ELBAMYLOVE interviews GIOVANNI RANA in Marina di Campo
GIOVANNI RANA ON THE ISLAND OF ELBA talks about cooking, young people and America.
The famous king of tortellini, on holiday on the Island of Elba, tells us about his second wonderful stay on the island.
On holiday for a few days of relaxation at the Hotel Montecristo**** in Marina di Campo, Giovanni Rana – the best-loved face of Italian cooking – tells us how good it is to come back to the Island of Elba for the second time.
“This island fascinates me: it is so green. I like it so much because it is a little jewel. It is easy to reach and the people are very warm.”
These are Giovanni Rana's first words about the Island of Elba, comfortably seated at the poolside facing the beautiful gulf of Marina di Campo. He tells us about his excursions around the island: from Napoleon's Villa in the centre of Portoferraio to the beautiful Tenuta delle Ripalte, conceived and built by the great architect and designer Tobia Scarpa. “It is a marvellous place, it felt like being in another age. That same evening we dined at Cala Nova, tasting the very wines of Ripalte. After days as full as these… it is lovely to come back to the hotel, dive into the pool and look at this magical blue sea.”
Giovanni Rana, almost 78 and 22 years on television, is exactly as he is in his commercials: an extraordinarily simple person, an entrepreneur of another era yet at the same time remarkably in step with today's. Proof of this is that he knows all about the Internet and social media, and smiles with sincere pleasure as he tells how, on the beaches of Elba, people greet him with the slogan of his latest competition, “Io sono Giovanni Rana”.
He speaks with great affection about his company, as of a large family, and recalls with pride that there are people who have worked with him all their lives. He admits with delight that the result of this latest campaign – radio, television and internet – was a real landslide. “Well,” comments Signor Giovanni, “if people still like me, then I'll stay.” Which explains why everyone loves him.
His story is so successful and the man so engaging that many universities invite him to speak to young people. “I like to go, but what I tell young people is that if they have a good idea, they should not wait but get down to work at once. Today we need good ideas and specialisation. When I started it was harder, on the one hand, but simpler on the other. Those were the hard years after the war, but people needed everything: from jeans to shoes… to tortellini. Today we have everything and we need nothing in particular… hence the need for good ideas and quality.”
Speaking of quality, Giovanni Rana tells us with pride about the new American venture. It is certainly a great commitment, but a source of great satisfaction. “Even before we landed in the United States, Americans ate tortellini, but of very poor quality. We took Italian food excellence overseas. For example, in agreement with the Consortium we launched tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano brought in from Italy. The pesto we make uses Ligurian basil, Italian extra virgin olive oil and pecorino. In this way we managed, in a short time, to enter all the big American distribution chains. For us, integrity comes first, and we certify everything, because Americans too like to eat well.” He tells us that what changes are the scale, the distances… everything is much bigger and much further apart, but you just have to organise yourself. The phenomenon is so successful that he was even invited onto television. Before going on air, the interviewer asked him whether he spoke a little English. Signor Giovanni replied cheerfully: “I speak two languages well: Venetian dialect and Italian.” The interviewer told him to go ahead and speak only in Italian, using even some typical Venetian sayings that were translated simultaneously… and the interview was a huge success!
Time in Giovanni Rana's company flies… the sun is setting and in the distance, over the gulf of Marina di Campo, a magical full moon appears… and this reminds him that it is almost dinner time.
“I must praise chef Alessandro Mirabelli and his brigade, who over these days have prepared excellent dishes, like yesterday evening's paccheri with lobster… I ate them slowly because I didn't want them to end. A sincere thank you to Francesco Paternò, manager of the Hotel Montecristo****, who is a very fine host. I have enjoyed myself so much that I would like to come back again before the end of the summer. Now I must leave for America, but if I don't manage it this year, I shall certainly return next year.”
With these words of farewell, Giovanni Rana takes his leave of the Island of Elba. For Elbamylove.com it was a wonderful meeting, and with this important interview it inaugurates the blog “ELBAMYCHEF”, dedicated to Elban cooking and its protagonists.
In the photos: Giovanni Rana and Francesco Paternò, manager of the Hotel Montecristo****
