Italian Cuisine Week in the World concludes in Barcelona

(ANSA) - MADRID, 26 NOV - The Consulate General of Italy in Barcelona and the Italian Cultural Institute celebrated the IX Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, which this year focused on the Mediterranean diet and root cuisine.
    The week - informs a note from the Consulate General - was inaugurated on Monday 18 November with an event held at the Italian School of Barcelona, during which the book 'Le ricette dei nonni' (Grandparents' Recipes), a collection of traditional family recipes, was presented. On 19 November, content creator Alessio Cecchini, aka 'Rucoolaaa', was a guest at the La Patente restaurant where, during a cooking demonstration, he offered an example of anti-waste cooking through the use in some recipes of products commonly considered waste. Eleonora Archetti, representative of the European Commission office in Barcelona, also spoke at the event to emphasise the importance of combating food waste in the European Week against Waste.
    The Marche region and the region of Sardinia, which were present in Barcelona to participate in the IBTM fair, also contributed to the success of Kitchen Week. On 20 November, the region of Sardinia organised a promotional event with the chef of Cagliari's Josto restaurant Pierluigi Fais, who proposed a gastronomic tasting of dishes, accompanied by Sardinian artisanal wines and drinks. On the same evening, at the consul general's residence, the Marche region, represented by councillor Andrea Maria Antonini, offered guests typical dishes from the Marche region by chef Daniele Citeroni Maurizi. During the evening, the councillor highlighted the recent opening of the direct flight between Ancona and Barcelona, inaugurated in November 2024.
    The culinary week ended on 21 November with a seminar organised by the IESE on food safety focusing in particular on the seed sector. The seminar was opened by Luigi D'Eramo, Undersecretary for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies. Among the panelists were also Brigadier General Daniel Melis, commander of the Carabinieri unit for agri-food protection, and Col. Juan Antonio Ruiz Garcia, regional commander of the Guardia Civil's Environmental Protection Unit. During the seminar, the importance of public-private collaboration, investment in technology and quality control, and the fight against unfair competition phenomena were emphasised.
    Finally, as every year, 15 Italian restaurants in Barcelona joined the Italian cuisine week, offering a special menu for the occasion based on traditional dishes from the Marche region.