This year marks the fifth Carbonara Day. It seems more important than ever to promote the famous Roman pasta dish after The New York Times published its own twist Smoky Tomato Carbonara earlier this year that caused an outcry. Traditionalists of carbonara on social media had a hard time accepting this recipe. Despite the chef acknowledging, “tomatoes are not traditional in carbonara, but they lend a bright tang to the dish.”
We Love Pasta, the campaign dedicated to the culture of pasta promoted by Unione Italiana Food, responded on Twitter. The tweet read, “What do you think of the #SmokyTomatoCarbonara prepared by a well-known American chef? Now we have seen them all … but if you want to see some beautiful ones (and good ones) keep following us! On April 6, the #CarbonaraDaySpaghetti”.
Click here to find the authentic Italian Carbonara pasta ingredients on Italianfood.net platform
The Times recipe may have divided the web but it united Italians. Carbonara cannot be called carbonara if the dish contains tomatoes, according to the survey by Unione Italiana Food conducted by a sample of almost 4,000 people. To celebrate Carbonara Day this year, Unione Italiana Food social media campaign is focused on taste variations of the dish. Emphasizing how a dish with just five ingredients can be cooked in various ways depending on how one uses each ingredient. Lovers of this pasta dish are asked to share pictures of their carbonara dish using the hashtag #MyCarbonara and #CarbonaraDay today.
Adding in a press release announcing Carbonara Day, “The Perfect carbonara doesn’t exists, but what does exist is the ‘perfect one for me’. It means: #MyCarbonara.” This year’s theme on taste variations can be seen to some as a nod to the Times recipe. Unione Italiana Food with the support of IPO – International Pasta Organization wants purists and innovators to share their “perfect Carbonara”.
You can follow @welovepasta.unionfood on Facebook, @Int_Pasta_Org on Twitter, and on Instagram welovepasta_unionfood.