Fine dining one year after Expo

Facebook is a useful reminder. This morning, upon waking up, many of us were welcomed by a series of “your memories” photos portraying the first day of Expo. In my case, the one I had the opportunity to take, opening this article: it depicts the Minister for Agricultural Policies Maurizio Martina, Massimo Bottura, Claudio Ceroni of MagentaBureau, the then Expo commissioner Giuseppe Sala and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, sitting at the Identità Expo temporaryrestaurant, which debuted one year ago precisely, together with the World Fair. This is in a way a symbolic image, presenting many aspects. Let’s sum them up.

1) THE REBIRTH OF MILAN – Expo favoured and turned the spotlights on Milan’s development, yet Milan had been evolving even before Expo. The World Fair contributed substantially, it offered the chance for the town to freshen up its makeup. But, most of all, it was the stage for a growth that had already began, «many were preceding projects, they were already working, the capital of Lombardy had undergone a strong renewal in the past few years, Expo had the merit of making many people around the world know this, communicating this reality, imposing it even on the international press», ponders Paolo Marchi.

2) THE IMPORTANCE OF COOKING – “Feeding the planet” was Expo’s theme. Lots has been said about whether it was finely or badly developed. Whether Expo was a success or not, in other words. «The Italians who diligently queued for hours to visit the pavilions clearly show the event was appreciated, beyond any other consideration» Marchi cuts it off short. For sure, Italian cuisine profited of this, it seems like over those six months it got the impulse to renew itself, in terms of image even more than in real terms (for in fact it had already renewed itself. Expo shed light on this, just like it did with Milan’s growth, as mentioned above). Expo presented a city and a country capable of uniting tradition and modernity, product and technique, pasta amatriciana and finedining. Cuisine has stood out as part of the country’s identity, its popularity was in fact proven by the growing number of events, TV programmes, special dinners. As explained by minister Dario Franceschini, at Expo, during the second meeting of the Forum della cucina italiana, on 28th July 2015 (read here), a country’s appeal in terms of international tourism is based on three factors: cultural and environmental heritage, shopping, cuisine. Italy excels in all three, cuisine is no longer the poor sister of the three.

3) THE GOVERNMENT’S ATTENTION – We mentioned the Forum, Renzi’s presence. The day after the prime minister, even the Minister for Economic Policies, Pier Carlo Padoan, had lunch at Identità Expo. This could seem of little significance but even in this case it shows something everyone can notice: at last, Italian institutions – even at the highest level – have learnt the importance of restaurants in promoting the country’s image abroad, but also as an economic sector to be safeguarded and developed. There’s never been so much attention, which luckily didn’t turn out to be only short-lived, just for the sake of showing off at Expo. During the World Fair, but in the following months too, various activities were developed: the work the Government is conducting so as to approve the Food Act (read here), the commitment of Minister Stefania Giannini to re-launch catering schools, Franceschini’s decision of equipping every big national museum with a fine dining restaurant (tender notices will soon be published), the choice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to always include an important chef in Italy’s promotional activities abroad. And again: the four ministries signing the Protocollo d’intesa per la valorizzazione all’estero della cucina italiana di alta qualità (read here), the more general The Extraordinary Italian Taste project, the new overall programme of continuous global promotion of this sector, the Settimana italiana della cucina in late November (we wrote about it here, only a few days ago), the birth of the Forum della cucina italiana (read here). Lots of stuff.

4) IDENTITA’ GOLOSE’S ROLE - In all this, Identità Golose can state, without any false modesty, it has played a hardly marginal role. First of all, as a stimulus, over the years and for over 12 years, for the growth of Italian dining and its modernisation. Then through the creation of events – such as Identità Expo – which contributed in making Italian contemporary cuisine increasingly known around the world, but also by our fellow countrymen. Now, by creating a dialogue with institutions, so that all the activities we mentioned can be implemented in the best possible way. Identità grows because our cuisine is growing, but our cuisine is growing also thanks to Identità. And this is why we believe we have made no small contribution in making sure the Government took notice of this sector: because, let’s point it out, this happens not thanks to a benevolent concession from above, but because the industry has imposed its role and its relevance. The Government’s attention is a dutiful consequence, not the cause of what is taking place.

5) THE SUSTAINABLE CHEF – Finally, let’s return to the initial photo. Massimo Bottura was also at Identità Expo on the first day. This was no coincidence, because nobody like him was so capable of interpreting the “Feeding the planet” theme. One year ago, Gabriele Zanatta was taking note of these words of his (read here): «The cuisine of the future must be based on culture, which generates knowledge, which itself opens the conscience, which finally creates a sense of responsibility. I believe a chef does his job if he’s capable of moving the spotlight pointed at him towards the silent heroes of our tables: farmers, fishermen…». And then: «Food waste is no longer acceptable. This is why the tortellini I created today are made using the skin and all the scraps left from the side dish of the main course». Meanwhile, the work at Refettorio Ambrosiano was beginning, a great idea that is now spreading: Bologna, Palermo, Torino, Modena, soon New York and Rio de Janeiro too, as we said here, here and here. The Food for Soul association was recently born (read here), a Foundation is about to be created… A huge effort, which depicts the new sustainable chef, (which the author of this piece also presented on the prestigious Treccani encyclopaedia, here) and which we hope will lead the chef from Modena to stand in the first place in the next 50 Best. We hope so: because he truly deserves it and because it would mark the consecration of the new Italian cuisine. It would be, in a way, a further heritage of the event that began precisely one year ago, surrounded by general scepticism.