Food is a serious topic in Italy. Italians seem to talk about food even when they’re not talking about food! To end a heated conversation even comes down to food, “Finire a tarallucci e vino”, meaning, all’s well that ends well. Food in Italy is meant to be shared. To eat is synonymous with community and conversation from north to south and any Italian would be wary of someone who wanted to sit and eat alone.
Food is a crucial topic in Italian culture that has broken the barriers of the kitchen and entered the media space. The number of Italian food bloggers and influencers has significantly increased in the past ten years. They are young, full of enthusiasm and bursting with creativity. Coming from a variety of cultural backgrounds, they represent each Italian region and stand out in the virtual world thanks to their stellar kitchen technique, modern communication style and lightheartedness.
Here are 5 Italian food influencers you need to follow:
Chef Daniele Rossi
Italian tradition, innovation, and sustainability are the Tuscan chef’s three passwords to the world of recipes and food culture. Digital creator and chef consultant, Chef Rossi has traveled the world to learn the art of cooking. Credited for playing a key role in a famous restaurant earning its first Michelin star, the Tuscan favorite has been an idol of the social networks since 2017. This chef is everywhere, from training young chefs and consulting restaurants and hotels to organizing private dinners and appearing on cooking shows. Chef Rossi is an explorer of the culinary arts. He mixes the past and the future with irresistible recipes, proudly sharing them while respecting Italian culture and engaging in a bold exchange of ideas about food.
Try his recipes here!
Cooker Girl
Aurora Cavallo is a content creator from Saluzzo in the Piemonte region of Italy. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, her contagious smile and kitchen genius led to a viral Tik Tok video that brought her 1 million followers and collaboration with the Italian blog, Giallo Zafferano. She soared to stardom as the most famous Italian food blog. The Cavallo family cooking tradition is dished up for the world to see, even her two grandmothers have become famous. Forbes Italia magazine recently included Cavallo in its list of "Under 30 most influential Young People Across Social Media.” She has already published several books including the culinary bestsellers La Cucina Scaldacuore (The Heartwarming Kitchen) and Come L'acqua per la Farina (Like Water for Flour).
Cooking with Ruben
Ruben Bondì is a 2022 Innovation and Achievement Award (INDA) winner in the food and beverage category. Performing from the balcony of his house in Rome, he shares his love of Italian cuisine with 800,000 followers. Each one of them waits to hear his favorite line, presented with gusto in his Roman dialect, “Che te vuoi mangia’? Daje!” meaning, what do you want to eat? Come on! Gifted with typical Roman straightforwardness, he invites friends, family members, and neighbors to his quirky outpost to help him prepare simple and delicious Italian recipes. Cheerful, down-to-hearth and engaging, Chef Bondì is an expert in kosher (Jewish) cuisine, which he features in his new book Cooking with Ruben: The Best Jewish-Roman Traditional Recipes and Beyond.
Chef In Camicia
Luca, Andrea and Nicolo are close childhood friends—an economics major, chef, and former real estate agent—who had different careers but one common passion: amazing food. That long standing connection motivated the trio to launch a media company that now boasts 1.2 million followers and employs more than 25 individuals. Their company, named “Chef In Camicia” which means simple shirts, began as a personal chef service and expanded to catering. Their winning idea of Chef In Camicia brings viewers entertaining chef banter and short videos. Ingredients of their success includes their special preferences: Luca, best known as Lello, loves sandwiches and traditional Italian dishes. Nicolo has a crush on exotic ingredients and Andrea enjoys sharing wise haute cuisine tips.
Valentina Boccia
The young pastry chef spends her time having fun in the kitchen with recipes inherited from her grandmother. Her blog, “Ho Voglia Di Dolce” which means, I need something sweet, is ten years old and she has become one of Italy’s most popular food influencers. Boccia’s secret to making 150 incredible homemade desserts, which she humbly calls “my disasters”, are available in a book that invites fans to bake up their favorite sweet childhood favorites.
Barbara Benzoni
Barbara Benzoni was born in Milan and lives between Rome and Tuscany. She is devoted to USA, the land of courage and innovation. She’s Peter's super-lucky mum and Ale's wife. Cinema, art, good food and only beautiful things are the themes of her existence. With a degree in Italian literature and a Masters in Sports Management she can both enjoys books and basketball matches. In 25 years she has been organizing sport events all over the world and she’s been lucky enough to meet the greatest champs ever. Curiosity in everyday life and people are her drivers. Her personal icon is Mohammed Ali : "It's not bragging if you can back it up".