On the occasion of the eighth edition of the “Week of Italian Cuisine in the World,” the Italian Permanent Representation to UNESCO, together with the ICE Office in Paris, contributed to the realization of the gala evening hosted by the Italian Embassy in Paris on November 14, 2023, which was attended by the Minister for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, the French Minister for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Marc Fesneau, the President of the Marche Region, Francesco Acquaroli, and Senator Gaetano Nastri.
The centerpiece of the event was the promotion of the Mediterranean diet and Italian food and wine culture, under the banner of the common thread linking taste and well-being.
Minister Francesco Lollobrigida emphasized the importance of Italian cuisine as a calling card for Made in Italy, highlighting its candidacy as a UNESCO intangible heritage. During the evening, the Minister awarded the title of “Ambassadors of Italian Cuisine” to about 30 representatives of Italian food and wine excellence in France, selected from among leading Italian restaurateurs in Paris and major importers and distributors of Italian products in France.
Ambassador Stellino, Permanent Representative to UNESCO, emphasized how “the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World has never failed to emphasize-in the exponential growth of the thousands of demonstrations and events that have followed since 2015-the three pillars that now form the basis of the candidacy for Intangible Heritage of Humanity: biodiversity, sustainability, and the transmission of knowledge. It therefore gives us particular strength, encouragement and confidence to launch in Paris as part of the Week this important choral path of promotion, destined to culminate in 2025 with the desirable international recognition.”
Ambassador D’Alessandro remarked on the universality of the “Mediterranean diet” as a synonym for a healthy and high-quality dietary regimen, placing an emphasis on the importance between the relationship between Italy and France in this area.
During the gala evening in Paris, star chef Enrico Mazzaroni cooked for the approximately 200 guests, showcasing the traditional products of the Marche region. The President of the Marche Region, Francesco Acquaroli, expressed pride in the representation of Marche cuisine in the prestigious Parisian showcase, and highlighted the promotion of local products as an excellence in the food and wine, traditional and sustainable sector.
Videos of the evening’s speeches are available at the following link : https://vimeo.com/user/60639388/folder/18512242.
The video of the speech by the Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Stellino, regarding Italian cuisine is available at the following link: https://transfer.esteri.it/index.php/s/5FidLcDXHB6imky
