1248 Menu – the number of kilometres between yesterday and today!
Not just a number, but the distance measured in kilometres between the two places that give I Due Sud its name. There are 1248 kilometres between Mesoraca in Calabria and Lugano, yet, once you are sitting down to eat, they reset to zero for a truly unique taste experience.
The gastronomic journey begins with “Palamita all’acqua pazza” (Bonito in crazy water), ennobling a fish that is less well known than tuna, but which
We then move on to “gnocchi al baccalà” (cod potato dumplings) that transport us to “Spilinga Mare”, an imaginary territory that unites the Tyrrhenian coast with the agricultural town known for its excellent production of “‘nduja”.
With the “Pescato del giorno” (Catch of the day), the menu follows on with the refreshing Mediterranean flavours of prawns combined with yoghurt, green apple and “salmoriglio”.
In Calabria, “Morzello” is the name of a dish made with tripe. It comes from the dialect term “morzha morzha”, i.e. less noble meat cut into ‘tiny’ pieces. At I Due Sud, it is made in the traditional way. The ingredients that complement the veal tripe, in fact, are San Marzano tomatoes, vegetables, chilli and “friselle”, as per the time-honoured recipe, although, here, the techniques and textures are avant-garde and produce a thoroughly modern dish.
A small variation on the sea theme, briefly abandoned as we go ‘off-track’ to taste a meat dish, which features BBQ lamb, combined with flavours that already hint at the arrival of autumn and the flavours of Ticino.
Southern Italy is the star for much of the journey, but the Calabrian nectar arrives virtually at its destination, after 1248 kilometres, with the dessert, in which Merlot ice cream is combined with a rare and almost unknown fruit: the merendella peach, also known as the “frutto del paradiso” (paradise fruit).
A journey through time that manages to combine ancient traditions with new culinary concepts.
