Cuisine is also shaped by encounters.

Encounters that bring ingredients from far away, techniques learned elsewhere, and flavors that slowly find their way into one’s own cooking style until they become part of it. This has always been the case, even in the cuisines most deeply rooted in their local traditions.

The new Retrogusti event begins right here, with these cultural and gastronomic influences.

On Thursday, June 18, we’ll be at La Sostanza for a new “Tasting Story” dedicated to this very theme—and to how different influences can coexist within the same cuisine without losing their identity.

The menu created by Chef Marco Mungai takes its roots in Tuscany but traverses places, references, and culinary languages that have shaped his professional journey. A personal narrative built dish by dish, maintaining a clear connection to the region while leaving room for ingredients, balances, and inspirations encountered over time.

The Calvana beef tartare with maître d’hôtel sauce engages with a composition that is classic only in appearance. The spaghetti with salsa verde, lampredotto ragù, and Cantabrian anchovies brings together popular references and diverse flavors. The Apennine pike-perch ceviche, on the other hand, focuses on acidity, freshness, and aromatic intensity, bringing a flavor profile to the plate that stands apart from more traditional Tuscan cuisine.

Accompanying the tasting will be wines from Fattoria Casalbosco, a Pistoia-based winery that over the years has developed a production capable of navigating different grape varieties and styles while maintaining a strong connection to the region.

As always, the evening will also be an opportunity for discussion about a cuisine that is constantly changing—often without us even noticing—through details, gestures, and influences that, over time, cease to seem foreign.