and what I cannot stand in Italy is the simplicity in their cooking. the same food I will cook at home for lunch isn’t supposed to be what I’m ordering in a restaurant in my liking. Simple food is something I can do myself. when I go to a restaurant I want them to do better than I can do at home. Italians are very proud of the quality of their products and they should be, but I have to say that it hasn’t happened a lot in the Italian kitchens the last hundreds of years. it’s still basil tomatoes oil and garlic. The year is 2022 and I think it’s time for changes and modernisations.
I’m a spanish guy with italian origins. Honestly, the italian food is the best in the world. I know their food and if you go there, in italy, you can have a culinary experience as nowhere else in the world. Food in italy is life And italy is food.
I've spent a year in northern Italy (Emilia romagna region) and can honestly say that italian food is highly overrated. It's really nothing special and usually quite boring. I'm not saying it's bad, but boring for sure.
@@anbos33 i think that the right term is "simple" , and as a chef ,trust me if i say that simplicity is not a synonymous of easy, probabily you taste 1% of all italian food , because, if you dont know , in Italy there isnt various typical food for each region , but almost every city have one special own food
Northen italy has a strong influence from other country like Germany. If u want to taste real italian food u have to come south. Campania, Sicilia, Puglia, Lazio are the regions u have to go
@@anbos33 from where are you? ... no wait ... i don't care, troll-land is very boring
@@profkronfeld4743 I'm not trolling, just stating my opinion... I know Italians are always very defensive when someone talks bad about their food so it's clear where you are from. And I'm from Lithuania btw, don't know why that matters, I'm not saying Lithuanian food is better, only that Italian food is boring. That being said I've only stayed in north of Italy, next summer I'll try south.
Franco: "this tomatoes are juiciest and tastiest in the world"
Alex: "it looks like nipple"
I never liked raw tomatoes before i spent my vacation in Italy. I'm used to have tasteless, juiceless, jelly-like tomatoes. But quality tomatoes a whole new level. They don't even need any spice- they ARE the spice themselves!
Thank you for showing so many views of the landscape, Alex. My Dad was there when Vesuvius erupted in the 40s, and he told me about it but I never had an idea of what the area looks like.
Also, now I am hungry. It's rainy and cold here, and I would like to be eating pasta with special tomatoes on the sunny slope of the mountain.
Seeing Alex Stunned is some of the golden moments on UA-cam, maybe even all media. Wow I'll be visiting Italy next summer and this is a stop.
Living vicariously through Alex is the most difficult thing ever, since we don't get to taste and smell the food, but I'm always in awe of the things you get to see and do. Thanks for sharing these adventures. Now if only I could find those dang tomatoes in Toronto, lol.
if you find them let us fellow Torontonians know!!
Please let us know if you find them
It’s the dead of winter here downtown and I’ve got a couple of Roma tomatoes plants growing in the condo. Tomatoes will grow anywhere with a bit of artificial light. Try it yourself!
Videos like this always remind me of the locality philosophy: Maybe there's some amazing local ingredient uniquely near you that would work (almost) as well as this one! That would also be more sustainable than importing THE best of everything from around the world or using recipes made by people where those imported ingredients are local.
If you'd like I can send you some pomodoro del piennolo seeds, you can grow them yourself!
I visited a vine yard on the slopes of Vesuvius back in 2018 and tasted their produced wines. You could really taste the natural salt from the ash rock fertilised ground in the wine. I had spaghetti there to with these tomatoes! not even realising the background behind them and just WOW! what an incredible flavour sensation. I've not had anything like it before.
Thank you for this video Alex. I've learnt about something i've already had and knew so little about.
I'm from the place you visited in the video. I am extremely proud when someone like you is able to show the world that Naples has so much to say and to give .. your intelligence and sensitivity shines through this video as you understand the humanity we have and the identity we have never forgotten as so many European capitals have done. Thank you very much
Crazy how much love I have for Italians. Some of the nicest people on earth for sure!
I ordered pasta norma in Milano this fall. First bite.. I was blown away by the taste of the tomatoes sauce. When I ask about the secret, the waitress said the tomatoes are from Sicily. She then asked me where I am from, and I said Germany.She gave me a sweet cute smile and said, good luck finding them there 😭. Our German tomatoes are called Dutch watermelons here.
