The Sapore Podcast

Ep. 10 – The Art of Getting Lost: Storytelling, Food, and Soulful Travel with Rohit Manchanda — Northern India

In this intimate and soulful conversation, we sit down with Rohit Manchanda, a travel curator, food enthusiast, and storyteller who has spent over a decade guiding travelers beyond the map in India. As the founder of Lost Bandar, Rohit creates journeys that move past itineraries and landmarks—into markets, family kitchens, quiet villages, and landscapes that reveal the country’s living heartbeat. With a background in hospitality and a life shaped by movement, nature, and family, Rohit approaches travel as a relationship rather than a checklist. His work is rooted in slowness, curiosity, and the belief that getting lost—on purpose—is often how we find what matters most. In this episode, we explore: • What it means to travel “beyond the map” and why getting lost is essential to meaningful journeys • How growing up in India shaped Rohit’s worldview and way of moving through the world • The origins of Lost Bandar and a philosophy rooted in nature, presence, and intuition • India as a feeling and sensory experience—not just a destination • How food and markets become doorways into culture, memory, and connection • Helping travelers slow down enough to truly experience a place • Travel as a teacher, a mirror, and a practice in awareness • How family and fatherhood have reshaped Rohit’s relationship to travel and life • What it means to savor the world—beyond taste alone Rohit invites us into a more intentional way of traveling—one guided by listening, humility, and wonder. This is not just an episode about travel. It’s about remembering how to move through the world with soul. Follow Rohit on Instagram: @lostbandar [https://www.instagram.com/lostbandar/] Explore his world at: https://lostbandar.wordpress.com/ [https://lostbandar.wordpress.com/] Special thanks to Abercrombie & Kent and Tina Patterson. Photo courtesy of Rohit Manchanda. THE SAPORE PODCAST The Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world richly through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world. From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores and savors the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived. Follow along on Instagram: Studio Sapore: @studio.sapore  [http://www.instagram.com/studio.sapore] Host Nisa Sedaghat: @__therenaissance [http://www.instagram.com/__therenaissance] Get in touch: Email: hello@studiosapore.com  Online at: www.studiosapore.com [http://www.studiosapore.com/] The podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat, Studio Sapore.

Ep. 9 — Threads of a Global Life: Artisanship, Culture, and Craft with María Lee — Paris & Buenos Aires

In this intimate conversation, we sit down with María Lee in Paris—the founder and owner of Panorama Mundi—to explore a life shaped by travel, heritage, and the handmade. Rooted in Buenos Aires and Paris, María invites us into her world of artisanship and curation, where craft becomes a language for connection across cultures and continents. Born in Argentina to a Korean father who worked in textiles, María grew up immersed in materials, stories, and the realities of making things by hand. Over decades of travel—from the Andes to small workshops across Europe—she has built deep, lasting relationships with artisans whose work carries history, resilience, and meaning. Through Panorama Mundi, María creates a space that resists the pace of fast fashion, offering instead a living dialogue between cultures, crafts, and communities. In this episode, we explore: • María’s roots in Argentina and her father’s textile legacy • How heritage, migration, and identity shaped her relationship to craft • The origins of Panorama Mundi and the meaning behind its name • Finding artisans through trust, intuition, and long-term relationships • Stories of discovery—from informal workshops to established studios • The human and cultural cost of fast fashion • Living between Buenos Aires and Paris—and holding both worlds in dialogue • Curation as an act of care, friendship, and cultural preservation • How María lives with craft in her daily life • What it truly means to savor life through the handmade María reminds us that craft is not just about objects, but about people, place, and time—and that to live globally is to live attentively. This is not just a conversation about fashion or design—it’s a meditation on how we choose to live, what we value, and the quiet power of making things by hand. Photo courtesy of María Lee. CONNECT WITH MARIA & PANORAMA MUNDI On Instagram @marialeety [https://www.instagram.com/marialeety/] On Instagram @panorama.mundi [https://www.instagram.com/panorama.mundi/] Online at: https://panoramamundi.com/ [https://panoramamundi.com/] THE SAPORE PODCAST The Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world. From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived. Follow along on Instagram: Studio Sapore: @studio.sapore [http://www.instagram.com/studio.sapore] Host Nisa Sedaghat: @__thesensorialist [http://www.instagram.com/__thesensorialist] Get in touch: Email: hello@studiosapore.com [hello@studiosapore.com]Online: www.studiosapore.com [http://www.studiosapore.com/] The podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat, Studio Sapore.

Ep. 8 – Scent as Ritual: Perfume, Memory, and Essence with Sileno Cheloni — Florence, Italy

