Heinz Beck, Niko Romito, Cristina Bowerman: these are just some of the starred chefs who will animate the initiatives organised in the United Arab Emirates, with the coordination of the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, on the occasion of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World.
“A very rich programme inspired by the themes of conviviality, sustainability and innovation characterises the Italian Cuisine Week 2022 in the United Arab Emirates,” according to Ambassador of Italy to the UAE Lorenzo Fanara. “From the promotion of Italian excellence to haute cuisine, from art to blockchain. An extraordinary programme of events, enriched by the involvement of some of the most renowned chefs on the Italian gastronomic scene, will present a vision of Italian cuisine that combines tradition, innovation, culture and sustainability.”
The event was preceded by the launch of World Pasta Day on 25 October, with a lunch organised by the Italian Trade Agency office at the Capital Club in Dubai in the presence of leading buyers and distributors in the Emirates. On the same day, a collaboration was officially presented with Euromercato, one of the leading distributors of Italian products in the UAE, for the promotion of gastronomic excellence at the group’s points of sale and online stores.
Within the framework of Italy’s participation as guest of honour at the Sharjah International Book Fair, coordinated by the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi, four internationally renowned chefs – Cristina Bowerman, Alessandro Borghese, Luca Montersino and Damiano Carrara – have animated cooking shows, presenting the best of Italian haute cuisine and pastry.
Italian cuisine was also at the centre of the Speciality Food Festival, one of the world’s leading fairs for high-quality gastronomy, that took place in Dubai between 8 and 10 November. 70 Italian companies attended, including 56 in the collective exhibition curated by ITA. At the Italian Food Lab, as many as 19 of the best Italian chefs in Dubai interpreted their best-known recipes, promoting the excellent products of our cuisine. The ‘Breakfast Made in Italy’ area presented guests with the ritual of the Italian breakfast for the duration of the fair.
From a collaboration between the Embassy and the Italian Academy of Cuisine, between 14 and 20 November some of the best Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will present special dishes created for the occasion and inspired by the concepts of conviviality, sustainability, and innovation. Among the participating restaurants, in Dubai Torno Subito (one Michelin star), Il Borro, Alici, Luigia, Bottega Prosecco, Vanitas at Palazzo Versace and, in Abu Dhabi, Talea at the Emirates Palace, Sole, Verso and Antonia.
The close link between cuisine, art and experimentation will be the focus of a talk hosted at the Ambassador’s Residence in Abu Dhabi by Andrea Petrini, journalist, writer and food curator, on the occasion of the Abu Dhabi Art fair, in the presence of artists, gallery owners and collectors.
Haute cuisine, metaverse, blockchain: an unprecedented triptych, which will be the subject of initiatives planned by the Embassy in collaboration with the Italian Cuisine World Summit. ‘Italian cuisine in the world in the Web 3.0 era’ is the title of the conference (18 November), with starred chefs in attendance from all over the world, which will present the launch of the first NFT (non-fungible token) dedicated to haute cuisine. On the evening of the same day, Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck will host an exclusive dinner, hosted simultaneously in Dubai and on the metaverse.
Italian Cuisine Week in the UAE will officially close on 5 December, with a reception organised by the Consulate General in Dubai by Niko Romito, three Michelin-starred chef and owner of the best restaurant in Italy in 2022 according to the Gambero Rosso guide. The event will take place at Il Ristorante – Niko Romito at the Bulgari Resort in Dubai, awarded two stars this year by the first edition of the Michelin Guide Dubai.
