Hospitality in Southern Italy

A Butcher’s Lesson in Hospitality in Southern Italy

Unexpected Hospitality in Southern Italy starts my stay on the right foot

I moved around quite a bit at the end of 2013, and December found me setting up house for the month in Rutino. It was a small hilltop town in the Cilento valley in southern Italy. The apartment was amazing, even if it seemed like I was entering from a basement and climbing into an open space. The fridge needed stocking, so I headed into town.

First Stop: The Butcher Shop

On my first trip for groceries, I stepped into the butcher shop. I placed my order and watched as he sliced prosciutto with care, wrapping each piece in crisp sheets of paper. I added spicy sausages and walked to the register—only to realize, with horror, that I had left my wallet in the car.

An Unexpected Response: Enter Hospitality in Southern Italy

I explained quickly to the young man behind the counter, promising I would be right back. I expected him to set the bag aside until I returned. Instead, he insisted I take it now and pay later. He did so with a string of words that I didn't understand, but I DID understand the bag that was thrust toward me.

A Moment of Mutual Insistence

For a few moments, we both held our ground—me insisting I’d return immediately, him pushing the bag toward me with quiet certainty. Finally, I gave in, hurried to my car, and raced back with the money.

Hospitality (not just in Southern Italy) That Builds Trust

There had been no hesitation on his part. I wasn’t a familiar face, and there was always the chance I might not return. Yet he trusted me. That trust made me determined not to let him down.

This simple encounter reminded me how hospitality, even in areas other than Southern Italy, can build trust, even with strangers. And something small like that can make an enormous difference and make the world a better place.

More Stories to Come

It wasn’t the only time the people of the South wrapped me in their warmth. But that is a story for another day.

Bring Southern Italian Hospitality Home

If you’d like to explore the flavors and stories of Southern Italy more deeply, I recommend this beautiful cookbook filled with recipes and lore from family farms across the region. I chose this cookbook because Calabria is close to my heart.

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The Southern Italian Farmer’s Table – Authentic Recipes and Local Lore from Tuscany to Sicily

Southern Italian Farmer's Table - Cookbook

Professional chefs who are fluent in Italian, Matthew and Melissa have transcribed more than 150 authentic Italian recipes from these family farms—few of which are found in cookbooks available outside of Italy. Full-color photographs and anecdotes about the farms and their residents bring Italy’s glorious countryside to life and complement such recipes as fried spaghetti nests, crepe lasagna with pork ragu, spicy Calabrian chicken, and sweet cakes filled with ricotta and chocolate.  All recipe ingredients are given in both U.S. and metric measurements.