In this intimate and sensory-rich conversation, we sit down with Sileno Cheloni, a master perfumer based in the San Niccolò neighborhood of Florence, Italy. A true alchemist of emotion, Sileno creates more than fragrance—he creates experiences, memory portals, and personalized rituals that connect us back to ourselves. With a background rooted in artistry and a spiritual lineage shaped by a Sufi master in Cyprus, Sileno approaches scent not just as an olfactory craft but as a profound medium of presence, intuition, and transformation. In this episode, we explore: * The sacred roots of perfumery as emotional connection and presence * How Florence shaped the world’s olfactory legacy (and why it’s still a place of creative birth) * What scent teaches us about slowing down, deep knowing, and living consciously * Why Sileno doesn’t memorize his scents—and how that keeps his work intuitive and alive * His fragrance organ with over 190 notes and how he guides clients to create a custom scent * Ritual, memory, and sensory storytelling through incense ceremonies and dinner experiences * The importance of living your art as a game—with joy, depth, and discernment * A peek into his most meaningful travels, materials, and encounters (from Oman to the silent valleys of the East) * What Florence might smell like—and why he once tried to gift the city its own perfume Sileno invites us into a slower, more sensory way of living—where scent becomes a compass, a ceremony, and a poetic rebellion against the commercial noise of modern life. This is not just an episode about perfume. It’s about remembering our essence.  Follow Sileno on Instagram: @silenocheloni [https://www.instagram.com/silenocheloni/] Explore his world at: https://profumoir.com/ [https://profumoir.com/] Photo courtesy of Nisa Sedaghat, Studio Sapore. THE SAPORE PODCAST The Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world richly through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world. From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores and savors the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived. Follow along on Instagram: Studio Sapore: @studio.sapore  [http://www.instagram.com/studio.sapore] Host Nisa Sedaghat: @nisssyy [http://www.instagram.com/nisssyy] Get in touch: Email: hello@studiosapore.com  Online at: www.studiosapore.com [http://www.studiosapore.com/] The podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat.

Ep. 7 - Pasta With Pasta: Rewriting the Rules in Florence’s Food Scene: Matilde Pettini of Dalla Lola — Florence, Italy

In this heartfelt episode of Sapore, we sit down in the heart of Florence with fourth-generation chef and culinary visionary Matilde Pettini, the founder of Dalla Lola—a soulful, rebellious little restaurant tucked in the Oltrano neighborhood. Matilde is not just a chef—she’s a force of flavor, feeling, and fierce Florentine spirit. Born into a family legacy that includes the iconic Trattoria Cammillo, Matilde carved her own path by opening Dalla Lola at just 26 years old. What started as a study project quickly became a living, breathing culinary space that celebrates local life, shared tables, tiny rebellions, and the essence of Florence. In this conversation, we explore: * How Matilde’s restaurant began as a feeling—rooted in memory and transformed into a space for community and connection * Her take on “project vs. restaurant” and why she keeps Dalla Lola affordable for locals * Florence’s over-tourism crisis, gentrification, and what it means to be a conscious traveler * Building an intentional team and cultivating a space where joy, play, and deep care are central * Pasta with pasta (yes, really) and how creative risk keeps the menu alive * Her dream for the future of hospitality: more women, more reverence, less ego * Natural wine adventures and a soon-to-launch collaborative project with a beloved sommelier * What it means to inherit a culinary legacy—and choose your own way This is a full-circle story of flavor, family, and feminine rebellion. If you’re craving something real and tender and wild—this one’s for you. Follow Matilde on Instagram: @matildepettini [http://www.instagram.com/matildepettini] Follow Dalla Lola at Instagram: @dalla_lola [http://www.instagram.com/dalla_lola] Photo courtesy of Nisa Sedaghat, Studio Sapore. THE SAPORE PODCAST The Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world richly through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world. From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores and savors the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived. Follow along on Instagram: Studio Sapore: @studio.sapore  [http://www.instagram.com/studio.sapore] Host Nisa Sedaghat: @nisssyy [http://www.instagram.com/nisssyy] Get in touch: Email: hello@studiosapore.com  Online at: www.studiosapore.com [http://www.studiosapore.com/] The podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat.

Ep. 6 - Light & Lens: A Life of Travel and Storytelling Through the Eyes of Photographer Ulf Svane — Bangkok & Copenhagen

This week on the Sapore Podcast, I’m joined by Ulf Svane, a Danish photographer and visual storyteller whose work spans the globe—from the rice fields of northern Thailand to the windswept Nordic coasts. Originally from Copenhagen and also based in Southeast Asia, Ulf’s photography captures the intimacy of food, place, and people with a signature use of rich color, natural light, and deep attentiveness. His images have appeared in National Geographic, Food & Wine, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Condé Nast Traveler. In this conversation, we talk about: * His early love of travel and how a camera became his constant companion * How photography has helped him process emotion, place, and belonging * What he’s learned about slowness, trust, and intuition while shooting across cultures * The importance of quiet observation and bearing witness with humility * Why photography is as much about listening as it is about looking We also dive into stories from the field—from working with farmers in the north of Thailand to collaborating with editors and chefs across the world—and reflect on the emotional weight that images can hold when they come from a place of deep presence. This episode is a meditation on global living, stillness, story, and the lens as a tool for connection. Follow Ulf on Instagram: @ulfsvane [https://www.instagram.com/ulfsvane/?hl=en] See his work: www.ulfsvane.com [http://www.ulfswane.com/] Photo courtesy of Ulf Svane. THE SAPORE PODCAST The Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world richly through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world. From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores and savors the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived. Follow along on Instagram: Studio Sapore: @studio.sapore [www.instagram.com/studio.sapore]  Host Nisa Sedaghat: @nisssyy [www.instagram.com/nisssyy] Get in touch: Email: hello@studiosapore.com  Online at: www.studiosapore.com [http://www.studiosapore.com/] The podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat.