By Katie Sterling
He’s done it, he’s found Italy. Joking aside, while Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy has seemingly transformed into Tucci in Italy, the new series has kept much of what made the original show so appetizing and has expanded on the intimacy of the locations the beloved actor explores.
In a decision that CNN must be kicking themselves over, Searching for Italy was cancelled in 2022 after two seasons. National Geographic was quick to acquire the concept and after a bit of a rebrand, has finally debuted. It’s not quite a drastic change, and honestly if you didn’t know the network shuffle, you might not have even realized it was a new show despite the title change. Tucci is still exploring various regions of the country, dissecting the history of each region’s dishes and generally, just giving viewers a serious case of travel and culinary FOMO.
However, given the reputation of National Geographic, it does present itself just a smidge more documentary-like as the food is dissected into its historical, topographical and even political history. As Tucci himself explained, “We’re elevating it visually and we’re taking more time with the stories. There’s more history, more culture. It’s National Geographic, but you’re not going to find me climbing up anything. You find me climbing into bed at night.” Classic Stanley.
Regions that Tucci will explore this season are Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo and Lazio. It’s, as always, a feast for your visual senses and Tucci continues to exude his effortless charm throughout his travels. After all, when eating unique foods such as tripe and tongue, Tucci knows to present these dishes with an unassuming air of openness for an audience that may scoff at these unconventional foods. After detailing the history of the dish, and the grace in which modern chefs attempt to keep these culinary traditions alive, you might just find yourself open to the idea of tasting tripe! Also, dare I say that all of these dishes sound just a tiny bit better when Tucci and his fellow food lovers converse in Italian over them?! The five-part series drops episodes every Sunday but if you need to fill that waiting time between weeks, it’s well worth checking out the two books Tucci has written. Taste: My Life Through Food and What I Ate in One Year both exude the same love of eating and the way food is dynamically linked to heritage. Whether in written form or visual documentaries, Tucci’s love of food is evident and widely infectious. Those who pick up What I Ate in One Year will also be treated to a bit of behind-the-scenes scoop on the pre-production journey of how Tucci in Italy came to be.
There’s truly not much you can fault with Tucci in Italy. It’s a show that at times is equally charming, and absolutely frustrating, because you just wish you could indulge in the foods being presented. You’ll not only hunger for more episodes, but for food, for travel and for the way that certain dishes can leave a lasting impression.
Tucci in Italy is airing on National Geographic, with episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu or Disney+.
