News: in the world

2007

Japan: Tokyo

Monday March 19th, in the prestigious seat of the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, Vice Premier and Minister for the Cultural Heritage and Activities Francesco Rutelli, Ambassador Mario Bova and Prince Akihito with his wife officially opened, in the presence of over six-hundred guests, the “Italian Spring in Japan 2007: the art of living and creating” event. Held from March to June 2007 and with more than 200 events scheduled all over Japan,  it has the aim of arousing and reviving the Japanese audience’s attention towards our Country, through the presentation of our culture, arts, traditions, creativity, art of living, technological innovation and scientific know-how. The main objective is to underline our Country’s modernity but still linking it to our historical and cultural roots. Primavera Italiana 2007 follows in the path of previous initiatives carried out over the past five years, from “Italy in Japan 2001”, to “Italian Festival Tokyo Dome 2005” and “Aichi Expo 2005 – Italian Pavillion”. As already happened for the previous events, ICIF has been one of the protagonists as an ambassador of the great Italian cuisine in the world and its Director himself, Bruno Libralon, assisted by several ICIF ex-students and local chefs, prepared the buffet for the  grand opening.

On the occasion, ICIF has also organized a conference entitled “ Evolution of Italian Products in the Country of the Rising Sun” on March 21st in Tokyo, thanks to the collaboration of the Italian Embassy, the Regione Piemonte and from the Italian Institute of Culture. The Director of the Trade Department of the Regional Government of Piedmont, Marco Cavalletto introduced the event, highlighting Piedmont’s products of excellence, from technology to arts, from design to food and wines. Beside important Italian and Japanese authorities, media and professionals in the hospitality business, also all ICIF ex-students were invited to the conference, that met with a huge success: over 250 ex-students, in fact (out of 750 Japanese students who attended ICIF courses) were present. On the occasion, the birth of the ICIF former students Association was announced, illustrating its aim and the advantages its associates will be entitled to and a new international Culinary Contest that ICIF is organizing in collaboration with the Olive Oil Masters Association having as its subject the best gastronomic pairings with extra virgin olive oils.
During the buffet, based on dishes from Piedmont and prepared by ICIF, it was possible for the participants and in particular for ICIF ex-students, to contact Piedmont’s Exports Associations that presented their products and offered special conditions to future purchasers (Consorzio Export Unifood, Consorzio Export Dolce Piemonte, Consorzio Export Italy Gourmet, Consorzio Alba Export Wine and Food, Consorzio Export Quality Wines, Consorzio export Langa In, Consorzio PI.EFFE.BI. Export).
During the event, also a new fragrance was presented to the numerous guests, created by Laura Tonatto who took inspiration from  Botticelli’s Venus, the symbol of the whole “Primavera Italiana 2007” Event.

USA: Hartford and Suffield

Within the framework of a wide training project addressed to instructors and students of hospitality schools in the USA, financed by the Ministry for Agriculture, ICIF chef instructors Davide Nusdeo and Giancarlo Piccarreta gave two lesson cycles, each lasting three weeks, at the Connecticut Culinary Institute. This college, with which last November ICIF has signed an important collaboration agreement (aimed at including courses in Italian cooking in their training programs) has its headquarters at Hartford, the capital of Connecticut,  where from March 12th to April 2nd chef Nusdeo gave his classes and a second campus at Suffield, at a 50 km distance, where from April 1st to April 21st chef Piccarreta held his course. The various culinary programs offered by the campus are attended by over 200 students.
Chef Nusdeo gave several theme cooking demos , two of which addressed to instructors from other culinary schools in Connecticut. Several were the subjects covered, among which traditional hot and cold antipasti, rice, polenta, fresh pasta, marinades for meats, braised meats, cheeses and desserts, always enhancing the original Italian products he was using, such as extra virgin olive oil, Grana Padano, Carnaroli rice, cornmeal flour, Traditional Balsamic vinegar of Modena, Parma and San Daniele cured hams.
Moreover, chef Nusdeo cooked two official luncheons, one for teachers and principals of other hospitality schools and one to local authorities and media representatives (among which Ferdinand Metz, President of the Culinary Institute of America, the Mayor of Hartford; Bradley Baran, President of the CCI; Tony May, President of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani in America), setting up the menus to focus the attention on the cornerstone products of the Italian cuisine. On the occasion a corner displaying Italian typical products was set up.

