Erminia Valenza

Born in Pantelleria, she graduated from the conservatory of Perugia, where her future projects had completely different plans in store for her, but it was on her island that she timidly approached the world of cooking, later unable to do without it. Numerous experiences followed in Italy and beyond, collaborating with important chefs. After years, she decided to return to Sicily and, in her Pantelleria, opened Isca, a modern trattoria specializing in dry-aging fish. In 2024, she began her collaboration with the Virga&Milano group and became the chef of Stazione Vucciria. Her cuisine is local, focused on experimenting with raw materials, of which she uses every part. Just as she started, she remains close to the dry-aging technique, whose goal has always been to make a fresh and highly perishable food available for as long as possible.

“I have never seen aging as a trend, but rather as a resource, a method of preservation that would have given meaning to my project for Pantelleria. Maturing fish in a cell with controlled temperature and humidity gave me the opportunity to experiment and never have to go without fish on an island that is paradoxically not a sea island and that lives by fully embracing the scarcity of water. In my humble opinion, the aging process makes the flavor and texture more intense, increases the tenderness of the meat, develops new aromatic profiles, extends the shelf-life, offers greater versatility in the kitchen and enhances the raw material. I have always supported “zero waste”, allowing us to give value to some parts of the products that are often discarded."