An underground shop selling Lazio specialties opens beneath Rome's Monte dei Cocci

Vincenzo Mancino is a well-known name in the Roman scene. For many years, he has been selecting and distributing artisanal products from small businesses in Lazio with his DOL (Di Origine Laziale) project. He is now embarking on a new adventure, continuing his commitment to promoting the region's excellence, while respecting the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of local products.

A new project called Taste'accio, scheduled to open to the public in early October, is described by Mancino himself as "a place of craftsmanship, art, and connections." It's located inside the ancient food warehouses: these underground structures, located just beneath Monte dei Cocci in Testaccio, where the natural temperature is between 10 and 15°C, served for centuries as "refrigerators" for storing goods. Today, this magical place is being brought back to life thanks to Mancino's vision, showcasing not only food products but also art and culture.

Taste'accio in Rome: seasoning and maturation

And it is underground that the passions of DOL's creator come together and take shape, more than ever: in addition to seeking out and selecting the area's excellent food and wine, here we also find the aging of products, where food thus becomes hospitality and sharing. "The Testaccio caves," explains Mancino, "are an ideal environment for the natural aging of products such as cheeses and cured meats, thanks to their unique microclimatic conditions. These environments, with controlled humidity and constant temperatures, favor slow and even maturation, enhancing the product's organoleptic quality. This type of aging allows for cheeses and cured meats with a softer texture and more intense flavor, characteristics that could not be achieved in an industrial environment."

It goes without saying that study and research lead us to understand that this type of aging finds perfect expression in some of Lazio's finest products. From Pecorino Romano DOP, a symbol of the cheesemaking tradition and a key ingredient in Roman cuisine, to Conciato di San Vittore, a rare and precious cheese, whose rediscovery Mancino himself contributed to. And then there's Caciottina Massaggiata di Amaseno, a product that epitomizes local craftsmanship; guanciale, free-range cured meats, and Bassiano prosciutto. Naturally, you'll also find new, original aging methods here, introduced by Mancino himself, created by taking advantage of the caves' unique characteristics.

Taste'accio in Rome: a shop selling Lazio products, and more.

Taste'accio is effectively a shop, offering direct sales of products from small artisan producers in Lazio, thus promoting the short supply chain. As mentioned above, you can purchase cured meats and cheeses, as well as wines, oils, legumes, and spirits, with the option of tasting the products on site and (when organized) participating in workshops and food tours. As Mancino says, "Taste'accio is not just a gastronomic project but also an important opportunity to reflect on the value of human relationships," touching on other important issues such as the importance of a conscious and responsible approach to consumption.

If Taste'accio is the fruit of Mancino's passions, beyond food, there's also room for art ("there's no aesthetics without ethics, and there's no ethics without aesthetics"), with temporary exhibitions that enrich the experience, from textured works to photographs. "The combination of art and food becomes a means of strengthening the bond through the senses and emotions, triggered by beauty and taste."

Taste'accio. Via di Monte Testaccio 93, Rome. Tel. 328 8427516. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All photos are by Andrea Di Lorenzo.