India: New Dehly

From March 8th to March 12th 2007, at the AAHAR Agricultural and Food Fair in New Dehly,  Federlombarda set up a stand for the display and tasting of typical Italian products recognized as DOPs by the European Community (such as Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Provolone and Grana Padano), extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda, Carnaroli rice, Franciacorta wines and red wines from Valtellina. The event was presented during a press conference held at The Oberoi Hotel, followed by a Seminar on Taste, organized and held by ICIF chef instructor Giancarlo Piccarreta with a menu based on the displayed products: Cabbage and Taleggio bundle on a yellow pumpkin coulis, tasting of three risottos with Franciacorta sparkling wine, red wine from Valtellina,  sweet-peppers and Gorgonzola, to end with a raisins-filled crepe in a Franciacorta and vanilla sauce.
The event was attended by around thirty journalists. The ICIF chef also carried out all the tastings organized in the Fair; among its visitors also the European Union’s Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Mariann Fisher Boel, who visited the stand with the Indian Minister of State for  Food Processing Industries, Mr. Shri Subodh Kant Sahai.

Cyprus

On January 31st 2007, at the Hilton Hotel Cyprus in Nicosia, ICIF chef instructor Giancarlo Piccarreta organized and prepared, on behalf of C.A. Papaellina & Co.Ltd., sole distributor in Cyprus for the products of several Italian agricultural and food companies among which Riso Gallo and Saclà, the gala dinner for the presentation of the represented companies’ products. Among the 120 guests, also the prime Secretary Pierluigi Trombetta, representing the Italian Embassy, was present along with  several buyers and representatives of Cyprus’ hospitality industry. The event was covered by the national TV channel and by the numerous media attending the dinner.

2006

Santo Domingo

During the “Italian Festival” organized from November 19th to November 28th 2006 by the Nacional supermarkets chain, the most important in the Country, addressing a medium-high target of customers, numerous Italian food products were promoted, among which the Riso Gallo’s.
On the occasion ICIF chef instructor Mario Grazia gave demonstrations in four shopping malls in the capital town, one in Santiago, the second largest city in the Country and the major economic centre, in a store specializing in kitchen equipment and articles for chefs (Kitchen Centre) and in two Universities, PUCMM and UNIBE (both high-level private institutes).
During all the demonstrations he prepared several risotto recipes, explaining first the characteristics of raw materials and then the cooking methods, followed by a tasting of the dishes prepared. Rice is one of the main ingredients of the Dominican cuisine and the audience showed a great interest for risotto, notwithstanding the difference in the cooking methods and in the rice varieties used. All the events had a great press coverage and in some cases TV crews were present as well.

Singapore

Within the framework of the important ArTaste event, held from October 10th to October 20th, the ICCS (Italian Chamber of Commerce Singapore)  organized a two-day promotion of  Italian wine and food products in collaboration with ICIF and with the support from the Raffles Culinary Academy, the most prestigious hospitality school in Singapore (one of the top 10 in Asia and among the  50 most renowned cooking schools in the world). On October 16th ICIF Director  Bruno Libralon, assisted by chef instructor Giancarlo Piccarreta, held a press conference for specialized journalists, during which the activities of ICIF were illustrated, followed by a cocktail party based on Italian products.
The following day, still at the Raffles Accademy, they gave a lecture on the cuisine of Italian regions, with practical demonstrations of some typical recipes matched with the proper wines, for the chefs of great hotels, with the aim of promoting the image of Italian cuisine among the professionals working in the food industry field.
During the event the opening of ICIF’s new representative office in Singapore, at the ICCS, was announced.
On the occasion, meetings with  F&B managers and directors of the most prestigious hotels in  Singapore were organized, aiming at promoting ICIF’s activities .and in particular at launching new courses to be given at the school in  Shanghai, addressed to the hotel kitchen and dining room staff.

India: Manipal and Aurangabad

From August 28th to September 4th  2006, upon request of the Indo Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of  Mumbai, ICIF chef instructor Riccardo Marello travelled to India for a number of lessons/demonstrations in Italian cooking for the students and instructors of two of the most important hotel schools in India: the Institute of Hotel Management in Manipal and the  Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Aurangabad. During the days spent in  Manipal he also supervised the preparation of the Italian Food Festival organized by the school over two evenings, that saw the presence of more than 400 guests.

