High quality Italian food
products from the Campania region south of Rome will be featured
until the end of October at Eataly food shops in New York City
first, and later in Chicago.
The promotion of regional agribusinesses in these American
markets has been organized by regional officials as well as
Unioncamere, representing Italy's chambers of commerce, working
with the Eataly retail chain.
Campania food and wine from 37 producers will appear in New
York City on Monday and remain there until the end of the month,
when the focus will then be transferred to Eataly in Chicago
through the month of October.
"Companies in the gourmet food and wine sector will have an
important commercial opportunity in collaboration with Eataly,"
said Maurizio Maddaloni, Unioncamere's regional president in
Campania.
"But there will also be opportunities for training for
those dedicated to food, with starred Italian chefs," he added.
"This (promotional) work is aimed at export markets that
even in this moment of crisis, is one of (Italy's) strengths,"
said Maddaloni.
"There is a 'minus' sign in front of many sectors (showing
losses), but in agribusiness and tourism sectors there is
growth, which is in turn promoted by the visibility of our
gastronomic products of excellence".
The promotion of products from Campania in the US is
"another" step in raising the profile of the region, said Fulvio
Martusciello, president of the regional council.
"The international promotion of our excellent 'Made in
Campania' products is an important force with which we will
restart the market," hurt by the global financial crisis, said
Martusciello.
To select the producers taking part in the promotional
event, Unioncamere began with a list of 70 businesses that was
eventually narrowed down to the final 39 participants.
Initially, Eataly wanted only 30 producers involved but
eventually expanded that number by nine, said Dante Del Vecchio
of Eataly.
That included some companies that Eataly has had previous
relations with.
The company has invested more than $100,000 in the
promotion of Campania products which will also be featured on
the shelves of eight Eataly restaurants in the US.
"The export of Campania products comes thanks to the strong
efforts of entrepreneurs who are committed to succeed in the
world," said Del Vecchio.
"We hope that the project can continue to (Milan) Expo
2015," he added.
Campania products will also be used in Eataly recipes to be
prepared by some Michelin-starred chefs, including Rosanna
Marziale and Vitantonio Lombardi.
Their dishes will include a creative 'pizza in black'
featuring three different types of fresh truffles, caviar and
pecorino ricotta.
"We're going to New York to tell of Campania region - a
previously unknown region - with those excellent cooking
products that for us mean lamb, veal, sausage, vegetables," said
Lombardi.
The chefs will prepare a series of dinners in the context
of the Identità Golose international cooking event dedicated to
high-end food preparation, scheduled for October 9 to 12 in New
York.
"It is important to show the terms of comparison (of
Campania products) to the world: if you put mozzarella from
abroad beside Italian buffalo mozzarella, you can taste the
difference and then understand," said Paolo Marchi, of the
Identità Golose.
"This, we will do in the USA with our chefs".
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