The Gusto Italiano Project is a collaboration between the Culinary Breeding Network, Uprising Seeds, and northern Italian vegetable breeders at Smarties.bio. The project grew out of a shared love of radicchio and a collective desire to further establish it as a cornerstone of the fall and winter produce season in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
Beginning in early 2021, Uprising Seeds began offering this special line of certified organic radicchio and regional specialty Brassica seeds, bred and grown in Italy by Smarties.bio. Based in Chioggia, the heart of radicchio’s motherland, Smarties.bio operates at the intersection of tradition and innovation—bringing decades of modern breeding experience to classic, culturally significant vegetables of their region.
Gusto Italiano
There are now 30 varieties of radicchio and endive/escarole in a range of days-to-maturity slots that likely represents the largest collection of availability outside of Italy.
In addition, Smarties.Bio has initiated a "Biodiversity project" working to preserve locally and historically significant varieties with deep roots in small northern Italian farming communities. Some of these include a leaf-broccoli known as 'Broccolo Fiolaro di Creazzo', two winter cabbage 'Verza Moretta di Veronella' and 'Verza Marinanta', two cauliflowers 'Broccolo di Bassano' Precoce (late fall harvest) and Tardivo (overwinter harvest), a select strain of Nero di Toscana Kale 'Lapo', and a Pomodoro di Inverno (storage tomato) 'Annarita'.
CBN’s role in the Gusto Italiano Project is to provide the culinary and cultural context to the offerings. This includes sharing growing information, developing recipes and cooking videos, and fostering community through education, storytelling, and shared appreciation for these foods we love.
Creating meaningful, long-term relationships with Italian growers and breeders has been a core goal of CBN—beginning with the Radicchio Expedition and continuing through the Gusto Italiano Project today. This work connects seed, farm, kitchen, and culture across continents, seasons, and communities.
