"Italian and Cantonese share a common feature: They are both gourmets!" a humorous bilingual Chinese-Italian host said in a masterclass of a special "True Italian Taste" event on May 28.
The True Italian Taste project was promoted and funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and carried out by Assocamerestero (the Association of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Worldwide) in cooperation with the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC).
Giulia Garallati, secretary general of CICC, said the project aims at promoting authentic Italian products to combat the "Italian sounding". She explained that "Italian sounding" products with an Italian appearance are not always "made in Italy". Consumers are misled into buying products that are not authentic Italian, which damages the image of those goods that genuinely are made in Italy.
The European Union (EU) has set up two labels—PDO and IGP—to identify and safeguard agricultural food products that are the result of a unique combination of specific environmental conditions and human factors of a certain geographic area. With 293 agricultural food products recognized, Italy is a leading EU country in terms of production of quality food. Consumers therefore can check the labels when they are purchasing an Italian product.
PDO – Protected Designation of Origin
PGI – Protected Geographical Indication
Rino De Feo, an Italian chef, gave lessons during the event on how to cook a delicious Pasta di Gragnano with Taleggio fondue, cherry tomatoes and basil sauce. He also introduced Italian cooking tips to Chinese attendees. “A good chef will taste pasta every time to see if it is cooked, rather than just following the traditional recipes and instructions,” he said.
Attendees also enjoyed various labeled Italian foods, including ham, chocolate cream, wine, and cheese.
The True Italian Taste project was promoted and funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and carried out by Assocamerestero (the Association of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Worldwide) in cooperation with the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC).
Giulia Garallati, secretary general of CICC, said the project aims at promoting authentic Italian products to combat the "Italian sounding". She explained that "Italian sounding" products with an Italian appearance are not always "made in Italy". Consumers are misled into buying products that are not authentic Italian, which damages the image of those goods that genuinely are made in Italy.
The European Union (EU) has set up two labels—PDO and IGP—to identify and safeguard agricultural food products that are the result of a unique combination of specific environmental conditions and human factors of a certain geographic area. With 293 agricultural food products recognized, Italy is a leading EU country in terms of production of quality food. Consumers therefore can check the labels when they are purchasing an Italian product.
PDO – Protected Designation of Origin
PGI – Protected Geographical Indication
Rino De Feo, an Italian chef, gave lessons during the event on how to cook a delicious Pasta di Gragnano with Taleggio fondue, cherry tomatoes and basil sauce. He also introduced Italian cooking tips to Chinese attendees. “A good chef will taste pasta every time to see if it is cooked, rather than just following the traditional recipes and instructions,” he said.
Attendees also enjoyed various labeled Italian foods, including ham, chocolate cream, wine, and cheese.
