Crudo di Cuneo PDO ham, represented by its Protection Consortium, has been selected among the food symbols of Piedmont. That is why it was the protagonist in a series of events held at the end of March in Brussels, at the headquarters of EU institutions, along with Piedmont’s other food and wine specialties.
On Wednesday, March 29, a day of presentation and tasting of high-quality regional specialties was held at the institutional headquarters of the Piedmont Region in the European capital. On Thursday, March 30, the region participated in the fifth edition of the “European event on quality and origin products” presenting Crudo di Cuneo PDO ham in its booth.
The two-day event was attended by MEP Paolo De Castro, rapporteur of the current agriculture reform, and Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as members of the European Parliament and the European Commission, and members of the Permanent Representations and the Committee of the Regions.
“I would like to thank the Piedmont Region’s Agriculture and Food Councillor, Marco Protopapa, for giving us the opportunity to return to present and have the Crudo di Cuneo PDO ham tasted in Brussels,” Chiara Astesana, President of the Consortium for the protection and promotion of Crudo di Cuneo PDO, said. “This time we were able to do so as part of two important events, including the fifth edition of AREPO – European Event on Quality and Origin Product.”
THE EVENTS IN BRUSSELS
On Wednesday, March 29, Crudo di Cuneo was the star of excellence at “Io sono Piemonte,” the Region’s food and wine showcase in Brussels, where a typical Piedmontese food service based on regional products was offered. During the day were the events “Guarda e gusta il Piemonte: un viaggio tra cibo e cinema” (Watch and Taste Piedmont: a journey between food and cinema), with the participation of Region President Alberto Cirio and Councillor Marco Protopapa, and the screening of the documentary movie “Coltivare storie. L’agricoltura piemontese al cinema” (Cultivating Stories. Piedmontese agriculture in cinema) directed by Giulio Pedretti and produced by the Piedmont Region. The movie was made with the aim of narrating some food and wine products and the rural territories from which they originate, through the eyes of Piedmontese filmmakers. The day ended with a tasting of Piedmontese Geographical Indication foods and wines.
On Thursday, March 30, the conference “The Future Challenges for Geographical Indications” was held, at which Regional Councillor Marco Protopapa also spoke. At the end of the meeting, selections of foods and wines with designations of origin and Geographical Indications from the regions involved were presented. The Piedmont stand, set up by the Region’s Agriculture and Food Department, featured Crudo di Cuneo PDO ham, Roccaverano PDO cheese, Nocciola del Piemonte PGI, Freisa Doc wine (vine of the year 2022 for Piedmont Region), and Erbaluce spumante Docg (vine of the year 2023 for Piedmont Region). The fifth “European event on quality and origin products” was organized by AREPO, which includes 33 regions from eight European nations.