The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World was also celebrated in Thailand and Myanmar. It was promoted by the Italian Embassy in Bangkok and the Embassy in Yangon with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE).
In Bangkok, a great event was organised in an open-air space on Quarter Avenue, in the central department store The EmQuartier, entitled ‘Sustainability – Tradition – Innovation’. The event involved Italian restaurants and food and drank importers from Italy offering their products to the public in a setting reminiscent of an open-air market in an Italian piazza. The event was accompanied by live Italian music and kick-started Christmas shopping with a fine selection of Italian products from over 30 brands. The event also included three moments dedicated to wine culture (bubbles, red wines and white wines). Finally, a Thai sommelier gave a cycle of 3 online lessons on Italian wines.
The ICE-Lazada initiative for promoting Italian food and non-food products through the virtual pavilion created on the Lazada e-marketplace, Thailand’s leading e-commerce platform (Alibaba group), was announced. The event was attended by 11 importing companies (out of 20) representing 18 Italian food brands present on Lazada. The initiative emphasised eliminating food waste and loss in terms of sustainability, which causes large amounts of carbon emissions.
On occasion, the Ambassador to Bangkok, Lorenzo Galanti, announced that the city of Bangkok had joined the initiative promoted by the City of Milan and called the Urban Food Policy Pact. It focuses, among other things, on combating food waste.
Due to the complex political situation, the events in Myanmar took place exclusively online, with a focus on the Italian commitment in favour of training young Burmese economic operators in the food & beverage sectors and raising their awareness of the quality and richness of our wine & food heritage. “This approach,” said the Ambassador in Yangon Alessandra Schiavo, “has been greatly appreciated by both professional schools and businesses. Students and professionals have enthusiastically followed the three masterclasses organised on wine, the two cooking video lessons and the three presentations on food and wine pairing. Finally, in a video, Burmese influencer and food blogger Lady Goo Goo narrated her recent experience discovering Italian cuisine at Tuttofood Milano 2021. She attended upon the invitation of ICE and the Embassy in Yangon.
