Celebrate Italian gastronomy with the sixth edition of the World Week of Italian Cuisine.
WHO doesn’t love Italian cuisine?
Known for its fusion of bold tastes and textures, Italian cuisine is famed for using quality fresh ingredients that never fail to tantalise the taste buds of gourmands across the world.
But beyond the basic pasta and lasagna, not many of us are aware of the wide array within Italian cuisine that varies according to the many regions in the country – just like how our Malaysian laksa differs from state to state.
Each region boasts its own delicacies anchored on the freshest ingredients available locally, which gives each local specialty its very own unique taste.
To present Italy’s myriad flavours to Malaysians, the World Week of Italian Cuisine – also known as The Extraordinary Italian Taste – was launched by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Celebrating its sixth edition, the event is jointly organised by the Italian Embassy and Italian Trade Agency in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with the Italy-Malaysia Business Association.
World Week of Italian Cuisine showcases the quality and uniqueness of authentic Italian cuisine and made-in-Italy products.
Following its success in previous years, the campaign continues to highlight the importance of the health benefits and millennial food traditions of the Mediterranean diet and environmental sustainability of Italian cuisine.
The campaign seeks to create awareness on Italy’s world-renowned tradition and quality gourmet specialties.
“The Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign is a remarkable opportunity for those involved in the support and promotion of Italian culture, cuisine and lifestyle in Malaysia. We are very fortunate Malaysians have a food culture in place that makes it easier for us to bring awareness to Italy’s world-renowned tradition and quality gourmet specialties.
“Our universally loved products are ambassadors of Italian excellence and we have dedicated ourselves to sharing these ‘Eccellenze Italiane’ by inviting guests to experience modern Italian cuisine, authentic regional products and discover their stories without travelling abroad,” said Massimo Rustico, ambassador of Italy to Malaysia.
To hype up the programme this year are two initiatives. The first is a virtual cooking masterclass for the universities in the culinary field and the second initiative is an Italian Journey of Food Discovery, featuring 14 Italian restaurants across the Klang Valley, Langkawi and Penang.
A virtual cooking masterclass with universities
Participating universities include Sunway University, Berjaya University College and UOW Malaysia KDU University College.
Targeted at culinary students, the masterclass is organised in collaboration with Italian culinary institutions. These include Tor Carbone di Roma, Polo Tecnico Del Mediterraneo Aldo Moro di Santa Cesarea Terme and Istituto F Datini di Prato between Nov 22 and 25.
To reflect the diversity of Italy, the cooking classes will be hosted virtually featuring recipes from different regions. Dishes include Risotto Alla Zucca, a pumpkin risotto dish from Veneto and Lombardy and Riso, patate e cozze, a popular dish from Puglia – a renowned region for its rice, potatoes and mussels. To end on a sweet note, Montblanc is featured as a dessert, specially enjoyed in Piedmont from the Northwest region of Italy.
The name Mont Blanc is in reference to its resemblance to a snow-capped mountain.
An Italian Journey of Food Discovery
Foodie Malaysians will love and adore sampling the delights and delicacies of authentic Italian cuisine, by by exploring authentic Italian restaurants available locally, showcasing specially crafted set menus from Nov 22 to 28 throughout the campaign.
Tempt your taste buds with Italian favourites such as tortellini, ravioli, calzone fritto, tiramisu, panna cotta and more.
But fret not, you can indulge in a delicious journey of discovery as you explore new spots on a whirlwind culinary tour, as the Mediterranean diet that Italy exemplifies is among the healthiest in the world.
Explore the tastes of Italy at local participating restaurants.
Participating restaurants include Ciccio, NeroNero, Gallo Nero Italian Restaurant (Langkawi), Monnalisa Ristorante Italiano, Heritage Pizza KL, Osteria Gamberoni, Il Bácaro (Penang), Roberto’s 1020, Luce Osteria Contemporanea, Sapore, Luretta DOP Italian Deli, Zenzero Restaurant and Wine Bar, Marini’s On 57 and Strato.
“ITA in Kuala Lumpur is excited to play an important role in the promotion of Italian excellence in Malaysia. Through this week-long initiative, we are able to highlight the nutritional and health aspects of Italian cuisine through collaborative partnerships with Italian chefs, restaurants and culinary institutions across several states in Malaysia.” expressed Dr Filippo Fusaro, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Kuala Lumpur.
To know more about World Week of Italian Cuisine, visit https://www.italianfestival.info.
