8^ Week of Italian Cuisine in the World
The eighth edition of Italian Cuisine Week in the World (SCIM) has kicked off. All over the world, until 19 November, Italian institutions, embassies and consulates, companies and organisations will take the lead in a series of global events, all aimed at promoting and protecting our food and wine heritage.
A heritage that this year more than ever can proudly be defined as such, following the acceptance of the candidature of Italian Cuisine as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The events of SCIM 2023 will aim to focus attention on this great goal and intensify efforts to ensure its realization, as the Minister for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, pointed out during the 10 November press conference presenting the event at the Farnesina, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and attended by Antonio Tajani, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (as well as Deputy Prime Minister), and by Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport.
This edition includes a rich calendar of events and projects: over a thousand initiatives, including topical seminars, meetings with industry operators, training and demonstration classes, and meetings with chefs.
ALMA will again be present this year with a series of masterclasses, show cooking events, institutional meetings and galas, thanks to its extensive international network and the constant, active presence of its Chef Ambassadors.
Here is the calendar of ALMA events.
SCIM 2023
ALMA events
The rich calendar of events will see ALMA closely involved with some of the most important schools in the autonomous region of Hong Kong.
ALMA Chef Ambassadors Mario Marini and Elena Zeng will be involved in show cooking events and Gala dinners in various locations: at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, the famous club founded in 1943, during the Second World War, to protect and promote journalism; at City’Super, a megastore selling international food and lifestyle products, where they will illustrate the special features of some iconic Italian products and show how to make the most of them; finally, in one of the showrooms of Boffi, the Brianza-based brand that has been designing and manufacturing design kitchens since 1934, they will hold a masterclass dedicated to Genoese Pesto.
The events that will take place at the International Culinary Institute of Hong Kong, on the other hand, will have a different scope. ALMA Communication Manager, Giacomo Bullo, will talk to young hospitality students about the opportunities that ALMA offers catering professionals from all over the world, with tailor-made courses on Italian Cuisine to complement their studies in Culinary Arts. ICI students will also participate in a small competition, at the end of which the winner will be awarded a scholarship for ALMA’s Italian Culinary Program, and take part in a show cooking event, organized by Chef Mario Marini.
ALMA Chef Ambassador Anna Ciccarone will lead the events to be held in institutional venues and training schools in Chile from 13 to 17 November.
In two separate events at the Ambassador’s residence, prizes will be awarded to the young Chilean and Peruvian students who won the competition held last year by ALMA and ICE, also on the occasion of SCIM, which offered a tailor-made course at our School as a prize. This special advanced training course on Italian food and wine culture and the techniques and secrets of our cuisine will last 3 weeks which will include theoretical and practical lessons under the guidance of Chef Federico Vigilante and educational trips to discover local areas, producers and typical products, and will be followed by a 2-month internship at a prestigious restaurant.
With the aim, as always, to enhance and enrich hospitality at an international level, ALMA’s calendar of events will involve two prominent South American institutes: DUOC Professional Institute in Chile, where ALMA will hold a Masterclass for 40 students and a lesson for 10 children from the PANAUT association, and USIL University (Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola) in Peru, with a masterclass on Italian cuisine and the Mediterranean diet.
Finally, on 15 November, at the Academy of Italian Cuisine in Chile, Canal 13 (the second most important TV network in Chile) will broadcast a Show Cooking event held by Chef Anna Ciccarone.
The ties between ALMA and South Korea, home to the latest partner school to join ALMA’s network, Woosong University, where ALMA Chef Ambassador Francesco Ghilardi works, within the Institut Paul Bocuse, as Assistant Professor in F&B and Food Science, will be further strengthened with a masterclass by Ghilardi himself at the Italian Embassy in Seoul.
The theme of the Masterclass is ‘Wellness with Taste’, inspired by Ligurian cuisine and will focus particularly on pesto, with an in-depth exploration of its preparation from a technical point of view. After a brief tasting of Balsamic Vinegar, Chef Ghilardi will offer a demo lesson on “Farinata di Ceci”, in 3 different versions, and on pesto-based recipes, such as “Minestrone alla Genovese” and a lighter and more sustainable interpretation of “Cima Ripiena”, made with chicken instead of veal.
In addition, ALMA Director General Andrea Sinigaglia will visit the school for the ceremonial signing of the MOU, this time in person and in the presence of both boards.
ALMA will be involved in the “A Taste of Italy” roadshow, organised in collaboration with Minerva – The Italian Education Hub in India, and the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which will take it to three Culinary Arts training institutes in New Delhi and Mumbai. Through a series of masterclasses held by ALMA Chef Ambassadors Alessandra Rubini and Daniela Antoniotti, the students of these schools will be able to watch demonstrations of Italian cuisine followed by training sessions conducted by the two chefs.
To round off the tour, ALMA will also participate in an event organised by the Consulate and the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce, where it will take part as speaker in a panel and prepare the gastronomic aperitif. Anita Ziliotto, Marketing Manager of the School, will be in charge of both activities.
A great event will take place on November 23rd at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, where ALMA, together with Royal Protocol, will organise in a single day the “Meet the Excellence of Italian Taste Competition“.
Under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Riyadh and of the Italian Trade Agency, in collaboration with Sitaf, this event brings together different players, themes, and entertainment methods, all united by the common objective of promoting an-depth, informed culture of Italian products and cuisine in Saudi Arabia.
The day’s agenda:
- Masterclass by ALMA Chef Ambassador Valerio Cabri, who will demonstrate an original and creative, yet deeply Italian, recipe of a risotto that will be the subject of the competition at the heart of the event
- Culinary Competition: 6 young Saudi Arabian chefs will compete to make the recipe demonstrated by Chef Ricci and the one who reproduces it with the highest accuracy and care will win a week of one-to-one lessons at ALMA
Following this, the stage will host:
- A talk given by ALMA General Manager, Andrea Sinigaglia, and Chef Daniele Chiari, Culinary Manager of the Royal Protocol, on the potential and challenges of promoting Made in Italy cuisine in a territory as dynamic and constantly evolving as that of Saudi Arabia
- The press conference presenting ALMA’s projects in Saudi Arabia, from new partnerships to the development of the Arabic version of the corporate website
- Award ceremony for the winner of the competition
Finally, the Gala Dinner organised by the ALMA, Royal Protocol, Ritz-Carlton Riyadh and EuroToque Association chefs.
Throughout the day, by the stunning indoor swimming pool of the Ritz Carlton, 12 producers chosen by Sitaf will display their products – from caviar to truffles, from olive oil to pasta – tell their story and describe their characteristics.
