by Kathleen Pokrud
Photo by ALMA and The Food School
Foreword by H.E. Ambassador Lorenzo Galanti
The Embassy of Italy
Italian cuisine - on which the Mediterranean diet is widely based - is meant as part of a healthy lifestyle. Natural ingredients are transformed into exquisite dishes while preserving and exalting their unique taste, based on a solid tradition and on constant innovation and research. Italian culinary culture begins in fact at the farm, among the olive trees and the tomato plants. It is somewhat a consequence of its inputs -authentic Italian ingredients and products, combined and prepared for you by savant and caring hands wishing to convey their love for what they do. If food is a way to communicate, then Italian cuisine is the hallmark of conviviality, bringing people around the table to share a moment of sheer pleasure thanks to the passion and expertise the cook put into the preparation. For all these reasons, “la cucina italiana” enjoys wide popularity in a very food-conscious country like Thailand.
The opening in Bangkok of The Food School, with a section dedicated to Italian culinary arts, marks a dramatic change in the presence of Italian cuisine in Thailand. The project, which enjoys the active involvement of the School of Italian culinary arts ALMA, from the city of Parma, in Italy, will make it possible for all chefs interested in receiving first hand know-how from Italian instructors and chefs of authentic Italian cuisine. The Food School will also be open to food lovers for master classes from Italian chefs working in Italian restaurants in Thailand. Bangkok will thus become a regional hub for authentic Italian cuisine to be enjoyed everywhere: at the restaurant, and at home. Beware of imitations!
Our first discussion was on the history and Mr. De Rosa described, “The roots of Italian cuisine take us back into the history of our country. We are the result of the uninterrupted heritage left by the peoples who have inhabited our peninsula. Italian cuisine is not only that of the ancient Romans, but also Etruscan, Greek, Arab, Norman, Lombard and so on. It is a historical mix of incredible complexity. Italian cuisine is rich if it comes from the noble palaces, from the great Renaissance courts. It is also a rural cuisine, poor and simple. Italian cuisine is based on farmer’s, shepherd’s, and fishermen’s culture. It is built on the diversity of raw materials bequeathed by the pages from history. These products are the fruit of the incredible geographical diversity that characterises our country. We can say that Italian cuisine is the cuisine of encounter and comparison. Food is the object of debates, entertainment, relationships, and dialogue. Therefore, cooking is a powerful form of self-expression. We always pay the utmost attention to everyday food. Eating becomes an instrument of relationship with others. The table is our favourite meeting place.”
Regarding popularity in the world, Ms. Sabbioni revealed, “Cooking is a language that tells the country’s culture. Italian cuisine shows great strength in reaching the countries of the world. This strength goes hand in hand with the great success of Made in Italy. Italy has always been considered as an example in the field of art, craftsmanship, fashion, music, literature, and motors. Food could not be less important and well known. Today Italian food is a great expression of Made in Italy. The popularity of Italian cuisine starts from here, from the uniqueness of the raw materials to the wise way to respect them. Today Italy is in the top position in Europe for the number of products recognised by the EU as typical. The Italian biodiversity is perfectly described by the large number of local ingredients we use in our food culture.”
She further elaborated, “Italian cuisine does not transform the identity of the products. It rather accentuates the characteristics of the ingredients. For this reason, respect for the raw material is a key element of our way of considering cuisine. These assumptions formed the Italian cuisine, as we know it today. In the world there are still many stereotypes that simplify the meaning of Italian cuisine. We can confirm with certainty that Italian gastronomy is not only made of pasta and pizza. Today, more than ever, it is necessary to educate the quality of Italian products.”
When talking about regional differences, Mr. De Rosa clarified; “We are a set of territorial diversities shown by our 20 different regions which are united by a common sense of belonging. Food is the expression of a territory, of a way of life, of those diversities that characterise each small Italian village or, even more, each single family.
Italy is a long and narrow peninsula facing the Mediterranean Sea. However, Italian cuisine is not only a sea-based gastronomy. It is also designed by inhabitants from the mountains and by the habits they have. A very interesting aspect of Italian cuisine is that these geographical diversities often coexist in the same region. The cuisine of the different regions is therefore a first useful tool to divide and categorise Italian gastronomy.