Brazil: Sao Paulo

On August 21st 2006, ICIF , in collaboration with the local Italian Foreign Trade Commission office, organized in Sao Paulo a vertical wine tasting called: Comparing the two greatest Italian red winse: Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. The event, held at Supra Restaurant, one of the most famous Italian restaurants in town, was attended by journalists from the wine and food sector and from several authorities.
The initiative, organized in collaboration with Fisar, was aimed, beside at the institutional promotion of Italian wine products, also at the creation of professional training paths in Sao Paulo and in the rest of Brazil.
The speaker, Roberto Rabachino, journalist, sommelier and Director of  FISAR Italia,  masterly conducted the tasting, that met with a huge success, thanks also to the high quality level of the wines and of the vintages that were presented.

China: Canton

ICIF was asked by the Italian Foreign Trade Commission to participate in the “ Made in Italy” promotion  in China, through communication actions and Italian Cooking demonstrations within the framework of the important China Small and Medium Enterprises Fair - CSMEF - of Guangzhou (Canton).
During this event,  held from September 10 to September 18 2006, ICIF chef instructors, along with local chefs, beside preparing the gala dinner on the occasion of President Prodi’s visit, also prepared authentic Italian menus at the restaurants of  the China Marriot, Hotel Dong Fang, Hotel White Swan Hotels and at  Ristorante Oggi, Ristorante Siena, Ristorante Mammamia, Ristorante Milano and Ristorante Olive. The chef instructors were assisted by the students of ICIF school of Shanghai.

United States: New York

On October 11th 2006 at Hartford,capital town of Connecticut - USA, an important and historical collaboration agreement was signed between the prestigious CCI - Connecticut Culinary Institute and ICIF.
After long talks an agreement was signed that, for the first time in the professional culinary education field in the States, sees the inclusion of an “all Italian” training program in an educational American program. Thanks to this new method CCI students will be given the opportunity to learn the practical and theoretical peculiarities of the Italian cuisine right on ICIF’s educational premises. They will start their training in the States and then  specialize in Italy in order to achieve a precious international experience and a double, American and Italian  certificate.
The representatives of the Governor of the State of Connecticut, the Head of the State Department of  Education of Connecticut, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Hartford, the Mayor of the town, the  President of CCI - Connecticut Culinary Institute, the President of ICIF, the President of GRI – Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani and many American press representatives attended the ceremony.
ICIF, that regularly operates in the United States, had been looking for a long while for a quality school in order to enlarge its educational activities and the CCI provided all the structural, cultural and professional conditions necessary to achieve this goal.
The Connecticut Culinary Institute operates in a structure with  5 classrooms that can host  3.000 people, 250 rooms, 3 restaurants with their banquet halls, 2 bars and 6 kitchens.

Portugal: Lisbon

From September 21st to September 30th a food event, pairing cuisine and art, was held at the Tivoli Hotel of Lisbon, attended by chefs from all over the world, each of them with the task of presenting his/her personal interpretation of the cuisine of their own region matched with art. ICIF Chef instructor Luigi Caputo gave two demos, one with dishes prepared using  pasta from Gragnano, produced by the Garofalo company, and one based on risottos using the products by Riso Gallo, both sponsoring companies of ICIF. On September 23rd, moreover, at the Eleven restaurant,  chef Caputo prepared a gala dinner for 80 guests, assisted by chef Joachin Koerper and his staff.  The event met with a great success and saw the presence of authorities, artists, painters, journalists, opinion leaders and professionals in the food-service industry.

Cyprus: Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol

From Novembre 29th to December 2nd ICIF chef instructor Giancarlo Piccarreta, invited by the local importer Papallinas (importer for  Riso Gallo) held a number of demonstrations with tastings for the large public in a supermarket chain present in different towns in the island (Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol). The event met with a great success among the local customers.

South Korea: Seoul

From November 13th to November 24th 2006 ICIF chef instructor Ugo Mura was sent to Korea to promote ICIF activities and by consequence the use of Italian agricultural and food products, through a series of lessons/demonstrations at several schools: Dongpusan College in Pusan, Daegumirae College in Daegu, Gwangiu Natural Science High School in Gwangiu, Hallym College in Chuncheon, Korea Tourism College, Korea Culinary Arts Scence High School, Kyunghee University and Chungkang College  in Seoul, as well as at  ICIF Korea Preschool.

