By Sarah Brown, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Today, Monday, November 21st marks the first day of the Italian Cuisine Week (A Semana de Gastronomia Italiana) in Rio de Janeiro, a celebration of Italian food and the techniques of cooking that were fostered in Italy.
The aim of the event is to break down the preconception that Italian food is just simply pizzas and pastas while simultaneously presenting products and culinary traditions of Italy to showcase the country’s culinary know-how.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Italy chose the last week of November to celebrate Italian food. It will be the first Italian Cuisine Week that will be presented on a global scale with about 1,300 events scheduled.
The Italian Cultural Institute of Rio de Janeiro in a collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy will present a series of events related to the Italian culinary scene in Rio de Janeiro. The events this week will be supported by the restaurant, Casa do Sardo that was titled a ‘Good and Cheap’ restaurant by Rio Gastronomia 2016.
For Italian expatriate Stefano (Tafo) Macchi, of the Casalegre Art Vila in Santa Teresa, the options are getting better. “For sure there were not good Italian options until a few years ago,” he shares, “Silvio Podda, from Casa do Sardo [in São Cristóvão] is a good example of simple and genuine italian food.”
The event will take place at Belvedere Terraca (Terraço Belvedere) the whole week which is located in the Centro of Rio. During the week over the course of seven days, chef Arnaldo Pantani will present his menu Napoli and chefs Anna Benucci and Marta Meo will present their menu Venezia.
The latter two will also deliver a cooking class in traditional Italian techniques. Additionally, there will be photo exhibitions and live music to add another artistic depth to Italian cooking.
What: Italian Cuisine Week (A Semana de Gastronomia Italiana)
When: Monday, November 21st – Saturday, November 26th – 12PM – 10PM
Where: Terraço Belvedere, Casa d’Italia Av. Presidente Antonio Carlos 40 – Tel: (21) 3534 4300
Entrance: Free