Italian restaurants abroad are not always the happy oasis one hopes to find. The causes of some disappointing experiences are attributable to the cuisine, but also to the choice of products, which are often presented as Italian when they are not.
After all, outside Italy there are as many as 90 thousand restaurants, pizzerias and pastry shops, officially registered as Italian. For this reason, restaurateurs abroad will now be able to apply for the certificate of “Italianness”.
PROMOTING REAL ITALIAN RESTAURANTS
The initiative was launched by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture together with Italy’s farmers association Coldiretti and Asacert, a certification company based in Milan. The aim is to fight against the so-called Italian Sounding phenomenon, that is, the use of images, geographical names and brands that evoke Italy to promote products that have nothing to do with it.
HOW TO OBTAIN THE CERTIFICATION OF ITALIANNESS
From now on, therefore, real Italian restaurateurs abroad will be able to apply for the certification of “Italianness”. It is called ITA0039 | 100% Italian Taste Certification and will be issued by Asacert after an inspection that will follow these selective criteria:
- Raw materials: use of oil, flour, dairy products, cured meats of Italian origin;
- Menu: proposal of traditional dishes, complete with their correct quotation and translation into a foreign language;
- Wine list: proposal of wines of Italian oenology, which must be numerically superior to those coming from other countries;
- Personnel: presence of at least one waiter of Italian origin or Italian language and of a chef of Italian origin, or with a significant experience in Italian cuisine;
- Promotion of Made in Italy: the sale of typical Italian products or the organization of events related to Italian food and wine.
These criteria will compose the final rating of Italianness and the attribution of the certificate and certification logo identifying a real Italian restaurant. It will also be able to display it on its menu, business cards, website, shop window, etc.
THE GOALS
The aim is to award 7 thousand certificates per year. The first checks, about 30, have already been made in the United Kingdom where in many cases it was not possible to give the certificate, as the products used were not Italian despite the owner’s passport. The ITA0039 project will initially be implemented in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the United States.
ITALIAN SOUNDING
The Italian Sounding turnover abroad is estimated at about 54 billion euros per year, equal to 147 million per day. An enormous figure, which is more than double the current value of Italian food exports (23 billion euros). This means that at least two out of every three products sold by Italian restaurants abroad cannot be traced back to Italy.