Pacific Asia

Following the great success met last year by the “Savour Piedmont” event, the Regione Piemonte wanted to repeat that great promotional kermesse, thanks to which Piedmont’s top agricultural and food products, led by Barolo wines and  White Truffles from Alba, landed in the Far East. The event strengthened the collaboration with the famous The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain and this year, beside the Truffle World Auction held for the second year in a row at the  Ristorante Toscana of the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, the promotion was extended to all the hotels belonging to the famous chain and located in Easter Asia.
The Regione Piemonte entrusted ICIF with the task of organizing the event, held between the 6th and the 12th of November in nine venues: Ristorante Palladio of The Portman Ritz-Carlton of Shanghai (executive-chef Edmund Toh), The Ritz-Carlton of Osaka (Chef C. Gibert), Dava Restaurant del The Ritz-Carlton, Bali Resort & Spa (chef Dean Keddel), Ristorante Toscana of  The Ritz-Carlton di Hong Kong (chef Umberto Bombana), Ristorante Portovenere of The Ritz-Carlton of Jakarta (chef Marco Riva), The Ritz-Carlton of Kuala Lumpur (chef Hilmi Hussin), The Garden Restaurant of The Ritz-Carlton of Seoul (Chef Kim Soon Ki), Snappers Restaurant of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia of Singapore (chef Gilles Perrin), Ristorante Cépe of The Ritz-Carlton of Pechino (chef Giovanni Terracciano). The chef of each restaurant prepared a different menu, having as its main them the White Truffles from Alba. ICIF also prepared a promotional brochure for the event, illustrating characteristics and history of truffles and Barolo, the menus offered in the various restaurants with pictures of the dishes.
The main event was represented by the Truffle World Auction, broadcasted live through a satellite hook-up from the Castle of Grinzane Cavour and the “Les Ambassadeurs” restaurant in the prestigious Hotel De Crillon in Place de La Concorde in Paris, held on Sunday, November 12th at the Ristorante Toscana of tThe Ritz-Carlton of Hong Kong. The fantastic menu, based on White Truffles from Alba and served with excellent wines from Piedmont, was prepared by the Italian chef Umberto Bombana, appointed best Italian chef in Asia by ICIF and Ambassador of the White Truffles from Alba in the world by the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo. The event met with a huge international success and the dinner was reserved to an extremely selected group of guests, invited directly by the hotel, among which journalists, industrialists, bankers, authorities, importers, buyers, tour operators and personalities involved in the food and wine sector. On the occasion, several truffles were put up for auction and the most coveted truffle, weighing 1,450 Kg, was knocked down to an “anonymous” banker for the sky-high price of 125.000 Euros! The auction proceeds were donated to charity associations.

China: Shanghai

After the privilege of organizing the Gala Dinner on the occasion of the official mission of Prime Minister Romano Prodi to China, the school structure in Shanghai was, once again, the protagonist of a new event: on November  23rd ICIF Director Bruno Libralon and the coordinator of ICIF China Giancarlo Piccarreta had the honour of meeting the Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro and the whole Italian mission during their official visit to Shanghai. On the occasion, the Minister, the General Consul in Shanghai Massimo Roscigno, the President of Buonitalia Emilio de Piazza and the Director of the Italian Trade Commission in Shanghai  Maurizio Forte gave their personal thanks and expressed their appreciation for all the results achieved by ICIF in China.
The Minister and the President of Buonitalia, both present in China for Vinitaly China & Cibus, also manifested their wish to consolidate and strengthen the relations between ICIF and the Institutions, working hard together for the promotion of Italian agriculture and food products, a promotion that is carried out also through the professional training out of our national borders.

On November 14th at the ICIF School of Shanghai the first 25 training certificates were presented to 25 Chinese chefs who completed the first part of their annual program, thoroughly financed by the Italian Institutions and by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. ICIF school in  Shanghai, in fact, boasts the primacy of being the only school in its field to be recognized by the Chinese Government and the certificates awarded to the students portray, side by side, the Italian and the Chinese flags.

