The Italians

Sean Connolly is invited to a very special weekend four generations of the Pacialeo family who get together each year in late Summer for a weekend of tomato bottling. Boxes of juicy Roma tomatoes are delivered to the house and the weekend begins. Everyone has a job to do, from 4 year old Amadeo, to the proud 87 year old patriach, Uncle Antonio.

At the end of the day, the bottles of fresh tomato sauce are left overnight to cook and the next day the family gathers once more to collect their sauce supply for the following year and to celebrate with a delicious Calabrian feast. The women spend the day using unchanged techniques as the prepare Calabrian recipes that have been past down through many generations.

The first member of the Pacialeo family came to Australia as a prisoner of war after having been captured in north Africa during WWII. After release he returned to Calabria. But Guiseppe was so impressed with the friendliness of the Australians, and the work opportunities that he convinced his brothers they should make their way to Australia rather than America. By 1951 all three brothers had embraced a new country.

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