Puglia's nonnas go global as 'nonna-maxxing' trend takes off

The Washington Post on Sunday featured Teresa Calia, 88, and Grazia Incampo, 90, in a lifestyle article titled 'Want a good life? Try nonna-maxxing with these Italian grandmothers.' The two friends, who have known each other since childhood, are shown rolling orecchiette at a bakery in southern Italy — a scene instantly recognisable as Pugliese, where this ear-shaped pasta is a culinary emblem.

The piece is part of a broader trend in foreign media that packages Mediterranean, and specifically Southern Italian, grandmother wisdom as a wellness and life-hack resource. 'Nonna-maxxing' — a term coined online for adopting the habits of Italian grandmothers — has gained traction on social media, with videos of nonnas cooking, gardening, and offering life advice garnering millions of views.