Italian Food Week in Sofia is dedicated to wine and rice

(ANSA) - ROMA, 20 NOV - Italian Food Week in Bulgaria, organised by the Italian Embassy in Bulgaria in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia and the ITA Agency in Sofia, Confindustria Bulgaria and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, opened with an event dedicated to Italian wines.
    At the Hilton Hotel in Sofia, 'Italia grand tour divino' took place to celebrate Italian wine, which has always been an inseparable companion of Italian cuisine, a perfect combination for the exaltation of flavours. A dinner was then organised at the Floret restaurant of the Hotel InterContinental Sofia by the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Confindustria Bulgaria and the company Ita Airways. The 'Volare all'Italiana' event aimed at promoting typical Italian cuisine in Bulgaria and presenting the national airline in the country. It was then the turn of the exaltation of Italian rice with a conference entitled 'La risaia ieri, oggi e domani' (Rice Fields Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow), on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death, with the collaboration of the Accademia della Cucina Italiana and the Istituto Professionale di Stato per l'Enogastronomia e l'Ospitalità Alberghiera 'Pietro Piazza' of Palermo.
    The Conference will also feature a photographic exhibition recounting the evolution of the Italian rice sector through images that bear witness to the perfect marriage of tradition and innovation. Through large photographs, visitors will explore the 500-year history of Italian rice-growing, with a view to increasingly efficient and environmentally friendly production. Tonight there will be a Gala Evening at the Residence hosted by Ambassador Giuseppina Zarra, with a menu prepared by chef Daniele Priori. Tomorrow Priori will be the protagonist of a charity event dedicated to Italian cuisine at the Bulgarian foundation for the integration of young people with disabilities into the world of work Maria's World Foundation.
    Lastly, on 22nd and 23rd November, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria will organise, in cooperation with the Lazio Region Arsial Agency, a series of thematic meetings "Lazio for food in Bulgaria", between Italian agrifood sector operators and potential Bulgarian users and distributors.