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products in terms of timing and
taste. It is not bad to use them
under certain conditions, but a real
chef must be able to replicate the
industrial product in the kitchen.”
FROM RIMINI, TO THE WORLD
If you forget personality in favour
of the promotion of ingredients
and tradition, the chef can become
the standard bearer of Italian food
throughout the world.
Italian cuisine was also a protagonist
in Rimini last February, in the 4 days
of Beer Attraction & FoodAttraction.
On this occasion, the Italian Chefs
Federation (FIC) organised the 2018
Italian Cooking Championships in
which hundreds of professional chefs
competed. News of the year: the
Grand Prix of Mediterranean Cuisine,
in which three international teams
(Cyprus, Slovenia and Spain) have
interpreted the flavours of the cuisine
and the Mediterranean diet, using
symbolic products: pasta, tomato,
olive oil and citrus fruits. What better
opportunity to understand how so
many chefs, involved in the event,
experience this “special” year?
«As a Federation - explained Rocco
Cristiano Pozzulo, national FIC
president - we are committed to
promoting Italian cuisine, through the
events organised by our delegations.
Our foreign delegations do the same
abroad. Among other things, Italian
food is viewed better abroad than
in our country; here we take it for
granted. Anyone abroad who has a
serious Italian restaurant, looking for
high quality and original ingredients,
even if they have to deal with the
problem of sounding Italian. In this
initiative, the Championships are a
moment of great competition among
the young chefs: we are more and
more attentive to the youth sector,
since the young chefs are the future
of our culinary tradition, and we
want that not only our associates, but
also the thousands of professional
chefs who work throughout the world
every day feel this event as something
personal». Fabrizio Camer, a member
of the FIC board, is more critical. “In
my opinion, Italian food is promoted
badly, because the Italian loves it
little - he said - there are people who
damn their souls to promote it, but
others who demean it. Fortunately
there is a return and a rediscovery of
tradition, but still too often we mimic
other cuisines forgetting our history
and culture, Italian biodiversity.
Why turn everything exotic? Let’s
rediscover our products. Without
tradition, innovation can not be
achieved. Social media, instead of
helping us, risks giving out wrong
images of Italian culinary tradition.
Fortunately, the youngsters show a
great desire to do well. Unfortunately
Italy invests less in its gastronomic
culture than other countries. Italian
cooks abroad are seen in a good
light, but there are those who look
for true quality and those who imitate
them. We must have the courage to
defend our national cuisine, to love
our product »Gaetano Ragunì General
Manager of the Italian National
Chefs, is also severe towards the
attitude of a part of the category.
«There is often the urge to put one’s
ego in front of everything - he
complained - even forgetting about
the ingredients. Breaking down a
lot of ingredients to highlight your
skills, diverting attention from the
quality of the ingredients. There are
great professionals out there, but to
support Italian food, we must not
glorify ourselves too much. In order
to promote the national product, we
must also pay attention to hygiene
and respect the cold chain.” There
are also more optimistic views, like
that of Marcello Zaccaria, FIC partner
and Academia Barilla chef. «I would
like 2018 - he hoped - to be the year
of the rebirth of Italian cuisine. In
recent times, Italian cuisine has
rediscovered our history. We have
gone from carrying traditional cuisine
around the world, to that “mixed”
by the influences of other cultures.
But when we go abroad, we see that
our cuisine is appreciated for its
simplicity, for the use of seasonal
ingredients ... I hold courses for
foreign chefs: they do not ask me for
the spectacular or the complicated
but simple, traditional cooking. They
are looking for origins. This is why
Italian cuisine is envied around the
world».
AT PAGE 30
IN DEPTH 2
TheYear of food begins
in schools
2018 will not be a year like any
other for those involved in food.
The National Year of Italian Food
coincided with the passing of one of
the best-known standard-bearers of
the values of Italian food throughout
the world, Gualtiero Marchesi, to
whom the project was dedicated.
By Elena Consonni
This choice could only be praised
by those who now run the school
that bears the signaturet of the great
chef. «Gualtiero Marchesi - states
Andrea Sinigaglia, general manager
of ALMA - was our president for
years and the school has been
shaped by his total cooking concept,
which went beyond the dish and
involved the whole gastronomic
experience. Marchesi loved to
incorporate cultural and artistic
elements into the gastronomic
experience. The tribute that he’ll be
given is fundamental for us because
our school is still very much linked
to his name, and lives on the legacy
that he left us. In our teaching we
give complete importance to the
choice of ingredients. We teach
regional and seasonal Italian
cuisine. To our permanent teachers
we add a pool of 100 great Italian
chefs who bring their products and
recipes, which contain together
current elements and the antiquity
of a wisdom of their territories.
MAGAZINE