SP prepares to welcome the best of Italian cuisine

The city of São Paulo, home to the largest community of Italian descendants in the world, is preparing to host the 14th edition of the Settimana della Cucina Regionale Italiana, an occasion to promote the candidacy of the "Belpaese" cuisine as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Taking advantage of the wide range of Italian cuisine in the metropolis, the event repeats the traditional format of inviting 20 chefs from Italy - one from each region - to cook in 20 restaurants between October 20 and 26, with menus that represent the best of "made in Italy" cuisine and ingredients.

"São Paulo is the most Italian city outside of Italy and very open to cuisine, full of restaurants and people who love sophisticated food and wines," said the Consul General of Italy in the capital of São Paulo, Domenico Fornara, at an event presenting "Settimana".

"We have a well-structured Italian System here that allows us to do things on a larger scale," he added.

Already a fixture on the São Paulo calendar, the event has become one of the most anticipated events on the local gastronomic scene, as well as the largest showcase for Italian cuisine in Brazil. For Gerardo Landulfo, delegate of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which organizes "Settimana" with the Consulate, the key is to always have something new for the public.

"It's like Carnival: one ends and we're already thinking about the next year's samba theme. The event grows every year because we always try to improve, bring new things, and this year it's the UNESCO candidacy," he said, showing optimism about the campaign: "Italian gastronomy is already a world heritage site."