The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to showcase the quality and culinary traditions of Italy globally.

The 9th edition of the Week took place in Slovenia, with events organized by the Italian Trade Agency in Ljubljana, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Ljubljana, the Consulate General in Koper, and the Italian Cultural Institute in Ljubljana. The aim of the 2024 edition was to highlight the many distinctive aspects of Italian cuisine under the theme: “Mediterranean Diet and the Recipes from Our Roots: Health and Tradition.”

On November 20th, a Masterclass on Olive Oil was held at the Vander Hotel restaurant in Ljubljana. This training session was designed for journalists and a selected audience of Slovenian importers and distributors. Carlotta Pasetto from ONAOO, the Italian National Organization of Olive Oil Tasters, showcased the organoleptic qualities of various types of oils, providing practical demonstrations on how to distinguish products in the market. The masterclass was attended by about 20 participants, including food distributors, journalists, and institutional representatives.

On the same day, a promotional dinner highlighting the Pordenone and Western Friuli region was organized in collaboration with TEF-Territorio Economia Futuro, an in-house company of the Pordenone-Udine Chamber of Commerce. The aim was to promote the ArtandFood Festival, a cultural and gastronomic event scheduled for October in Pordenone. The dinner featured creative recipes from the Pordenone area, crafted by chef Carlo Nappo, and was presented to Slovenian agri-food sector operators and journalists. The dishes were accompanied by narratives from Gabriele Giuga, artistic director of the ArtandFood Festival, and Silvano Pascolo, president of the Festival.

On November 21st, the focus shifted to “Mediterranean Diet and Health” during the Seminar on Nutrition in Sports, hosted at the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljubljana. The event highlighted the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for athletes and sports enthusiasts, featuring speeches by Italian and Slovenian experts: Andrea Devecchi from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Vedran Hadžić from the Faculty of Sport, and Evgen Benedik from the Faculty of Biotechnology. The speakers also participated in a round table moderated by Eva Peklaj from the Faculty of Biotechnology, which included Slovenian athletes Urša Bogataj, Olympic ski jumping champion, and Maruša Štangar, a judoist with multiple world and European championships. The seminar attracted a large audience of professors and university students.