Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023 will be held from November 13 to 19.
The Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World is an initiative that promotes the Italian food and wine sector abroad, supporting exports, internationalization, and tourism. It is now in its eighth edition and has seen more than 9,200 events organized by the network of Italian Embassies, Consulates, and Cultural Institutes across 100 countries since 2016. These events include workshops on the Mediterranean diet, meetings with economic operators in the sector, training and demonstration classes, and meetings with chefs.
Last Friday, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, opened the 8th edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, “A tavola con la cucina italiana: il benessere con gusto” (At the Table with Italian Cuisine: Wellbeing with Taste). The conference was also an opportunity for of our Editor-in-Chief, Maddalena Fossati Dondero, to present the project named “I Racconti delle Radici” (Tales of the Roots), created in collaboration with our magazine and that will be implemented in 2024.
Among the over one thousand initiatives planned for the 2023 edition in many countries, there are also “Italianismi nel mondo,” in collaboration with Casa Artusi; “Storia della cucina italiana a fumetti,” in collaboration with the Italian Academy of Cuisine; and a project to promote Italian olive oil and wine in Africa, in collaboration with Gambero Rosso.
Here following are some events reported on the website of MAECI - Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation:
CROATIA
In Croatia, they planned a rich and varied program of activities organized throughout the country by the offices of the Italian economic system, under the coordination of the Italian Embassy in Zagreb. The launch event was organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) Office in Varadzin last Nov 7, where Italy was a Partner Country in the International Pasta Congress “CONPASTA”.
Two other events are organized, in Zagreb and Karlovac, by the Italian Cultural Institute on the relationship between cuisine and, respectively, music and theater, while the Consulate General of Italy in Rijeka is preparing an exhibition in Pula on the evolution of Italian domestic cuisine.
The fil rouge of the main events of the Week in Zagreb is the partnership between the Embassy of Italy and Unione Regionale Cuochi del Lazio (Regional Union of Lazio Chefs), featuring chefs Daniele Priori and Carlo Finucci, who have curated the menus of 3 Italophile restaurants in Zagreb. On Wednesday 15, the chefs hold a masterclass with a tasting of typical Mediterranean dishes at the well-known "Aspira" Cooking School. On the evening of Nov. 16, pasta is celebrated with a special event at the Ambassador's Residence.
Guests attending the various events of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World in Croatia are gifted with a book on the history of Italian cuisine by the Italian Academy of Cuisine, entitled “Storia della cucina italiana a fumetti, dalle tagliatelle etrusche al tiramisù” (History of Italian Cuisine in comic form – from Etruscan tagliatelle to tiramisu).
DAKAR
The Italian Cultural Institute in Dakar premiered a docu-film called "Yaye Senegal" (Mama Senegal). It was created from a culinary exchange project between Italian and Senegalese chefs, promoted by the Italian Cultural Institute and produced by Upset Studios.
The exchange project involved Senegalese chef Raoul Cody, who is now an established professional in Paris, and Brazilian chef Mauricio Zillo, who has lived in Italy since 2011 and has a "Neapolitan soul". Zillo won a Michelin star in 2020 at the Gagini restaurant. Paolo Vizzari narrates the culinary dialogue between the chefs. The exchange explores the potential between Senegalese products and the Italian culinary tradition.
The video is available during the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World on all the Institute’s channels.
TUNIS
The exhibition “Gusto! Gli italiani a Tavola. 1970 – 2050” (Taste! Italians at the table. 1970 – 2050), organised by the Italian Cultural Institute of Tunis and the first of a trilogy of exhibitions that M9 – Museo del ‘900 is dedicating to great Italian passions for an exchange between the past, present, future, scientific research, pop experience, play and critical investigation, is scheduled to open on 14 November. The exhibition focuses on the relationship between Italians and food and how this has changed in recent decades.
At the heart of the reflection is the word “taste”, which best represents the relationship between the individual and society, that indissoluble bond between individual pleasure and collective sharing, nutritional mechanisms and cultural phenomena, capable of representing the complexity of food-related themes.
STOCKHOLM
The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023 is all set to kick off in Stockholm, Sweden, from Nov 13 to 27. The Italian Embassy, in collaboration with other institutions of the Italian economic system, has some exciting events scheduled during this period. The week commences with the presentation of the book "Den Goda Maten" ("The Good Food") in Swedish, dedicated to Cilento and its cuisine, followed by a tasting of some recipes from the same book by the Ambassador of the Mediterranean Diet, chef Giovanna Voria.
There will be a conference-tasting by LAC - Laboratorio del Gusto on Nov 14, while the Stockholm Trade Agency has organized a cooking masterclass at a hotel school, which will be conducted by the Italian Chef Academy, followed by a gala dinner on Nov 15. Italy will also participate in the Nordic Organic Food Fair in Malmö with a collective booth, along with participating Italian organic companies. A School Cooking Workshop for children aged 6-11 will be held at the Vasastan Montessori School.
The event will also dedicate three days to Puglia, which will focus on wine, olive oil, and typical dishes, along with a cooking workshop for schools. The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Sweden, in collaboration with the Stockholm Trade Agency, will bring the event to a close with the “Days of Wine and Italian Food” on Nov 27. This will include tastings of wines from all over Italy and typical products of Mediterranean.
SEOUL
The Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul has curated a program to celebrate the Week of Italian Cuisine 2023 on November 15th. The program is poised to offer an enlightening and informative experience, celebrating Italian cuisine and its influence on Korean food culture – including wine tastings from various Italian regions and Mediterranean cuisine's signature products.
The day's itinerary begins with a seminar presented by Dr. Kim Hyungmi of Medisola. The seminar, titled "At the Table with Korean Cuisine Inspired by the Mediterranean Diet," is expected to provide an in-depth perspective on the intersection between Korean cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. The following session will feature a presentation by Father Vincenzo Bordo on his book "Chef for Love."
The day will conclude with a seminar by Lee Sang-lin, a member of Slow Food Korea. The seminar, titled "Sustainable Cultivation of Small Urban Farms," is expected to provide valuable insights into the importance of sustainable food practices.