The Italian Institute of Culture of Dakar, cultural section of the Italian Embassy, in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS Dakar), is celebrating the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World to raise awareness of the richness and variety of food and wine traditions of the Italian regions, the quality products of our territories and the approach to a healthy and balanced diet at the base of the Mediterranean Diet, synonymous with well-being, conviviality and food education, also recognised as intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO.
Guest of honour for the Week is Cristina Bowerman, Michelin-starred Italian chef and 3-fork Gambero Rosso chef, President since 2016 of the Italian Association ‘Ambasciatori del Gusto’ and standard-bearer for food safety and sustainable agriculture. Cristina is a member of the ‘Chef Manifesto’, an initiative of chefs committed to food sustainability, and last February she took part in the Davos Agenda of the World Economic Forum. She has also worked with Actionaid and has always sought to represent a role model for women in the restaurant industry.
In Dakar, the Italian chef will be the protagonist of a week of meetings and intercultural dialogue. In the Senegalese capital, Cristina will meet local farmers, traders and chefs from West Africa, to find unexpected points of contact between Italy and Senegal in the culinary and agri-food field. The Michelin star will be able to put this first taste of Senegal to good use with a training opportunity for the benefit of aspiring chefs from the National School Ecole Nationale de Formation Hôtelière et Touristique (ENFHT) of Dakar, with whom she will delve into the Italian culture of rice, a food that is also a staple of the Senegalese diet. Also on the agenda is a webinar in which Bowerman will address the issue of food sustainability, examining the role of chefs and talking with representatives of Senegalese and international institutions. The highlight of the Week will then be the gala dinner at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence, which will be a showcase dedicated to institutional and business decision-makers, journalists and accredited diplomatic corps, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of correct eating habits.
For more information, go to iicdakar.esteri.it
