THE "WEEK OF ITALIAN CUISINE" IS BACK IN LJUBLJANA

The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, this year at its 5th edition, is celebrated again in Ljubljana to enhance the culinary tradition as one of the excellences of Made in Italy and a symbol of Italian identity and culture. The purpose of the event is to promote the Italian approach to nutrition, food education and correct consumer information.

Under the coordination of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by the foreign network of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Cultural Institutes, every year the Week focuses attention, through hundreds of events around the world, on our food and wine heritage and on products from the different Italian territories as a true cultural richness. In fact, Italian cuisine represents a long history of tradition and continuous innovation, closely linked to the passion that has developed locally around the quality of its ingredients, with recipes that have become international synonymous of excellence and quality.

“In this particular year, an important message that the event wants to convey all over the world is the value of the diet in the era of Covid" underlines the Ambassador of Italy in Ljubljana Carlo Campanile: "the Mediterranean Diet, with its natural ingredients, can also be considered a valid tool to strengthen the immune system. The Italian food model - continues Ambassador Campanile - based on the Mediterranean diet that has been part of intangible cultural heritage of Unesco since 2010 - is studied and admired all over the world, not only for the exceptional quality of many typical Made in Italy products, but also for its benefits in terms of consumer health: Italy is second in the world for general health and third for longevity and less obesity in the OECD area ".

The Mediterranean Diet represents healthy lifestyle also through the correct information on the labeling system of typical and authentic Italian products and thanks to a growing number of companies in our country that produce certified organic foods.

This year in Ljubljana the Week of Italian Cuisine takes place in virtual mode in the 4th week of November and began with the participation of Chef Fabrizio D'Alessandro of the Italian Chef Association in Dobro Jutro program (on the Slovenian public network RTV Slovenia 1) on Friday 20 November. Together with Amb. Campanile, Chef D’Alessandro illustrated to Slovenian audience the bicentenary of Pellegrino Artusi, author of the first collection of Italian recipes, that today is still considered the basis of our traditional and regional specialties.

The Italian government aims to promote and protect Italian agro-food industry with particular regard to contrasting Italian sounding, not only taking care of the education of the final consumer but also through the training of future international chefs. In this regard, Chef D’Alessandro is presenting this week 5 masterclasses to the students of the Biotechnical Educational Center Ljubljana-BIC, which prepares the Slovenian chefs and nutrition experts of tomorrow. BIC has just received from the European Commission a prestigious award for excellence in vocational education and training, in the category of innovative educational institutions. Due to pandemic restrictions, BIC's students will assist from home to the preparation of typical dishes from different Italian Regions, following and innovating Artusi’s indications.

In Slovenia, thanks to the collaboration between the Italian Trade Agency’s Office in Ljubljana and the Italian Chef Academy in Rome, 7 videos will be posted online to illustrate the preparation of selected recipes with authentic Italian ingredients. Directed by Giuliano Alessandrini, the Academy has been dealing for years with professional training courses dedicated to the world of catering and haute cuisine, both for Italian and international students.