“Italian restaurants have strongly influenced the daily lives of millions of people,” said Antonino Laspina, Trade Commissioner, Executive Director for the USA, Tuesday, during a discussion about how Italian restaurants have penetrated the international market, and what's in store for authentic Italian cuisine in the U.S.
The panel session, titled “Italian Restaurants in America: Where Are We Headed,” gathered chefs, authors, restaurateurs, and an academic to discuss the topic. John Mariani, journalist and author, moderated the discussion, citing a gap between Italian cuisine's position in American households as a staple meal option, versus the lack of recognition it gets from authoritative sources like the James Beard Award and The New York Times.
“Italian cuisine didn’t only conquer the world, but it is also more popular now than it’s ever been,” Mariani said. The group explored why Italian eateries' prestige may be in jeopardy, and what can be done to remediate.
Shifting Food Culture
The reason for the schism may be due in part to a shifting food culture that actively seeks new experiences. Fabio Parasecoli, professor of food science at NYU, agreed, underscoring the fact that competition has increased as countries invest in their food product quality and programs to promote their culture and positive national sentiments. He shared that countries including Korea and Thailand are spending more of their budgets on food.
Parasecoli also shared the technological perspective that is rife with opportunities for Italian restaurants in the industry to leverage. For example, influencers and casual diners alike have the potential to take on an unofficial PR role for an eatery, sharing their positive experiences with their networks. This can help to demonstrate Italian dining tradition, wherein clients are treated as “guests” and both front-of-house and back-of-house staff are educated, formal, and courteous, according to Gianfranco Sorrentino, restaurateur and president of Gruppo Italiano.
Educated Consumers
Fabrizio Facchini, chef, restaurateur and board member of the AICNY (Associazione Italiana Chef New York), noted that Americans are more educated about food and ingredient quality than ever before, shining light on a positive repercussion of the shifting food culture.
This benefits Italian producers the most because it creates demand for real, Italian-made imported products, he shared. Parasecoli agreed, noting that education and interest in Italian tradition mean that more people know what the food is supposed to taste like.
“Italian cuisine is a cuisine of products. It’s a cuisine of ingredients,” said Sorrentino. It is essential for the success of a traditional dish. Parasecoli also shared a trend wherein more international students are studying abroad in Italy to learn about the ingredients and techniques in making the cuisine. These students then return to their home countries and open Italian restaurants that will import Italian products.
Intellectual Property
One risk that Parasecoli foresees is an issue with Italian-exported products’ intellectual property, commenting that no international system exists for registering products. Instead, tedious processes vary depending on the country or region and can be prohibitive for medium- or large-scale Italian businesses to get legally protected on the world stage, and nearly impossible for smaller producers.
The future of intellectual property will have an impact on both the availability and visibility of true Italian products, Parasecoli shared, eventually affecting the dishes that incorporate them.
“The rules of the game are changing,” Parasecoli shared, and Italian creators in the industry need to be open to changing with it.
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