The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World

Overview

Last year, over 100 countries across the world came together for one of the best excuses to swirl pasta and eat pizza slice upon slice: The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. For the second year running, New Zealand is joining in.

An event coordinated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World (November 19-25) was created for the purposes of eating food in the Italian way: together. There's nothing better than uniting a group of people and sharing laughs and good times over Italian food, right?

Italy is known for its amazing exports of parmesan, pastas and wines (among others, of course). A wide range of events this year will showcase the traditions of Italy in the Italian way, including lots of authentic Italian produce and regional specialities that can be hard to find in New Zealand. This year, the chosen theme is the Mediterranean diet (La dieta Mediterranea), a sustainable model with proven benefits for human health.

The Italian Embassy has coordinated several events across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson and Queenstown to get you introduced to the Italian way. These include specialty dishes at favourite Italian restaurants, meetings with the chefs, cooking workshops and food and wine tastings.

If you're in Auckland, head to Non Solo Pizza to taste some regional Italian dishes in their authentic form. The Parnell restaurant will host masterclasses on concocting different Italian cocktails and how to taste and pair prosecco with food, plus an evening exploring food in Italian art and a six-course long lunch. The Embassy will be flying chefs Francesca Fucci and Alessandro Cannata over from Switzerland to host a one-off feast at Viaduct Harbour's Giraffe on 20 November, Newmarket's Palazzo Italia will offer a four-course set menu, while Gina's Kitchen will offer a menu based on the traditions of the Puglia region.

Get amongst the strong flavours and intense cultural history of Italian food, and buon appetite.