Monday, February 02, 2009

Kabob No Mas


Timesonline has a story about a movement in Europe to bar ethnic food in order to allow Italians to eat Italian food and not foreign. This could only happen in Europe, What's next ban American burgers and Starbucks? I really think the story is funny and reveals fear of foreigners, I found it entertaining to say the least.

Luca Zaia, the Minister of Agriculture and a member of the Northern League from the Veneto region, applauded the authorities in Lucca and Milan for cracking down on nonItalian food. “We stand for tradition and the safeguarding of our culture,” he said.
Vittorio Castellani, a celebrity chef, said: “There is no dish on Earth that does not come from mixing techniques, products and tastes from cultures that have met and mingled over time.”

He said that many dishes thought of as Italian were, in fact, imported. The San Marzano tomato, a staple ingredient of Italian pasta sauces, was a gift from Peru to the Kingdom of Naples in the 18th century. Even spaghetti, it is thought, was brought back from China by Marco Polo, and oranges and lemons came from the Arab world.

Mr Castellani said that the ban reflected growing intolerance and xenophobia in Italy. It was also a blow to immigrants who make a living by selling ethnic food, which is popular because of its low cost. There are 668 ethnic restaurants in Milan, a rise of nearly 30 per cent in one year.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my God. the picture with all the food made me hungry, crazy Italian banning this kind of food, don't take me wrong, I love pasta cook it myself but I love the Middle East food more than pasta. I hope they don't ban the people to cooking in their own home. It is crazy to ban this kind of food but not only Middle East food, any food.

 

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