I'm Italian and I love sauerkraut, which are pretty much impossible to get here 😅
Anyway, there are very good italian tomato sauces available in Germany, as Mutti and Cirio.
Not the same as fresh tomatoes from Vesuvio, but this is what Italians use in many recipes.
@@federicacrespi6259 thank for the tip.😊 I will look out for the sauces. I cheat with dried tomatoes for my sauce, so the umami flavour is better.
@@tigre3droyce771 if you can get the "pomodorini" (cherry tomatoes) version of these sauce brands, the taste gets very close to fresh cherry/Piccadilly tomatoes!
Dry tomatoes are absolutely great but not for tomato sauce, I'd use them to make a pesto alla siciliana/Red sicilian pesto (dried tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, olive oil and pecorino cheese all grinded and blended together, no cooking - delicious!)
I'm from Naples and live in Germany. I can feel your pain :D
This is such an emotional story!
Every town needs to have its own historically wealthy food item that can’t be beaten and uses the landscape to speak to you.
Thanks Alex - let’s hope the future of food is getting people to learn and appreciate what’s on their doorstep.
Italy is a beautiful country, but by far the best reason to go to Italy is for the people. Their hospitality, humor and joy is such a pleasure to be around.
Great episode! I've actually taken them with me on the plane when I was there. In Italy nobody bothered. I had to re-check in in Germany and customs were asking a lot of questions. I had them for 6 months in my cupboard, super delicious still.
Tiramisu Adventure next. Please!
There is so much chemistry you can work with to make a series, and it's in the Italian theme while you're at it.
First you taste tiramisu in a few places, and when you go back to the studio you make your own perfect one.
Oh man, I would love an 'Alex pursues the perfect Tiramisu' series.
Oh WOW!!! Now that's a marvelous idea!
And if that doesn't work: Do a series into home-making ice cream!
I was never a big fan of Tiramisu until I had one in Amalfi at Pizzeria Donna Stella.
You'd think it weird that japan is the primary importer of some random cultivar of tomatoes but japanese have a real fascination with rare & expensive fruits and vegetables. A good gift in japan is like a handful of fruits you've spent a fair amount of money on. The best melon I've ever had was in a yakiniku restaurant in tokyo where the owner offered us some melons that an acquaintance of his grew and which were not available to market anywhere, and even after the absolutely mental meal I'd just had (I'm talking some mind-blowingly good meat and probably the best black sesame ice cream in the world) I was still impressed with how good the melon was despite being just simple slices of plain fruit.
makes sense 🙌
A friend of mine, who is a farmer, has just send a box of Broccolo fiolaro, which is a peculiar vegetable from Creazzo (Vicenza), in Japan. It's incredible!
I don't think you can understand how many Japanese pizza masters there are.
These guys are girls are driving the market for this key ingredient.
All of the small pizza places I have been to in Tokyo, the chef has studied for a few years in Italy.
I've only been to Italy once, but my word when they talk about Italian hospitality they really mean it. I can't wait to go back.
My wife and I visited Mount Vesuvius in 2013 but I had no idea there were special tomatoes growing there. Now I wish we had tried some of the local cuisine.
Trying local cuisine is never a bad idea when visiting somewhere new!
@@Ketnip23Kombativ Yeah, but we didn't have a lot of time. It was just a day trip as part of a cruise around the Mediterranean. We climbed up to the top of Vesuvius and that was about all the time we had. It was worth it though.
Hopefully next time
So I ordered these seeds 7 months ago. It is an amazing plant for my environment. I'm seriously in awe. I live where it is arid and has been very hot the last few months (over 100 nearly every day). I didn't prune the plants. They are bushed out bigger than any other tomato I have planted except for the "super sweet 100". It's dark green and not affected by the dry conditions like all the others struggling right now. They taste very good but I still have yet to harvest the loads on the vine right now.
How did it go? How do they taste now in comparison to the fresh ones?
@@DurzoHighwind I've got my last vine to harvest this week. They really took off when the temperature went down. They have alot of pectin in them and make for a naturally thick sauce. When I tried to keep the vines and let them hang before they got knocked off.
