Cultura begins with the stories that stay with us, the ones shaped by family, memory, migration, and the quiet rituals that make us who we are.
In this feature, Tyra reflects on Calabria, identity, and the feeling of belonging to a place that continues to live within her, no matter where she is in the world.
Tyra organised the Cannoli Piping station at the Cultura Launch Party.
I was born and raised in Australia, but my heart has always belonged to Calabria.
My background is Calabrese, and since I was born, I have travelled back to Italy every single year with my mum and siblings. Those trips were never just holidays, they were homecomings. My heart feels at home when I am in Calabria, and there is no place in the world that makes me feel the way it does, not even the home I grew up in.
“Those trips were never just holidays, they were homecomings.”
My hometown is Riace, “Città dei Bronzi,” and every time I arrive, I feel an overwhelming sense of belonging. My entire family still lives there, aunties, uncles, and cousins, and being surrounded by them reminds me of who I am and where I come from. The streets, the language, the food, the slow afternoons spent with family all form a rhythm of life that feels deeply ingrained in me.
I work in my family business alongside my mum Michelle, who owns Unica Cucina e Caffè on the Mornington Peninsula. The restaurant encapsulates everything I love about my heritage. It is more than just a place to eat, it is a space filled with stories. The walls are covered in photos of my grandparents in our village, honouring their journey and the life they built. Every dish we serve carries tradition, memory, and generations of love.
“Culture is not something I visit once a year, it lives within me every single day.”
My roots mean strength, resilience, and family. Being Calabrese has shaped my values, especially the importance of togetherness, hard work, and pride in where you come from. No matter how far away I am geographically, I never feel disconnected from my heritage.
Culture in my life means identity. It is in the way we gather around a table, the way we speak with our hands, and the way food brings people together. Hearing my Nonni speak in dialetto every time I visit their home, that to me is culture. It is my identity. It is knowing that I carry both Australia and Italy within me and feeling proud of that balance.
Con Amore,
Tyra
Tyra LoieloUnica Cucina e Caffè
Tyra’s story reminds us that heritage does not live only in a homeland. It exists in memory, language, family, and the everyday ways we carry forward what was passed down to us.
Alongside her mum, Tyra continues this on the Mornington Peninsula through their family business, Unica Cucina e Caffè, a space where culture is felt, shared, and kept alive through every dish.
Beyond Unica Cucina e Caffè, they also bring the culture to a wider community through the Mornington Peninsula Italian Festa, a celebration of culture, connection, and tradition, returning on November 1 2026.
Through Cultura, Bedda Vita hopes to honour these stories with care, not just as things remembered, but as living reflections of identity everyday.
Alla prossima storia.
Con amore,
Josephine Farfalla | Bedda Vita