Italian Embassy in Korea Holds '9th World Italian Food Week' Event

On the third week of November, 'World Italian Food Week' will be held.

First launched in 2016, World Italian Food Week is an event designed to introduce Italian food to the world and promote the excellence of Italian food culture. The World Italian Food Week, which marks its ninth anniversary this year, will be held from November 18 to 24 under the theme of "Mediterranean Diet and Cooking Roots: Health and Tradition."

World Italian Food Week is co-hosted by major domestic Italian organizations called the "Italian System," including the Italian Embassy in Korea, the Italian Cultural Center in Korea, the Italian Trade Corporation in Korea, the Italian Tourism Agency in Korea, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Korea. During Food Week, these organizations hold various events to introduce Italian food, food culture, and ingredients.  
 

This year's guest of honor is Pulia State, the home of gastronomy.

Located on the heels of the Italian peninsula, Pulia is the food industry center of Italy, famous for its olive oil and wine. In addition, chemical-pharmaceutical clusters have been formed around Brindisi and Bari, the capital, and have recently emerged as an emerging hub for the aerospace industry, with the construction of a space airport in Grotalie. In addition, Pulia aims for sustainable development based on renewable energy such as wind and solar energy, and has achieved regional economic internationalization through tourism and smart industries.

During Food Week, Lt. Gov. Raffaele Piedmontese leads a delegation to South Korea to introduce the Polia region's historic food culture. During this visit, the "Folk Orchestra Noté del Taranta" team will perform traditional dances from the Pulia region, and luminarie lighting decorations and craftsmanship pottery will also be displayed.

In addition, three famous Italian chefs, including Michelin star chef Christina Bowerman from Pulia, Fabrizio Ferrari, a famous black-and-white Netflix chef, and Pietro Parisi, a self-proclaimed farmer chef, will participate in this year's World Food Week to introduce Italian food and open a venue for cultural exchange between Korea and Japan.
 
Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto said, "Italy's culinary culture has developed in harmony with the local community just like Korea, resulting in unique food ingredients that tell the stories of each local resident," adding, "Unique fusion dishes that highlight the merits of Korean and Italian culinary traditions bring us closer together."