Azerbaijan: Ambassador Massari, How to bring the Italian cuisine to the world
Baku - The World Week of Italian Cuisine an initiative to bring the Italian cuisine in the world and initiative launched by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni two years ago, said Ambassador Italy to the Azerbaijan Augusto Massari at the Gala Dinner organized by the Embassy.
The Diplomat said food and wine is an important component of the Italian economy, adding “behind this initiative there is commercial purpose trying to export more Italian products. This week is happening in all the places of the world where we have the Embassies or Consulates. We are very pleased to have organize this week in Baku.”
The Ambassador highlighted the cultural purpose of the World Week of Italian Cuisine: “Wine and food unite friends, lovers, families. It is particularly happening what I saw three months and half I am here in Azerbaijan. Value of family is very much present in the society in Azerbaijan. So, we celebrate friendship between Italy and Azerbaijan.”
In an exclusive interview with AZERTAC, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Italy Augusto Massari highlighted the importance of the projects, saying “TAP is an important strategic alternative for the energy supply in Europe. The landing point of the Azerbaijan gas in Europe will be Italy: for that reason, the government of Italy attaches great importance to the completion of this gas line. Important steps have been taken in the last months in Italy to respect the timetable of the works for the construction of the gas line.”
“This great project will strengthen even more the ties, friendship between Azerbaijan and Italy.”
He also commented on the Italian business in Azerbaijan: “President Aliyev asked me - at the beginning of my mandate - to bring more Italian companies involved in the Azerbaijan economy, in sectors other than oil and gas: that's what I try to focus on.”
“There are many opportunities in several fields: creative industries and culture, tourism, industrial manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, information technologies, etc. In all these fields Italian capacities and Azerbaijan needs are complimentary.”
Owner of the restaurants in Bologna Cappaletti Bianca in an interview with AZERTAC hailed the initiative of World Week of Italian Cuisine describing it “as a major step providing unity among the people: “It’s very happy moment for us in Azerbaijan. We hope that people enjoyed dinner because it’s a wonderful and great opportunity for us to be here. We are very happy that Italian cuisine so various, so multicultural, we have different recipe to produce pasta or to make salad, main dishes So tradition for us is very important because it comes from our ancient recipes.”
“It`s wonderful that Azerbaijani people really enjoy the Italian kitchen around the world. We are proud to represent the Italian kitchen as well.”
She talked about the specialities for the night: “We started with an appetizer, which very typical from our city. Because, Bologna is the city of food and the city of student. We made Creshentine, a typical antipasto in city of Bologna. We prepared, ponzonella another recipe from south of Italy and traditional lasagne, pasta with spinach cheese.”
The attendees tasted the most delicious the Tizzano's wines, the traditional Italian dessert "panettone" by the World Patissier Champion Gino Fabbri and the excellent Vajra wines, bringing the extraordinary Italian taste in Baku. The Embassy presented the special guest of the Week, “Cantina Bentivoglio”, one of the top Italian restaurant from the city of Bologna, itself one of the capitals of Italian cuisine. During the Gala Dinner the special performance by the so-called sfoglina took place who prepared fresh pasta.
The World Week of Italian Cuisine reaches its second edition with the aim of promoting Italian culinary traditions and food-and-wine connoisseurship as a distinctive trait of Italian identity and culture.
This year the Week takes place from 20 to 26 November 2017. The Italian Embassy in Baku, with special support of G.D. Vajra Wines, Tizzano and Patissier Gino Fabbri, organized a week of food and wine tastings in the most exclusive Italian restaurants in Baku: “Scalini” with Chef Elio Bevilacqua, “Cantinetta Antinori” with Chef Sergio Marzulli, “OroNero” with Chef Alessio Pitzalis, “Zafferano” with Chef Luca Casini, “Tosca” with Chef Giovanni Tavolaro.