As passionate about leavened products as he is about the stories of the elderly, he still tells me today that he loves to stop at the bar with someone older to chat and above all to hear about the lives, moments and anecdotes of the town. In this spirit of sharing and brotherhood with the locals, he began to make his first bruises to support, during the street festivals, the fundraisers intended for the creation of new murals that would embellish the city. White art goes hand in hand with pictorial art. Grandma Teresa continues to be his greatest supporter, but also his harshest judge; she tells him that it is good, but it is not like the one “of the past”.

What did Grandma Teresa mean? What was the old ammaccata like? Why wasn’t the one she was making so good? This was the real starting point for the young pizza chef. Questions he absolutely had to find an answer to. His research focused heavily on the stories of many local women, women with big hands and sharp brains. Aunts, neighbors, and commoners from other neighboring towns helped him put together the pieces of a puzzle that then gave life to the true traditional recipe. Obviously, since it’s a dish that’s very tied to tradition, each person asked gave their own version, but what they all had in common was the fact that to make the ammaccata, durum wheat and soft wheat flours were first mixed together in a bowl, with very little salt; and I have to say, it’s one of the least flavorful doughs I’ve ever tasted. To this mixture was then added the mother yeast and everything was left to rise for a whole day so that a mass was formed from which the “padellucce” were obtained which were later used to make bread or, indeed, the ammaccate. It was a choral work, done by several women, who in the meantime had the opportunity to exchange advice and curiosities.

Cristian’s place could only be called: Ammaccata

Cristian was interested in reliving that ritual and spreading that ancient knowledge as much as possible, putting back in its place that sense of belonging that had been lost along the way. That’s why he has never stopped promoting ancient, traditional grains, especially from Cilento, for fifteen years now. It’s worth remembering that Velia, in Cilento, was the first Greek colony and that the entire area has culinary traditions and, not only that, very ancient ones that they can be proud of. Like a young man who dreams of making music and of treading the most important stages, but starts strumming on the side of a road, so Cristian, starting from micro events, street parties and very small festivals, often putting his own money into it, begins to let people taste the ancient Cilentana pizza, promoting its goodness and making those who had perhaps forgotten it discover an ancient recipe.