What is that “magic portal” capable of triggering this journey for you? For Tina, the owner of Lao, a restaurant specializing in traditional Chinese home cooking, in Turin, her “magic portal” is food.

“I’m very happy, like Italy is my second country, second home. But you know, in the heart, the deep side, there’s still a part missing. There’s always a hole missing when you are far away from home. It’s the only way for me to feel, to fix the hole. The food is the only thing.”

Did your heart just crack a little too?
Tina’s words are deeply relatable. Food is not just sustenance, it’s an essential part of our cultural identity, a way to reclaim and reaffirm who we are. It acts as a bridge to our homeland, our loved ones, and those places dear to us.