Experience The Authentic Italian Table
Hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO), The Authentic Italian Table food festival is popping up in Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake from Wednesday, April 25 to Wednesday, May 2. The week-long series of events will feature opportunities to experience authentic regional gastronomic delights created by Italian heavyweight Chef Ugo Mura and prominent locals including Chef Roberto Fracchioni, Chef Matthew DeMille, Chef Michael Wilson and Chef Ross Midgley. The program is mandated and supported by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. Toronto is one of nine city stops including Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New York, Vancouver, Montreal and Mexico City.
The journey for these chefs began on March 23 with a trip to Liguria, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta to experience Italian cuisine and food traditions practiced in these regions for centuries. Today, Italian cuisine is re-interpreted and reconstructed across the globe. The end result, is that what Canadians may be familiar with as Italian food isn’t really Italian due to misused ingredients or using products without DOP, IGP and DOC certifications. The Authentic Italian Table is bringing back pure flavours, celebrating certified Italian ingredients and bringing Canadians the extraordinary taste of traditional dishes.
“Our aim is to help Canadians identify authentic Italian products, as well as experience the very best expressions of how to use them.” explains Corrado Paina, Executive Director, ICCO. “True Italian taste is about awakening your palate to the heritage flavours of Italy. At the grocery store, always check labels and look for the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), and DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) designations.”
Roots in Education
Centennial College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (Toronto) and IFSE Culinary School (Torino, Italy) launched a partnership in 2017, offering students an exchange culinary program to Italy. Thanks to this partnership, the two schools are involved in ICCO’s Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign. As a result, Centennial students will help the group of chefs prepare meals as part of a hands-on learning experience. Led by Chef Roberto Fracchioni, students will have the opportunity to collaborate in the classroom with some of Toronto and Italy’s most widely respected chefs as part of The Extraordinary Italian Taste and The Authentic Italian Table programs. Chef Ugo Mura will participate in the events and join the students directly from Italy to share his culinary expertise.
Members of the public can taste and experience tastes from The Authentic Italian Table by attending its exclusive tasting events. Visit www.italchambers.ca.
THE EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN TASTE
The Extraordinary Italian Taste program champions authentic, made in Italy products by highlighting the designations, traceability, quality control, and certifications, inherent to all bonafide Italian goods. The program is mandated and supported by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and is being executed in North America by nine Italian Chambers of Commerce. Its goal is to educate Canadian consumers on how to identify and appreciate an authentic Italian product to help them make informed purchases and experience the inimitable quality of Italian food exports, introducing them to True Italian Taste.
ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF ONTARIO
Since it was founded in 1961, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO), has been a facilitator of business, a seeker of investment, and a builder of commercial relationships. The ICCO is an independent, non-profit organization whose aim is to enhance and promote investments, business, trade and cultural relations between Canada and Italy.
