The First Week of Italian Cuisine in the World has kicked off this week. Taking place from 21 to 27 November in no less than 105 different countries, including Australia, it will play host to over 1,300 events (contests, conferences, tastings, thematic dinners, exhibitions on culinary themes and technical and scientific workshops) across the world.
At the opening event in Washington, Italian chef Massimo Bottura cooked at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in the US. His restaurant "Osteria Francescana" in Modena is of course famous for having been awarded World's Best Restaurant in 2016.
Below, Bottura speaks at the opening event in Washington:
"Food is in our DNA," Bottura said of Italian culture at the opening event at Villa Firenze - the official residence of the Italian Ambassador in Washington DC.
"What Italy is all about is quality," Armando Varricchio, the Italian Ambassador to the US, said at the event. "The First Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is a window to what Italy has to offer, which is the riches of our great land, the diversity of our regions, and the quality of our food."
The initiative is run by the Italian government and is designed to promote Italy's gastronomic culture abroad, exhibiting its quality and its excellence, and giving a much needed boost to it's agricultural sector.
According to the European Commission, Italy has 286 products registered at DOOR (Database Of Origin & Registration). DOOR includes product names for foodstuffs registered as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSG).
In this video, produced by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs especially for the event, 21 popular Italian chefs talk about the future of Italian cuisine abroad, the Italian dishes they would export, and the definition of Italian cuisine.
You can find all the events organised abroad to showcase the finest Italian cuisine and traditions, at the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
See the Australian events below:
- Events in Adelaide
Wednesday 23rd November
5pm – Cooking demonstration at the Marche club
Thursday 24th November
3pm – Cooking demonstration at Mercato
5pm – Seminar on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet presented by Dr. Natalie Parletta at the University of South Australia
Friday 25th November
3pm – Italian cheese tasting at Bottega Rotolo
6.30pm – Dinner organized by The Italian Academy of Cuisine at Enzo’s Ristorante
Saturday 26th November
11am – That’s Amore: Pasta fazool and other pulses. Cooking demonstration by chef Camillo Crugnale at Central market in collaboration with Flinders University, Dante Alighieri Society, Slow Food and the United Nations Association. The theme will be: International Year of Pulses.
Sunday 27th November
4pm – Pizza, Arancini and Pastiera Napoletana by Southern Street, in association with #PizzaUnesco, at Adelaide Night Market in Prince Henry Garden
4pm – Pizza cooking demonstration at the Campania Club
- Events in Canberra
Wednesday 23rd November
6.30pm – Screening of the movie “L’abbuffata” by Mimmo Calopresti at the National Film Sound Archive (NFSA)
Saturday 26th November
- Events in Sydney
Friday 25th November
6pm – Buonissimo! Simple, healthy and delicious Italian food with Italian chef Gabriele Taddeucci and food journalist Joanna Savill at Italian Institute of Culture
- Events in Perth
Thursday 24th November
21.15pm - Tastes of Italy: An Italian dinner at the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre
- Events in Melbourne
Thursday 24th November
6.30 pm - An evening of Vino&Jazz with Mirko Guerrini’s band at the Italian Institute of Culture
Masterclass #PizzaUnesco with World Pizza Champion Andrea Cozzolino at Zero95Pizza Bar in Doncaster East
Here are just a few of the indulgent food snaps that have been shared as part of the event so far, from various locations around the world:
