The food and wine heritage represents a relevant trait of the identity of a people because it tells its history and the economic-political phenomena that have conditioned its evolution. In fact, food tastes can be considered the direct consequence of the effect of the socio-cultural context of belonging. According to many anthropologists, different levels of analysis are related through cooking, from the ecological to the technical, from the social to the symbolic, because food is one of the most important mediums: a vehicle of communication, through which the individual expresses himself and at the same time differentiates himself from others. Italian cuisine, even more than the others, has been profoundly influenced by its geographical position as a crossroads of the Mediterranean, whose commercial and political interactions have made intercultural encounters precious, further enhancing products that have always made our country unique.
In order to deepen and analyse the Italian culinary identity, we contacted Roberta Virgilio, professor of the International Master in Food and Beverage Management at the Rome Business School, who told us:
“When it comes to Brand Italy in general, the food sector is one of the prominent themes for which our country is recognised worldwide. We have a number of brands that rank among the 100 with the highest economic value in relation to food, which naturally translates into a broader concept that also includes the Mediterranean diet model, which in 2010 was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. I believe that one of the most powerful drives of ‘Made in Italy’ is represented by the element of wholesomeness to which we add the excellence of raw materials, the guarantee of high safety standards, and traceability in production systems. Then, of course, it took decades to bring spaghetti and pizza to become a concept with a strong value content in the international sphere, accompanied by the traditional Italian Style that encompasses fashion, cinema and the enormous cultural and landscape wealth. A curiosity: ‘pizza’ is among the most clicked words on the Web, so much so that it surpasses Coca Cola by 20 times.“
The kitchen is par excellence the place where experiences are re-elaborated: this is probably the reason for the proliferation of food-themed programmes, formats and thematic channels that can be enjoyed live or on demand.
In this sense, TV proves to be a privileged point of observation and an instrument of dissemination of great potential that can promote positive changes in food choices and habits and, above all, promote a cultural shift with regard to the culinary professions.
“I believe that, despite the easy demonisation and oversimplification, the mass media and, in particular, television have brought added value to the sector, an important cone of light, for example, on the product that one searches for on the supermarket shelf, which is finally dressed in knowledge. Moreover, the real change of pace is in having revalued the professional role of the kitchen, educating and disclosing horizons and environments that were always behind the great curtain of the cooker. Of course, it is not all thanks to TV, but it is undeniable that programmes and formats have also brought the younger generations closer to the ‘professional’ food universe. It is important to re-evaluate the role of the cook and the waiter, who need a cultural revolution and appropriate protection of shifts, overcoming the short circuit of the distorted mediatisation of the ‘dramatising’ chef. The time has come to organise the four-day working week, to create team building and to think about staff welfare. Today’s difficulty in recruiting staff is not so much due to a vocational crisis as to the impossibility of reconciling private life with work based on gruelling shifts for unequal pay. For example, many waiters have become drivers for the same suppliers of the restaurants where they used to work for more suitable hours and often higher wages. This should give us pause for thought, because the success of a restaurant passes through many factors and I believe that the human factor will always remain the key to success in the Italian restaurant industry. One must however consider that there are establishments purely devoted to economics: they represent a different approach that is equally legitimate and estimable, but not for dreamers. Instead, one must imagine new worlds and new ways!”
In line with the most recent studies and the indications on ‘sustainable diets’ indicated by the FAO, there is an emerging awareness among consumers of the direct correlation between food choices and environmental impact.
Moreover, with the covid 19 pandemic, Italians’ relationship with food and cooking has changed with greater attention to food safety. In this scenario, which has changed profoundly over the course of the health emergency, interesting trends are emerging, such as those related to the peculiarities and uniqueness of local cuisines, going beyond the concept of globalisation.
“Speaking of food, we are witnessing a renewed focus on the planet and the vegetable world. I am not only referring to ethical vegetarianism, but to the attention to vegetable dishes on the menus of normal restaurants. In fact, it is precisely the statistics of omnivorous and vegetarian dishes that are changing: in the past it was difficult to find vegetarian propositions, today there are restaurants that have directed 80 per cent of their menus towards sustainability, beyond all the media screeching definitions. They go beyond the concept of zero kilometre or organic, and focus on real knowledge of the territory and the use in the expression of its uniqueness. Then we must consider the reinterpretation of the way we eat – speed – which is having a great development at market segment level. I am talking about ready-made food, meaning not the frozen, but the semi-processed good. I, for example, dream of the return of the old delicatessens, of diners, a kind of romantic nobility to tradition. I believe that the plant-based diet trend is waning: in vitro meat created in the laboratory will acquire a slice of the market, but not the whole of it. From my vantage point, I see that the new trends are moving towards the search for authenticity of culture through globalised tools and vehicles: real Cantonese cuisine in Rome, real Italian restaurants abroad. And it is a cultural issue because ‘authentic’ is perhaps the most beautiful manifestation of the globalisation of cuisine.”
“Catering has always presented pitfalls that are difficult to control. It is a job that cannot be compared to others, because the cook and the waiter reach their peak after a day’s work. They essentially live in total opposition to the rest of the world, to the clientele. The profession of the waiter, and I emphasise the profession, must be cleared of the perception of a plate carrier. The waiter is a psychologist, he knows the dishes, the raw materials, the supply chain, and experiences constant interference during his shift. To work in the restaurant world today, one must invest in training aimed at research and development in the hi-tech world. Then there are figures more related to economics then management, marketing and communication. You can design your professional profile in many ways, but first there must be passion. We in the food universe are, are and will remain artisans. I am certain that we will become artisan entrepreneurs, just like the best Italian brands.”
Born in Egypt and raised between New York, London and Brazil in her early childhood, Roberta Virgilio arrived in Italy in 1987 and lived her adolescence in Milan, until completing her high school studies, earning a degree in Environmental Engineering and a Master’s in the management of water resources in developing countries. The first part of her working career took place in Project Management in International Cooperation between Milan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Angola and Lebanon, always immersed in the cultures and societies she was confronted with. In 2010, she took a turn and changed sectors, dedicating herself to professional cooking. After moving to Rome and attending the professional course at theGambero Rosso, he began his journey in the kitchen from Michelin-starred circles and then managed independently a restaurant in the city centre for 3 years. Subsequently for 3 years he collaborates with a leading catering consultancy agency in Italy, where he consolidated his project and control knowledge by applying project management to the management catering management. Since 2016 he has been teaching modules related to operations and management control at the Master of Food and Beverage Management at the Rome Business School. Since 2019, he has been in charge of the kitchen and operational management of Caffè delle Esposizioni, applying an increasingly careful selection of suppliers and producers of the raw materials used in an increasingly important sustainability perspective in the strategic vision of the project. Since 2021 she has been practising as a consultant in Food and Beverage Management as a freelancer, following several
