Fake news be damned. What about fake Italian food?

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Fake news be damned. What about fake Italian food?

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Steer Clear of Fake Italian Food, Ambassador Advises Thai Diners

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

October 22, 2019

BANGKOK — The Italian ambassador doesn’t mind if we eat tom yum kung pasta and durian pizzas – the real crime is in “fake” Italian products in supermarkets.

In a sit-down with Ambassador Lorenzo Galanti of Italy, the affable 51-year-old said that the real culinary war taking place in Thailand isn’t with our questionable crab imitation pizza toppings, but products that plagiarize the intellectual property of Italy.

“We don’t have problems with Durian pizza, if you want to eat it, fine,” Galanti said. “The problem is with Italian-sounding items on the supermarket shelf. They have an Italian flag on it, it might have some words about Italy on it, but it’s not produced in Italy and doesn’t taste like anything in Italy.”

Consumers should know that there are three main categories of “Italian” products: authentic products from Italy, imitation or “fusion” food items, and the third is the counterfeit Italian-sounding products.

“This is a billion-dollar business that uses the image and intellectual property of Italy to mislead consumers,” Galanti said.

According to inspection group Asacert, which works with Italian Chambers of Commerce in various countries to provide official Italian Taste Certification, “Italian sounding” products worldwide generate more than EUR54 billion per year, more than twice the value of Italian food exports worth EUR23 billion.

“It represents the most striking form of unfair competition and deceives consumers,” the website says.

As part of their Italian food watchdog duties, the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce has been releasing a guidebook that certifies authentic Italian restaurants based on criteria set by Italy’s National Institute of Research on Tourism, such as using Italian ingredients.

The second edition in 2018 approved 44 restaurants, out of the roughly 1,000 self-claiming ones in Thailand. The 2019 edition will be released on November 19.

Indeed, Galanti is more likely to frequent these approved restaurants rather than a fusion one. “Everything not authentic is unacceptable,” he said, laughing good-naturedly. “But we can’t prevent people from adapting it to their taste and culture, especially something so global, like pizza.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/emba ... ai-diners/
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There Are 44 Italian Restaurants in Thailand Rome Approves Of

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

February 28, 2019

BANGKOK — A guidebook published Wednesday by the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce lists a couple dozen restaurants out of the approximately 1,000 nationwide that have passed strict authenticity criteria.

The “Guidebook to Italian Cuisine in Thailand,” unveiled on Wednesday, lists 44 restaurants countrywide that meet the requirements of Italy’s tourism branch such as use of 100 percent imported ingredients, layout and chef competency.

“The restaurants here are not adapted to local taste, but it’s the real, authentic taste, even if it’s not spicy or doesn’t have a strong flavor. Take your time to enjoy it, and the history and culture behind it. I do the same with Thai food,” said Lorenzo Galanti, Italy’s ambassador to Thailand.

The second edition of an annual guide is part of the Ospitalia Italiana Project, which certifies authentic Italian restaurants worldwide based on metrics set by Italy’s National Institute of Research on Tourism.

However, it’s not an Italian Michelin – the criteria don’t include taste, but rather authenticity. The 10 requirements include having a good restaurant layout, grammatically correct Italian menu names, an extensive wine selection and Italian extra virgin olive oil. Of the 44 chosen restaurants, all have Italian chefs – although that’s not a criterion.

“We did an X-ray of every part of the restaurant: warehouse, the fridge, the storage of the wine, he kitchen, the stove,” said Michele Tomea, secretary general of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. “Two restaurants did not pass because their kitchen didn’t look organized.”

The guidebook is devoid of restaurants with “fusion food” such as pizzas topped with tom yum, crab sticks or, most infamously, durian.

“It’s like if we put spaghetti in tom yum. It’s not Italian anymore, it becomes something else,” Galanti said, laughing at the mention of the pizza toppings.

There are about 1,000 self-identified Italian restaurants in Thailand, approximately 200 of which are in Bangkok, Tomea said.

“It’s not easy to know which restaurants are really authentic. So this initiative lists restaurants that voluntarily accept our protocol. It lets foodies know in advance if a restaurant is authentic or not,” he said.

Most of the restaurants in the list are in the 400 baht to 500 baht range per dish, although places such as La Scarpetta on Charoenkrung Road and Ciao Pizza in the Silom area are more affordable.

“It’s not about luxury; it’s about authenticity. A place doesn’t have to be fine dining to have authentic mozzarella,” Galanti said.

Of the 44 restaurants, 26 are in Bangkok, 11 in Phuket, two on Koh Phangan, two in Hua Hin, and one each in Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Koh Samui.

Here’s the full list:

Bangkok
Antonio’s the Italian Experience, Appia, Attico, Calderazzo on 31, Ciao Pizza Ristorante, Ciao Terrazza Restaurant, Da Vinci, Enoteca, Favola, Galleria Milano, Gianni Ristorante, Il Bolognese, IO Italian Osteria, La Bottega di Luca, La Scala, La Tavola & Wine Bar, Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen, La Scarpetta, Opus Wine Bar, Peppina, Prosecco, Rossano’s, Sensi, Terrazza Italian Restaurant, Vino di Zanotti and Zanotti Il Ristorante.

Phuket
Acqua, Bocconcino, Da Maurizio Beach Side, La Carbonara, La Dolce Vita, La Gaetana, La Scala, Leo & Mas, Plum Prime Steakhouse, Portofino, Rossovivo

Hua Hin
Da Mario, La Grappa

Koh Phangan
Fabio’s, Valentino Restaurant & Wine Bar

Chiang Mai
Piccola Roma Palace

Pattaya
Pasta Pasta

Koh Samui
Gusto

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/food ... proves-of/
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