First Italian Cuisine Week comes to Jeddah

Italian Consul General Elisabetta Martini along with Michelin starred chef Marco Martini, IBG President Bashar Jabban and sponsors of the Italian Cuisine Week at a press conference in Jeddah on Sunday. (AN)

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s first Italian Cuisine Week will be celebrated Monday by the Italian Consulate in Jeddah, in association with the Italian Business Group (IBG) here.
The event is dedicated to promoting Italy’s culinary traditions abroad as one of the most distinctive features of Brand Italy.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Italian Consul General Elisabetta Martini said Italian Cuisine Week will be celebrated in Jeddah as it is a global event, and Italian consulates and embassies all over the world are taking part in it.
Michelin-starred chef Marco Martini arrived in the city from Italy with a group of other chefs to provide a taste of Italian cuisine to Saudis and other guests in Jeddah.
Martini said the Italian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture announced the first Italian Cuisine Week as a national day celebration during the food expo in Milan in 2015.
The event will take place on Monday at the Italian Cultural Club and run until Nov. 27. It will be divided into three main categories.
There will be a street food night to showcase the basics of Italian food; lip smacking finger foods will be presented by Italian restaurants in Jeddah, and Italian supermarkets and companies will also showcase their products. Martini said Italian cuisine is not just for the elite class, but it can be affordable as well.
“Food always represents the culture of a country, and during Italian Cuisine Week, our basic, specialty ingredients will also be displayed, showing the affordability and importance of a Mediterranean diet,” she said, adding the consulate is delighted by the cooperation of companies representing Italy in the Kingdom.
“The aim is to promote not just the food, but also our chefs, distributors, ingredients, and Italian culture and traditions,” the consul general said. A charity event will also be held for those affected by the earthquake in Italy.
Chef Martini said it is a “huge honor and a proud moment” for him to make food for Saudi nationals outside Italy. He said he will prepare the Italian dishes keeping in mind traditions of both Italy and Saudi Arabia.