@@primeribviking3688 That is exciting to hear. Let me know how they tasted and if you would recommend them for a specific recipe.
We in Brazil are lucky to have a great variety of tomatoes and it does make a diference on having them ultra fresh. This video made me a lot more emotional than I expected!
Alex, this is one of your best video of all time! Truly enjoying that the fact this video accentuate how prominent and integral one single ingredient is. Beautifully shot, awesome story, and as per usual, a little geeky.. Keep up the good work!
THANK YOU 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🎉🎉🎉🙏🏿🙏🏿🎉🙏🏿🎉🙏🏿🎉🙏🏿🙏🏿🎉🙏🏿💞🙏🏿💞🙏🏿💞🙏🏿💞🙏🏿💞FOR SHARING THAT STUNNING TIMLESS BEAUTIFUL STORY..😮😮😮
I cultivated exactly this tomato on my balcony in Germany. I took the seeds from one little tomato that was gifted to me by my Italian deli. They told me, how precious and extraordinary it was. I didn't believe to be successful with cultivation, but I was wrong. Though cultivated in our not very warm German climate, the plant produced surprisingly plenty of very sweet tomatoes. From all tomato plants this was the one that died at last in the fall, it seemed to be highly fungi resistant. The skin of the fruit is a bit hard, but this is beneficial for storage. I consumed the last fruit on 20.12.2021.
what part of germany did you cultivate in? I imagine that it may be feasible in the rhine valley or bavaria, but very hard in brandenburg or mecklemburg.
@@francescofane Middle Germany. Northern Hessen near Kassel. A sheltered, sunny south-west balcony.
I complained about the previous video feeling too fast paced and overly dramatized. THIS is a perfect Alex travel video. Personal, heartwarming, adventurous. I loved every second and felt like I was along for the journey myself. 💛 Excellent work
When Carlos mentioned that his tomatoes also aged and develops other complexity, I was hooked on the idea of getting a bunch in season slowly tasting them throughout the year to the next season.
These videos make me feel as close as I could possibly be to actually being there in person, it’s an absolute treat to watch such quality content.
South Italy is hard to beat for product quality. Naples is a special place with a lot of history and troubles :D But it's hard to find someone who isn't passionate about food.
I grow this variety in the Northeast USA, they are outstanding. My 75 yo mom thinks it’s the only variety we should grow next year, I have other plans though, but they are a keeper for sure. I almost want to invite you here to try them to compare in the late summer, but I am just a home cook/ gardener. 🙂 Ooh thinking I should try to confit them next year.
This was incredible to watch, pure art! Thank you, Alex, Joshua, Coen, Eva for this gem! And thanks for the tips and recipie in the description.
There's something oddly nostalgic about videos like this one, reminds me of my great grand parents. I really gotta visit Italia at some point in my life.
Alex, you do the craziest stuff with great rewards. I love your content, awesome.
I really appreciate how you speak English in a well-pronounced, casual way. Your native accent adds some nice French flavour to your English, without over-shadowing it. Many French presenters often speak English far too quickly.
I am an italian who don't like this country and the parochialism of my people for its cuisine or culture. But i have admit that seeing through the eyes of a tourist, through your eyes, its wonderful and it's beautiful. Thank you.
I never understood the lack of interest in even trying other things when clearly Italian cuisine has outside ingredients.
refreshing to hear this perspective from an italian
WOW! been to naples a couple of days ago and saw these tomatoes hanging around many shops. Couldnt understood how they are preserved etc. Now I am back to Greece watching this video! We Visited Pepe in Grani as well and I am speechless. Thank you so much Alex for making those videos!
Your ability to tell a story is second to none, I like how you manage to take in and describe the whole process and not just the taste of one mouthful.
Many years ago, during a final weekend of a summer long study abroad in Paris, we took train to Rome. Winding up in Piazza Navarro, we roamed the side streets and wound up in a tiny little restaurant with the absolute best, simplest pasta dish and wine that the waiter chose for us. I could not eat pasta in the US for near ten years afterward. The difference was striking.
I once looked at the ingredients of pasta they have at Walmart - they have a gazillion additives. Even the most commercial low quality Italian made pasta - Barilla - has only one ingredient: semolina wheat flour, another thing that influences the recipe is the water you use and tap water in the US is treated differently than in Italy.
