Scandal in Italy. The origin of parmesan is seriously questioned by a culinary historian. According to Alberto Grandi, professor of food economics at the University of Parma, the cheese was actually imported from the United States. And the carbonara recipe would also come from the American continent. A hell of a slap in the face for the Italians published in the Financiel Times a few days ago.
Now a podcast, Alberto Grandi’s bestseller is called “Invented Denomination of Origin” and dismantles the marketing myths of Italian gastronomy. “We do not touch this heritage. We seek to discredit our country”declared in particular the Secretary of State for Agriculture.
“A surreal attack on the symbol of Italian cuisine”reacted the first agricultural union, the Coldiretti, which sees an attempt at destabilization, while Italian gastronomy expects to be soon classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An important issue for the government which has made the defense of “Made in Italy” one of its battle horses. Every year, counterfeit Italian products sold around the world represent a shortfall of 120 billion euros.