“What is wild brings salvation.”
Mario Rigoni Stern
Gloria is more Carnic than Carnia itself. Tenacious and precise, she hasn’t stopped since discovering the heart of the story she wants to tell through her creations: bringing the magic of the Carnic forests to the plate, in a distinctly gourmet and contemporary expression.
She might not be who she is today without the adventure of MasterChef, which she approached with the same practical and straightforward spirit that has always made Gloria her own toughest critic.
In that gastronomic homage to the Guriuz—the clever, gluttonous sprites that dwell in the woods of her Val d’Incarojo—and in her signature gnocchi, now a staple on her menu, there was already a deep declaration of love for her land.
It’s a love she renews daily, growing in imagination and awareness. Today it’s nourished by chamomile, smoked larch, mountain hay, spruce, lichens, raspberries—strictly local ingredientsthat Gloria seeks out, cultivates, and studies until they’re worthy of becoming protagonists in her gastronomic storytelling.
By her side stands Mirco—her life companion, trusted confidant, and the irreplaceable soul of the dining room—together with a team that is, above all, a family at heart.
Wild herbs, wild spirit
The forests of Carnia are lush, secluded, and enchanting. Framed by dramatic mountains, fierce winds, rugged slopes, and a surprisingly rich variety of wild herbs to which local people have always been deeply connected. Once, there were the cramars—traveling merchants of dried herbs and nuts.
Like them, Gloria is, in her own way, a modern and determined guardian of this heritage. Her small daily ritual is to walk through the forest in the early morning dew, accompanied by her loyal wolf dog, Exha. She searches for lemon balm, salad burnet, wild thyme, dandelion, wood sorrel, yarrow, and countless other herbs that magically come to life in her dishes, season after season. A wild nature that Gloria knows how to tame with passion, elegance, and creativity.
For Gloria, gathering and cooking with medicinal herbs is an act of care, but also of mindfulness, presence, and personal growth. The herbs she brings to the table resemble her in many ways. Difficult to tame, they grow on their own terms, in the right time and space. They are independent—just like her. They don’t need watering or feeding. And that makes them incredibly resilient and versatile.
…the rest of the story
Find it at Indiniò.