Alex,
I have followed you for the last couple of years and simply seeing how you appreciate ingredients and where it all comes from has inspired me to do the same for everyday things in my life.
This was a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing with me. With us.
I just love watching youre videos and eat something on the side! Its amazing :D
Me, an Italian guy, never heard about those tomatoes... Thank you Alex!
We have them in Spain too, a heirloom variety from catalan speaking areas and the name is related to "tomàquets de penjar" with many dialectical variations. In English that would be something like "Tomatoes to be hanged" and they are kept hanged still in the vine and last all winter at room temp until the next crop is ready
I would be really surprised if this was actually the only place with the variety. They’re an American fruit not brought to Italy until the Colombian exchange; it’s not like some pre human evolutionary line extends to them. That said, plenty of details in soil microbiome and climate can change aspects to the plants I’m sure
@@unappropadope Spain did a lot of selection on some of the American stuff but they probably have a common ancestor in America
@@unappropadope well be surprised because this is a variety that grow only there and the varieties from south America are only ancestors to what is grown now in Italy. Nothing to do with what they firstly brought.
@@lore00star yea. Piennolo del Vesuvio it’s only on the….Vesuvio. Precisely.
@@Angelchildxx, it's a grape tomato with a public relations program.
Thank you Alex! This brief escape to Italy with you is appreciated more than you know! Thank you.
I just discovered this channel and I'm so happy you got to visit my homeland! (I'm a home cook living in Campania, the same region where this was filmed :) )
Oh man we were in the area of Naples only a few weeks ago, we stayed there for 3 weeks, and the food we had there was unbelievable. Seeing this video makes we want to go back right now! Beautiful video Alex, well done!
I mean hands down the best cooking/food/lifestyle channel on UA-cam! This man should be 8M subscribers....Love your channel Alex...love from America!
I almost cried. This is by far the best video of yours! That was just pure joy. Thank you so much.
This night I dreamt about going to a tomato farm, getting the very best tomatos and eating spaghetti at Vesuvio. It was amazing and after I told my gf about it she questioned if it was all just a dream. But no it was your video that resonated with me so much it influenced my dream and makes me want to cook the very best Spaghetti al Pomodoro I can right now.
Tx Alex for making cooking very clear (by showing good methods) and a little bit magical (with your adventures/tastings).
Beautiful video, Alex. I wish I could enjoy a nice pasta dish on a warm afternoon in Italy. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with the cold here in Chicago!
You also have some of the best food in the world right in your hands
@@JanWilliamsBailey That's true
@@JanWilliamsBailey chicago's pizza??
@@VENOMGTable not only that
Visiting Pompeii is on the very top travel list and I'll have to visit that restaurant as well. Thank you for taking us on that journey!
I would like to have some tomatoes with a pinch of sunshine right now, please! This video was very interesting and nice to look at again. Italian people and they connection to food always amazes me.
One of the absolute best food channels. Alex transports you to wherever he is, you can almost taste and smell the food. Brilliant…
It's amazing to see what Italian soil can do to a new world fruit!
It cheezy but when i see people enjoying food and getting so excited about something it makes me feel understood.^^Really love our passion and content.
You are probably the most talented marketing guy I've ever viewed! Brilliant! Thanks for posting.
I am not the one who usually demands something like this...but man, I (and my mom, she's a big fan of yours) would love to see you do a series on anything of Indian cuisine
Alex: Eats tomatoe with pasta
Also Alex: Starts to question life decisions
I love how your channel really delves into the culture of classic recipes.
Funny I had pasta for dinner tonight but just watching this made me feel so good and of course frustrated that I wasn't eating right along with Alex. This is the way and reason for travel for me. I love food, and understanding the connection between the soil, the people, the plant and the dish takes cooking to a level that brings heaven down to earth. This was short but so sweet to me and I hope they are still around when I make my first trip to Italy where I can also practice my very rusty Italian.
My best friends family was from Italy, and moved to California straight from Ellis Island over a hundred years ago. Her Great Uncle had about an acre of land in Echo Park Los Angeles, where a lot of Italians settled back then. We would go to his house and he grew these very tomatoes, he was from this part of Italy. Absolutely the best tomatoes, and her family spoiled me with them.
