TORONTO — As part of this year’s The Extraordinary Italian Taste program, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) and Centennial College are teaming up for Centitalia. The event, happening Nov. 14 to 18, brings together prominent chefs, food and wine experts, restaurateurs, influencers, educators, journalists and foodies for a number of events to educate Canadian food lovers about the unique characteristics of Italian DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and IGP products (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or the “protected geographical information”) and other protected designations.
“Centitalia will present new innovative ideas for the preparation and consumption of Italian food products to better enhance their qualities and uniqueness,” says Corrado Paina, executive director, Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario, “ICCO has been given the mandate to carry on this project by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and is proud to have Centennial College as a local partner. We hope this collaboration will be the first of a long partnership, which will combine memory, history, culture, arts and business for future generations of Canadians.”
Keynote speaker, chef Rob Gentile of Toronto’s Buca, will kick off the week’s main event, Centennial’s first ever Italian Food Symposium, which will include a series of workshops and master classes on food and wine specialties, as well as DOP and IGP products. The week’s program of events will be coordinated by Centennial College executive chef Alison Iannarelli and will feature a number of guest chefs from Italy, including Ugo Mura, Valentino Cassanelli, Paolo Cacciani and Filippo Saporito. The Food Symposium will be open to the public, making it an ideal event for chefs and serious foodies alike. The week concludes with ICCO’s Pentola d’Oro, its annual awards ceremony, recognizing achievements in the Ontario food industry.
“Our priority is to bring students and community together to learn about the global influence of food,” says Joe Baker, dean, Centennial’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. “Our school prides itself on teaching skills essential for our students’ success when they enter industry — locally or around the world. This partnership will give us the chance to celebrate the quality and authenticity of Italian food and beverage, all while helping our students become job ready.”