Sometimes, however, it is a vague point of view. For this reason, it would be better to investigate the cuisine of the different Italian cities. Italy bases its identity on this very thing: it is an extraordinary network of cities, which took shape since the Middle Ages. However, we can find a few broad categories of description. In the regions of Northern Italy, we find the culture of large, aged cow cheeses, where the local cuisine is designed on the scents of butter, tasty risotto, and stuffed pasta of different shapes and with local unique names. In Central and Southern Italy, on the contrary, butter is an almost unknown ingredient. Here, extra virgin olive oil wins. The table finds its best form of expression in bread and pasta. Much more important in these regions is the use of legumes, vegetables and fish. Sheep’s milk cheeses become protagonists. Finally, pork and cold cuts are an important element of union between North and South. Everywhere in Italy it is possible to find excellent preparations and excellent examples of this products interpreted by the local culture.”
Ms. Sabbioni echoed, “To put it simply, it can briefly say that even though the country has 20 regions, Italy actually has hundreds of different cuisines that create the chapter of the Italian regional gastronomy.”
Key representative or authentic Italian dishes
Both instructors agreed that it is not easy to identify dishes that are representative of this wide perspective and history. “This is because any choice we will make will displease someone. In each city in Italy there are people who argue that their own specialty is a national icon.”
“A symbol that brings everyone together, from North to South, is pasta. The pasta that today represents Italian cuisine in the world. But even this can be considered the title of a long novel. Reason being under the name of pasta we find, once again, great diversity. In terms of shapes, sizes, textures, or cooking techniques. Pasta is cooked in boiling water. In Italy it becomes the main character of a meal and is never considered like as side dish.
However, it can also be cooked in the oven. From North to South there be many recipes for pasta cooked in a baking pan, layered with different ingredients. Pasta al forno, as we say. This is the case of the famous Lasagna: representative dish from Bologna, in the Emilia Romagna region, in Northern Italy. Bologna is the capital of Emilia Romagna and lasagna is a must over there. It is the iconic preparation for the Sunday lunch, the symbol of the cucina della nonna (grandmother’s cuisine). Today, it is a main course that represents Italy all over the world.”
Given the long history of Italian culinary identity, I asked both instructors to give us their perspective on how they see Italian cuisine has changed over the years. Mr. De Rosa commented, “Traditional recipes are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary cooks. Cooking is constantly changing. We cannot stop it in time or history. Traditional recipes can be a perfect springboard for new ideas and new proposals.”
Ms. Sabbioni commented, “The cuisine is a mirror of the society in which we live. It represents trends and changes. For this reason, Italian cuisine is also undergoing profound changes. The time dedicated to cooking in our homes has also changed. People buy products already cooked by the food industry. It is not always easy to buy foodstuffs directly from local farmers and people must appeal to big retailers. However, in Italy it is still possible to choose where to buy food, which food to consume and how much time to dedicate to the culture of the table. People eat out more often and order takeaway food.
Today, Italians pay more attention to calories, to wellness and look for the right balance in food. There is an increased interest in organically grown products and a search for local and seasonal ingredients. The consumption of vegetables is higher, and the consumption of meat is decreasing. There is space for ethnic cuisines and new flavours from all over the world. In any case, the table continues to be a fundamental part of life in the Italian society.”
As our interview drew to a close, the instructors welcomed our readers to visit their Food School in Bangkok to learn about authentic Italian gastronomy. The Food School is Thailand’s first International multi-brand culinary school, occupying 3,200 sqm of thoughtfully designed space set over three floors at the new Creative & Start-up Village in the city’s Sam Yan district, just a five minute walk from Sam Yan MRT underground station. The school is a significant milestone for Italia culinary arts because it will see, for the first time in Thailand, a new joint venture project of ALMA of Parma. ALMA is the world’s leading educational and training centre for the Italian food, beverage, and hospitality industries.
