KARACHI: The 73rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Italy also brought up the chance to understand Italy a little better by appreciating their exports as well as some extraordinary Italian cuisine prepared by the Michelin-starred executive Italian chef Giacomo Gallina at a local hotel here on Thursday.

The exhibition had things such as Italian scooters, clothes, leather, etc. The Italian food festival on the other hand had an unending supply of pizza on each corner of each buffet table. There were various types of pasta and meat dishes in different sauces to sample along with lasagna, risotto, stew and seafood such as tuna and pesce bianco cooked the Italian way. On the sides there were the Italian breads and cheese and of course gelato and different flavoured ice cream. And somewhere in the middle of it all there was the chef encouraging all to try the delicacies.

“I am a little chef with a big menu,” he told Dawn. Asked if there was any similarity between Italian and Pakistani food he smiled. “The only thing common in our food and yours is the salt, garlic, onion, tomato and flour,” he said.

Mohammad Naeem, the hotel’s executive chef said that he helped the visiting chef in setting the menu. “I have spent some 26 years of my life in Europe of which one and a half years was spent in Venice so I happen to have a very good idea of the likes and dislikes of the Italian people when it comes to food,” he said. “What we had to do for this food festival was come up with dishes that would appeal to both the Italian as well as Pakistani palate,” he added.

Earlier, the Consul General of Italy in Karachi, Anna Ruffino, said that she felt glad to feel the friendship between Italy and Pakistan and to see it growing especially in the fields of culture, archaeology, health and economy. “We look forward to increase the interaction,” she said, while mentioning Italy’s collaborations with the National Institute of Child Health and the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation along with teaching of Italian at Greenwich University and the Institute of Business Management along with archaeological work at Bhambhore.

The chief guest on the occasion Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that Italy had always been close to his heart as he had spent time there and until recently when he was drawn more to the northern areas of Pakistan, he would often think of going back to Italy and settling down there after his retirement.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019