A Showcase for Italy and Italian Taste On November 13, the 8th edition of the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World was launched- an annual initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation designed to promote Italy’s culinary traditions and gastronomic expertise as a distinctive element of Italian identity and culture.

The promotional activities were kicked off by two events organized by the Embassy of Italy in Ljubljana: November 13 - A conference on rediscovering ancient Roman grains as valuable ingredients in culinary recipes, featuring experts from the Cerealia Festival, along with a hands-on workshop attended by students from the BIC Biotechnical Educational Centre in Ljubljana. November 14 - An evening dedicated to promoting the Italian Aperitivo, with live demonstrations by bartenders showcasing Italy’s finest traditions.

The Consulate General of Capodistria hosted a roundtable on November 16 titled “An Espresso of Knowledge”, exploring sustainable, ecological, and healthy coffee consumption. Additionally, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Ljubljana, an original Italian wine-tasting event was held on November 29 in Nova Gorica.

The Slovenian edition of the event embraced the theme of cross-border sharing, inspired by the upcoming designation of Gorizia and Nova Gorica as the 2025 European Capital of Culture. This led to an evening dedicated to the gastronomic specialties of the Gorizia border region. Lokanda Devetak, a restaurant with 150 years of culinary tradition near the Italian-Slovenian border, shared its experience of preserving local heritage. Accompanying the dishes was Cantina Gradisciutta, which presented Sinefinis Rebolium - a wine made from prestigious Italian and Slovenian vineyards. This symbolic collaboration highlights the excellence and rich heritage shared by both countries. The evening was organized by the ICE Ljubljana Office under the auspices of the Italian Embassy.

Following this, the Slovene Wine Festival (November 16-17, 2023) featured an institutional Italian presence coordinated by ICE Ljubljana. As a major event in the Slovenian capital, it provided an opportunity to showcase and promote Italian agri-food excellence.

This year's Italian Cuisine Week also served as a platform to promote Italian cuisine’s candidacy for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

The ICE Ljubljana Office has long been dedicated to promoting Italian agri-food and wine products in Slovenia. Working in synergy with Italian institutions present in the country, it focuses on educational and promotional initiatives aimed at industry operators and consumers. The goal is to enhance awareness of the authenticity and health benefits of Italian products while combatting the Italian sounding phenomenon—the misleading use of Italian branding on non-Italian goods.

In 2022, trade between Italy and Slovenia achieved excellent results, positioning Slovenia alongside major G20 countries such as Canada, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia in terms of importance for Italian exports. Despite a general slowdown in trade toward the end of 2023, Italy continues to perform well in the agri-food sector. First seven months of 2023: Italy ranked as Slovenia’s top supplier, Italian imports to Slovenia exceeded €340 million, 20.8% growth compared to the same period in 2022, 11.9% share.