ICIF, upon request of Federlombarda, has organized a series of demonstrations and tastings at several Chinese hospitality schools, aimed at spreading the organoleptic knowledge of some of the most famous Italian typical products, such as cold cuts, cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, rice, wine and traditional balsamic vinegar. (all DOP, DOC, DOCG, IGT and IGP products). Four Chinese hospitality schools joined this initiative, two of which in  Shanghai, one in Wuxi (Jiangsu Wuxi Vocational School of Tourism and Commerce) and one in Changshu (Changshu Institute of Technolgy); another seminar was held at ICIF school of Nanhui. The seminars were attended by students from the last year program, from teachers, tourist and hotel operators, Chinese chefs de cuisine and  purchasing managers in the food and wine field.               
Seminars lasted for three days in each school, the first day was dedicated to the display of products with an outline of their production areas, the second day covered the different product quality specifications, the use of these products and  of the processed ingredients, the comparison with other similar products and their tasting. The third day covered the cooking techniques and the different processing methods, the preparation of recipes and their tasting, aimed at analyzing flavours that are new to the Chinese palates. The tastings were followed by a debate on the participants’ personal comments, by a question-time to satisfy their curiosity and by a debate among professionals belonging to such different culinary cultures. All this underlined a great interest in knowing more about our products, particularly for the typical ones, considered to be of a higher quality. The seminars saw the presence of an average of one hundred people every day, about 30% of which were professionals or people operating in the food-service industry .
In order to provide the participants with more information a booklet written in Chinese was prepared, with pictures, information and recipes based on the products presented during the seminars.

China: Shanghai

From November 18th to November 26th 2006, ICIF, entrusted by the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, organized the important Savour Piedmont event, wanted and financed by the Regione Piemonte, who decided to repeat last year’s experience, with a virtual “taste path” through eight among the best Italian restaurants in Shanghai. Barolo wines and White Truffles from Alba were the event’s fil rouge and together with other products, symbols of Piedmont’s pleasentness, were the ambassadors of this important promotion of Piedmont.
The press conference organized to present the event met with an unexpected success; it was held on Novembre 26th 2006 at the prestigious and brand-new Hotel Royal Le Meridien of Shanghai, in the presence of the Consul General of Shanghai Massimo Rossigno and of the Director of the Italian Trade Commission of  Shanghai Maurizio Forte  and saw the active presence  of many Chinese journalists and of the Rai with Tg1 an the crew sent by correspondent Paolo Longo,  Tg2 - Eat Parade with TG2 Vice Director Marcello Masi and GR Rai with its correspondent Sandro Marini.
The conference started the Savour Piedmont gastronomic experience, in the name of taste and sensorial pleasures that for the entire following week (till November 26) engaged eight famous Italian restaurants in town. Beside Barolo wines and White Truffles from Alba, also rice, cheeses, chocolate and other products and wines from Piedmont were the protagonists of the event.  With this initiative ICIF has pursued the goal of promoting the knowledge and the consumption of typical agricultural and food products of Piedmont, a region that, thanks to its typical products, most of which DOPs, has always been an extraordinary area of excellence in the world and a real example of food-and-wine culture.
Also the chefs operating in the several restaurants that joined the initiative were the great protagonists of the promotional kermesse: Alessandro Colombis of Ristorante Va Bene, Gerardo Dereviziis of Ristorante Innovation of the Hotel Ramada Plaza Pudong, Enzo Carbone of the Ristorante The Kitchen, Emmanuel Souliere of the Ristorante Leonardo  of the Hotel Hilton, Dario Congera of thel Ristorante Prego of the Hotel The Westin, Fabio Camilloni of the Ristorante Casanova, Stefano Pace of the Ristorante La Favola  of the Hotel Royal Le Meridien and Stefano Di Salvo of the Ristorante Cucina of the Hotel Grand Hyatt. During the whole event, from the 18th to the 26th of November, all the chefs offered their guests top-level menus, where the agricultural and food “jewels” of Piedmont played a leading role: il Barolo and  White Truffles from Alba.
Organizers and restaurateurs, who after the success met by last year’s event had hoped for a repetition of the iniziative, once again expressed their satisfaction for the great interest shown by the participants and expressed their hope to have these events taking place every year, to increase and spread the knowledge of Italian food and wine culture in China.

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