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Italian Cuisine in the World is set to indulge the taste buds of UAE residents and visitors once again as it returns for its fifth edition. Now running until 12 Dec 2020, the global celebration of Italian cuisine marks the 200 years after the birth of Pellegrino Artusi, author of the cookbook titled "Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well" and recognised as the father of Italian cuisine.

Focusing on the roots of Italy’s culinary tradition, the 2020 UAE edition is organised by the Italian Embassy in the UAE together with the Italian Consulate, Italian Trade Agency, and Italian Academy of Cuisine(Accademia Italiana della Cucina). This year’s programme presents six restaurants across Dubai, including:  Vanitas in Palazzo Versace, Bella in Grand Millenium Business Bay, Luigia in Rixos JBR, Bellavista in Grovesnor House, La Strega in Royal Meridien, The Artisan in Waldorf Astoria DIFC.The food outlets will create a special menu with their own recreations of Artusi’s well-known recipes. Each plate will be filled with the true essence of authentic Italian cuisine, with freshly prepared and hand-picked ingredients imported from Italy.

“The Italian cuisine is a treasure for Italians, returning to its culinary roots and adopting the dishes and ingredients that have helped Italian cuisine to become famous throughout the world. Our cuisine has become increasingly popular due to the health benefits associated with it, specifically the Mediterranean diet. Being rewarded with the ‘intangible cultural heritage’ status by UNESCO has only embedded more pride in us. Every year, we look forward to sharing our plates filled with culture and heritage with the UAE that has been a great supporter of our endeavours and has welcomed our talents to create a glorious Italian culinary marathon,” His Excellency Nicola Lener, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE commented.

The annual fair dedicated to the promotion of Italian cuisine and its high-quality produce is supported by the network governmental agencies here and abroad, under the Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign which promotes authentic Italian food products.

“We highly support this global initiative which places a great emphasis on the quality of products that we export.  Italy is one of the top importers of agri-food to the UAE where we have seen an increase of 15.51% at the beginning of 2020. It dropped up to 44% at the height of the pandemic due to lockdowns and limited activities of the hospitality industry, specifically for fresh produce and beverages. We are now slowly recovering, thanks to the impressive management of the outbreak by the UAE.  We have seen a positive trend of exports until July which climbed to EUR 149,754,187 from EUR 130,754,187 in the first semester,” said Amedeo Scarpa, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE.

Celebrating Pellegrino Artusi

In the mid-19th century, two decades after the unification of Italy and at a time when the concept of "Italian food" did not yet exist, businessman Pellegrino Artusi published the ultimate Italian cookbook of all time. It contained all the ingredients of Italy’s three main cuisines, as well as a series of regional dishes, giving them a unified vision. The book is a great source for amateur chefs who want to recreate the "Italian culinary tradition" in their own home, and teaches readers about the essence of authentic Italian cuisine and also the importance of proper cooking techniques. It has marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Italian cuisine and he was named the father of Italian cuisine.

Francesca Caldara, President of the Italian Academy of Cuisine in Dubai who was appointed as technical partner of this global initiative, said: “It is only right to celebrate the contribution of Pellegrino Artusi, who has been instrumental in the development of Italian cuisine. He has given us identity and economic opportunity as well. We have re-considered the extraordinary time we are all facing at the moment, that is why this year’s programme will be implemented in both digital and in-person. At the academy, we are passionate about safeguarding the Italian culinary traditions and ensuring improvements and intelligent innovations are made to continuously present the highest quality food to the world. Underlining the three-year Strategic Tourism of the National Tourism Agency in Italy, our commitment to this project includes protecting products to combat counterfeits.

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