Shortly after exploring the ancient grounds of Paestum, we ventured off into the mystical Southern Italian countryside, eager for a delicious lunch we would never forget at the Azienda Agriturismo Seliano.
The bus drive itself was memorable, as our group filled the trip with laughter and joy, furthering the close bond we’ve created over this trip. Alas, we arrive to a beautiful villa draped with vines, surrounded by a modern yet traditional styled garden. We then proceeded inside the villa to find a cozy interior, where we met the Baroness.
To our surprise, she revealed that her family was given their title by Napoleon, and there is even a painting of her family’s ancestors, “The Bellini Family” in the Museum D’Orsay in Paris by Edgar Degas.
The decree for the family’s title
Baroness Cecilia
The family crest
Personally this was the closest I’ve ever gotten to dining with nobility, which makes the meal that much better.
Soon the first course of food arrives, and within minutes our plates are covered with eggplant parmesan, zucchini in olive oil, fresh mozzarella and other cheeses (that the Baroness had made this morning from the water buffalo milk), freshly baked bread, a tomato salad, a delicate egg quiche, puffed pastries stuffed with fresh greens, and many more delightful appetizers.
All the food tasted wonderful, with several different textures and flavors complementing each other in every bite. The eggplant was a pleasant surprise for me, since I usually dislike the taste of eggplant. The Italian ways of cooking however, have once again exceeded expectations with virtually any type of food. Next up was homemade lasagna layered with artichoke and parmesan, which had a smooth texture that melted in my mouth. We have had several different types of lasagna in Italy, but I think this one may have taken top three.
And at last comes everyone’s favorite meal: dessert. We were given the pleasure to indulge ourselves into a traditional chocolate cake from Capri, which was essentially a brownie, but significantly better. With a crunchy outer layer and soft, creamy inner layer composed of a perfect mixture, everyone devoured this dessert in no time. As if that wasn’t enough, we also were spoiled with Italian espresso to cap off our delicious lunch. Many tried espresso for the first time, and by the looks on their faces it seems to be that they rather enjoyed it.
Today was indeed quite the memorable lunch, perhaps the best food we had during this trip.
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