Treasure Island exists in the mind of the most imaginative writers, and has inspired novels, films and children’s’ books. But there is also a slightly atypical island, which does not conceal gold and silver but only resources of the memory and the spirit. It is a treasure island for gourmets, where secular miracles are performed by man’s wisdom, sometimes aided by the strength of fire, sometimes by the warmth of the sun’s rays, other times by the power of salt or by the sweetness of herbs.
An island pervaded by ancient and heady scents: the perfume of lady’s bedstraw or fermented hay, the aroma of tomatoes, onions or, more simply, of the cured meats patiently drying under the sun, caressed by a winter breeze. Aromas and flavours which should be captured among the unnatural silence of farmyards like the one here at Ciato, whose song is always sweet and harmonious as those of days gone by, and can only be heard by those whose spirit and soul can perceive this gentle echo.