Giuseppe Zen is a cook and butcher who safeguards Milan’s culinary heritage. His career began to attract attention with the Mangiari di Strada project in the Lorenteggio district, a pioneering venue that redefined the concept of street food in Italy, elevating traditional recipes and offal to gastronomic excellence. In 2014, alongside the redevelopment of the Mercato Comunale Coperto della Darsena in Piazza XXIV Maggio in Milan, Zen took the big step of founding Macelleria Popolare, a butcher shop with a kitchen that has become a landmark in the Navigli area. The philosophy of Macelleria Popolare revolves around the idea of true sustainability and absolute respect for the animal and for the land. Zen selects only organic meats from small farms. This approach results in ethical, healthy, and flavorful meat. At the counter of Macelleria Popolare, it is not only the premium cuts that are sold, but also the quinto quarto, that is, offal and the humble cuts of the Italian regional tradition. The blackboard menu, to be enjoyed informally on the market benches or while strolling along the Darsena, offers street food icons such as the lampredotto sandwich, tripe, fried brain, pugliese bombette, and Milanese mondeghili. In the kitchen beside him is chef Paola Mineo, who, with her expertise and skill in working with meat, gives shape every day to the idea of “popular” cuisine. For Zen, the term “popular” does not mean a cheap mass-market product, but rather accessible and inclusive food, reflecting a transparent supply chain in which every actor, from farmer to consumer, receives fair economic value.
