On November 18th the opening ceremony of the 2019 World Italian Food Week was held in Chongqing Jinshan Yiku Creative Park.

This is the 4th time for Italian Consul General in Chongqing to have the cuisine event, which aims to introduce Italy's rich gastronomic traditions and to work with public and private institutions representing Italian cuisine in more than 100 countries.

Mr. Davide, the deputy consul of the Italian Consulate General in Chongqing in his speech

“The love for food has brought peoples of the world come closer. Eating is universal; it is especially true for China and Italy”, said Mr. Davide, the deputy consul of the Italian Consulate General in Chongqing. He also indicated that this year's Food Week has the most abundant activities when compares with the past.

From November 18th to 24th, more than 40 events will be held in five cities (Chengdu, Leshan, Guiyang, Kunming, and Lijiang); besides, Chongqing will be the main stage for the event. During the food weeks, promotion events, cooking classes, and various forms of activities that 15 restaurants and bars, five luxury hotels, three ice cream shops, and one supermarket will participate.

Guests are tasting the Italian wine at the event

Mr. Davide introduced that in this food event, they aim to improve the understanding of the relationship between food and health, as well as to promote a Mediterranean diet, which is the core of Italian cuisine.  He also mentioned some relevant data related to the health status of the Italian agricultural and food industry. “A €205 billion industry has a clear growth trend in exports around the world. Especially in China, the growing love and demand for our products are evidenced by the increase in exports.”

Guests in the opening ceremony

The event was organized in cooperation with the Italian National Tourism Administration. The Italian Taste gourmet passport was also released at the opening ceremony and is a booklet that introduces the food features and wines in different Italian regions and will be marked with restaurants, bars, and other venues for the 2019 Food Week event. When visiting the sites on the list, you will be able to collect a stamp on the passport. Once you collect 20 stamps, you will be awarded the title of "Italian Food Ambassador" in 2020 and get a chance to participate in the lucky draw of Chongqing-Rome round-trip ticket provided by Hainan Airlines.