It was not just a coincidence that hundreds of chefs around the world, including those in Saudi Arabia, found themselves on their feet in their kitchens Sunday to simultaneously cook a traditional Italian dish, strictly according to its authentic recipe. The day, Jan. 17, has been observed for the past three years as the International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC), on which chefs and restaurateurs in over 50 countries prepare concurrently any one Italian dish that truly represents the authentic and evocative flavors of Italy in their bid to say “no” to the global forgery and counterfeiting of Italian products and cuisine. The official IDIC 2010 dish was the Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese - one of the most popular dishes of Italian gastronomy, and which apparently has nothing to do with the wrongly-called, but equally popular ‘bolognaise sauce'. “If there's a dish that represents the worst universal forgery of Italian cooking, it has to be the so-called bolognaise. It is prepared out of the most bizarre ingredients, often with overcooked spaghetti, sold in a can; stuff that has nothing to do with genuine original Tagliatelle al Ragù,” remarked Emanuele Esposito, executive chef of Italian restaurant Il VIllagio in Jeddah, one of the two restaurants in Saudi Arabia participating in the event. Describing the IDIC as a “celebration of Italian flavors and culinary culture,” Esposito said the initiative is being promoted by Italian chefs abroad, “who must maintain the identity of Italian cuisine in international markets. Without this identity, it would be very difficult to sell ‘made in Italy' food products abroad.” The GVCI, Virtual Group of Italian Chefs - a network of over 900 Italian professionals in cuisine working in 70 countries, with the aim to “preserve and improve the standard of quality and authenticity of Italian gastronomy in the world” - is at the forefront of organizing the IDIC. Its Web site lists Roberto's Restaurant in Al-Khobar, as the only other IDIC participant from the Kingdom. Joerg M. Wickihalder, general manager of Il VIllagio, said the Sunday evening celebrations comprising about 90 guests were to “offer Saudi society a short journey to Italy.” “Tonight Italian food enthusiasts round the globe celebrated authentic Italian cuisine with a special menu. The guests also interacted with the Italian chefs to discover more about it,” he said, adding that the objective was not to patronize or teach people, but to “show them what Italian cuisine is all about.” Gastronomic aberrations in the name of ‘Italian' food have been many. “In Jeddah, what they say is ‘Italian' food is actually more American than Italian, which makes me very upset. For example, Italian Fettucini Alfredo made with cream or spaghetti Bolognese are not acceptable as Italian dishes. Though they may not taste bad, they don't have anything to do with Italy,” said chef Esposito. He added that for the restaurant, most of the ingredients are imported from Italy as “in Jeddah there is a problem finding good quality Italian products. With the help of our restaurant owner, Nashwa Taher, we try to promote and teach people better understand Italian food.” According to Wickihalder, there has been a somewhat greater acceptance of Italian cuisine in Saudi society in the last two to three years. “The popularity of Italian food is not only limited to the upper class but is also gaining momentum among the middle class, which is because of a growing awareness among the masses of what comprises healthy and nutritious food,” he said. “Italian food is part of the Mediterranean diet, which is one of the healthiest – with all the fresh vegetables, fish, and the highest quality of fat, i.e. in olive oil. Moreover, it scores high on taste too.” Commenting on a common food habit found in the Kingdom, the Swiss restaurateur said: “Here, people have an affection towards tomato ketchup and associate it with Italian cuisine. Ketchup has a lot of sugar and very less of tomatoes. If you ask for ketchup with pizza in a restaurant in Italy, chances are the owner of the eatery will ask you to leave!” He added that the Italian government takes serious interest in preserving the authenticity of its cuisine, which is considered a part of the country's cultural heritage. “Italian embassies and consulates fully support this event (IDIC). Last year's IDIC event in Jeddah - which was the first time there was a participant from the Kingdom - was a huge success,” he said. The last two IDIC events celebrated Italian delicacies Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Risotto alla MIlanese, respectively, in over 400 restaurants worldwide. “I, along with our pastry chef Vincenzo Raschella, wish to give Saudis the chance to learn Italian food through a soon-to-be-started free cooking course for young Saudis, a program that would be sponsored by the IFSE-WORLD and the Italian Consulate in Jeddah,” said Esposito.
