Supplied: Tom Di Chiera
)When scores of Italian migrants arrived in Perth after World War II, they soon began to look for the food they ate back home, eventually introducing hitherto unknown fare to a whole city.
One of those stores was founded by the Di Chiera brothers, who emigrated from Naples and opened their first grocery store in 1953.
Antonio Di Chiera came to Perth as a young man in 1949, and was followed a few months later by his brother Giuseppe.
Supplied: Tom Di Chiera
)"Italy was obviously in ruins after World War II, economically, and like a lot of people, they were looking for a better life," Tom Di Chiera, Antonio's son, told Geoff Hutchison on ABC Radio Perth.
"Their first job was digging potatoes around Harvey and then later drains along the highway.
"When the brothers got enough money, they came back up to Perth, got a lease on a small shop in William Street.
'An unusual bunch of flowers'
While the store was primarily intended to serve European migrants, its unfamiliar stock did attract the interest of curious others.
One of those new things was broccoli, grown by Italian market gardeners but little seen on most Australian plates in the 1950s.
"The success of the early stores was built on the wave of migrants that came in, but I think there were quite a few curious natives here who enjoyed coming in, just having a little browse around to see something new that they could get," Mr Di Chiera said.
"There was an Australian lady who came in one day, saw this bunch of broccoli said, 'Oh my, it's an unusual bunch of flowers'."
A punt on olive oil
In the 1950s, most Anglo-Australians relied on lard, dripping and butter for cooking fat, and olive oil was considered a medicinal product, sold only in small bottles at pharmacies.
The Italian and Greek migrants introduced Australia to cooking with olive oil, but in the early days, it was not without risk.
"Dad brought in one of the very first batches of olive oil, in conjunction with a couple of other people in Perth," he said.
"It was a huge risk to them."
Creating the 'conti' roll
But perhaps the most popular contribution to Perth's gastronomic life came in the form of the continental roll, which is now often referred to as a "conti" roll.
"The roll has many names and many versions around the world, but the actual term 'continental roll' is exclusive to Western Australia," Mr Di Chiera said.
"It does not exist in other states or other countries."
A long, crusty bread roll filled with meats, cheese and preserved vegetables, the roll had its origin with the Italian migrant workers in Perth who needed to take their lunch to work.
Mr Di Chiera said his mum had the job of making lunches for the workmen.
Supplied: Tom Di Chiera
)"The shop would be open from 5:00am and she would prepare a whole lot of these continental rolls," he said.
"Once these workers established themselves, of course, they got married, and their wives would make their lunch.
"So mum was left with a product that she no longer had a captive audience for."
Her solution was to give the panino an English name.
"It was simply the continental roll because the ingredients were from the continent rather than the British Isles," Mr Di Chiera said.
'The whole shop in a roll'
The continental roll has grown into a singularly Western Australian creation stuffed with a variety of ingredients, available at cafes and Italian delicatessens.
A good continental roll contained at least three different meats, Mr Di Chiera said, and slices of cheese.
"In Italy, you wouldn't find this recipe because one of the big no-nos is mixing too many flavours," he said.
"Probably, the most popular is a swiss-style cheese, although I personally prefer a mozzarella."
Mr Di Chiera said picked vegetables such as eggplant, olives and artichoke, layered on top of the cheese, were all popular.
The bread was traditionally crusty, although, after complaints of lockjaw by some customers, a softer version of the bread rolls was created, he said.
Supplied: Tom Di Chiera
)'An enviable lifestyle'
Mr Di Chiera, the youngest of six siblings, took over the shop from his parents in 1992.
He fell in love with the business at a young age and still lives above the shop.
"By the time I came along, I think all of the aunties and uncles were a bit sick of babysitting for mum and dad, so they told them to look after their own kids.
"Dad was my babysitter effectively. I got to go and see all the growers. I learnt their dialects and their languages.
Supplied: Tom Di Chiera
)Keeping tradition alive
While he made some innovations, he quickly realised not to mess with the conti rolls.
"I took over the shop in '92 from my parents, and I had some grand ideas of improving the business model," he said.
Shortly afterwards, a longtime customer came into the shop with a colleague to introduce them to "the best continental rolls in Perth".
"He bought one, went outside and was promptly embarrassed," he said.
"He came back in, threw the roll at me and said, 'Your mum used to make the best rolls. Lift your game, Tom'.
"The following day, I completely rehashed it, and the price went back up."
Like many hospitality businesses over the past few years, the Di Chiera Brothers deli has had to shut up shop, but Mr Di Chiera told ABC Radio Perth that he hoped to reopen the store in the not-too-distant future.