Dude you have the best channel on youtube. I don't care what anyone says. At the very least, this is hands down my favorite channel. Every single video is amazing. I've been subscribes for a few years now (may be on other channels i have) and I can say your content is THE BEST .
why is everyone so nice and why is the banter so good
Oh Alex, your videos are always so inspiring. The passion and love you bring to the culture of cooking is consuming. You always leave me with an urge to go cook something delicious. Often it is to experiment with a dish that I've never cooked before.
Thank you so much.
Super ta vidéo Alex. Encore merci de nous faire découvrir des choses. Je te suis depuis pas mal de temps et je trouve toujours tes contenus bien faits. Forza!
Your flow of videos is amazing as usual 🥰
I have been watching this channel for a while now and after a while of not watching them and then coming back really just points out how good your vids really are !
Yes! These are the vibes that I am always looking for in your videos! Pure curiosity..
So proud of my country! 🇮🇹
Aside from showing your passion about food and beautiful Italy and being beautifully filmed, this video like all the other ones on your channel, is such a refreshing nice positive 13 mn. Thank you Alex!
You are an amazing narrator/creator Alex. Thank you, it's a pleasure and joy to follow you!
This is why I love my country 🇮🇹 and you Alex!!!!
I have watched this episode as much as anything Else. When Alex chomps into the raw tomato I love the sound. When they cook the pasta for him i can’t stand the audacity. This is one of my favorite things on UA-cam. It’s a top 10 for sure. I keep coming back for comfort when I feel bad and have this wish I could travel with Alex for a day or two. I am not just saying this. I feel this. I truly come here when I’m depressed. Obviously am here right now, for reasons. I just hope everyone is doing well and that’s all I can say without being sad
I love those travel videos; they're a well-balanced mixture of entertainment, journey, and education.
But I have to say, I can't wait for the next video or series in which you'll cook yourself again.
I am growing these for the first time in Melbourne Australia this year thanks to your video for bringing them to my attention x
Great story-telling and editing! Really enjoyed this episode. Thanks for making them.
My primary reason for gardening is the flavor! Second reason is, certainty of no chemicals and max minerals. Grocery veg tastes like cardboard and is probably about as nutritious.
the last 2 years I've been growing tomato and it's worth the effort. Those tomatoes look amazingly delicious.
Great video, love it! One simple ingredient, but a whole world opens up once you dive into it. Going further down the rabbit hole. So much fun - thanks Alex!
I grew them in Southern California last summer and will grow them again. They are very tasty.
How do you grow them specifically? I'm in new jersey and I'm looking to start.
I can’t believe you’re so close to me now, and I watch you enjoying our everyday food, and you seem to be a true Italian, perfectly at ease in this context.
What a lovely video of two nice blokes chatting away about tomatoes.
The evolution of French Guy Cooking has led us to this. Love it!!
I have watched this episode over ten times. Love the farmer and the restaurant.❤
i love the subtle "oh madone" as you're climbing the mountain
what a brilliant idea to do sometimes. Get some special ingredient and bring it to chef to make something. Gotta try that sometime. Fun and connection for everyone involved
I love your channel Alex. Thank you for the agricultural lesson on these tomatoes! Amazing! Your channel is so valuable! Thank you. Thanks Alex!
Watching this video I found myself smiling multiple times... Alex you are able to convey emotions in a way that few others can
Alex, you should visit Austria (Burgenland) in the summer! We have a lokal celebrity whos called Erich Stekovics (Nickname: The tomato emperor). He colects Tomato plants and has about 3200 varieties (as I am aware the biggest collection in the world). He also collects chili and garlic. Also there is only 1(!) video of him on youtube with english subs (on the swiss greenpeace channel). Would be a great video!
I love that you are able to travel again. This is a very fun and entertaining episode! I NEED some of those tomatoes !!!!!
I can't wrap my head around the fact that these can stay good for up to nine months. Here I am buying onions that can bad in a few days if bought after new year yet I could just chuck these in a cool pantry... amazing!
I love your content! You’re better than all of Netflix.
Love the "come on" at the end. You know he is having one of those moments.