If the origins are obscure, in reality they are one of the most typical dishes of Sorrento, starred and non-starred restaurants. According to some, the gnocchi alla sorrentina, symbol dish of the local cuisine, would have been born centuries ago from the inventiveness of an innkeeper in Piazza Tasso who, mixing the boiled potatoes with eggs and flour, made them into chunks to be seasoned with tomato sauce, on which he placed small pieces of fiordilatte, a dairy delicacy produced in the villages perched on Monti Lattari, completing the dish with lots of basil, in its Neapolitan variety, the one characterized by large, blistered leaves and a slightly mentholated taste. The dish immediately conquered Sorrento and travelers and quickly spread first on the tables of the city and then, from there, throughout Italy, until it was known and appreciated throughout the world.
And now Sorrento, the coastal city that boasts the highest number of starred restaurants in Europe per square kilometre, has decided to pay homage to this gastronomic specialty by launching the "SorrentoGnocchiDay": an initiative in which tourism, hospitality and gastronomy. Day set for the first Thursday of October, 7: the chefs of the city of Tasso, together with their colleagues from Campania, Italian and foreign chefs will ideally meet for three days to celebrate the great dish with a dual purpose: to stimulate the creativity of professionals, invited to develop new recipes on the subject, and suggest a "tourist-gastronomic package" that has Sorrento as its destination and the celebration of an iconic dish of the local tradition as an occasion.
Specifically from 7 to 10 October, in the kitchens of the restaurants participating in the "SorrentoGnocchiDay" they will celebrate, proposing this dish that has its history over the centuries.
The idea of setting up a day to celebrate this ancient delicacy came from Carmen Davolo of Dieffe Comunicazione who, together with executive chef Vincenzo Guarino, known as the "Star Hunter", for his recognized ability to win Michelin stars, and thanks to the chef Peppe Aversa, of the starred restaurant "Il Buco" in Sorrento, will give life to the celebration to which big names of starred places have already joined, such as: Alfonso and Ernesto Iaccarino of the two-starred "Don Alfonso 1890" of Sant'Agata sui due Golfi, Mario Affinita of the "Don Geppi" of Sant'Agnello, Lino Scarallo of "Palazzo Petrucci" in Naples, Peppe Guida of the "Antica Osteria di Nonna Rosa" in Vico Equense, Paolo Barrale of the “Aria” restaurant in Naples e Nino Di Costano with his two-starred "Danì Maison" from Ischia.
Seduced by the project, Di Costanzo, as director of IT premises, spread across London, Milan, Porto Cervo, Ibiza, Mykonos, Tulum in Mexico, has entrusted its chefs, respectively Giacomo Amato, Salvatore De Micco, Alfonso Vitale, Alessio Fortunato, Giorgio Sarracino, with the interpretation of a new Sorrento dumpling.
Many other great chefs, in Italy and around the world, who will participate in the celebrations of "SorrentoGnocchiDay": Savio Perna of the "Li Galli" restaurant of the Villa Franca hotel in Positano; Alfredo Albergatore of the “Luigia” and Francesco Guarracino of the “Roberto's”, both in Dubai; Andrea Scarpati of the "Sapori Restaurant" in Leicester; Andrea Delzanno, with his "Cucina" of Hong Kong; Tomaz Kavcic, with the “Pri Lojzetu” in Dvorec Zemono, Slovenia; Giuseppe De Stefano, with “La Pizza” and Amedeo Ferri with the “St Regis Hotel” in Beijing, China.
There are also prestigious historic venues among the participants in the event: "Il Parrucchiano" in Sorrento of the Manniello family and the "Antico Francischiello" restaurant of the Gargiulos in Massa Lubrense. And, again, restaurants such as: “Terrazza Vittoria” of the Hotel Continental, chef Eugenio Cuomo; “Le Terrasse Royal” in Sorrento, with executive chef Giacomo De Simone; the Estro Bistrot” by the Venetian Denis Dianin of Selvazzano Dentro in the province of Padua; “O' Break Restaurant” of the Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo with chef Pasquale De Simone; “Basilico Italia” and “Caruso” from Sorrento; “Magma-Sakura” of Torre del Greco.
