Fabrizio Bellomo's Neovernacolare: A Critique of Industrial Food and Modernity

Fabrizio Bellomo, born in Bari in 1982, reflects on his visceral intolerance towards industrially farmed food, sparked by his dislike of pre-packaged arugula in Milan. He contrasts this with the imperfect, flavorful arugula of his hometown, and recalls a childhood visit to Calabria where a relative offered him a blemished apple, grown without herbicides, which he initially rejected. Bellomo distinguishes between cultivation and intensive monoculture, which prioritizes profit over taste, territory, and animals. He recounts tasting homegrown tomatoes in Sila with Giuliana, which were far superior to supermarket varieties. The article includes a story by Ugo Tognazzi from his cookbook 'L'Abbuffone' (Rizzoli, 1974) about his grandfather who was forced to sell milk in a shop instead of from a cart, leading to his unhappiness and eventual death from a bomb. Bellomo also tells of being warned by his aunt Vincenzina not to swim in a mountain lake because 'the world is no longer sincere,' only to later learn she lied to keep him from a dangerous spot. The piece is part of Bellomo's series 'Neovernacolare' on Artribune, which explores themes of authenticity, resistance, and local culture.