Carbonara Day
In light of this never-ending debate and after the great social uprising on April 6thlast year – in which 83 million pasta lovers contributed worldwide – talk about Carbonara continues.
AIDEPI will promote the second #CarbonaraDay on April 6th, 2018. The event will involve pasta makers and associations all over the world to bring attention to the popular Italian pasta recipe. April 6th2016 – exactly two years ago – the French website Demotivateur published a step-by-step video of a completely different Carbonara from the traditional recipe. This caused uproar among the many lovers of the pasta dish. The controversy had a loud platform in the media, both Italian and international (the scandal even had a name, "carbonaragate") urging to celebrate the original recipe. Pasta is a democratic dish, one that fits all food cultures, but some traditional recipes must be protected.
The physical event
Along with the digital event this year there will also be a physical occurrence, held in Milan and organized in collaboration with TuttoFood. The details of the initiative are still being defined, but the happening should ideally include a cooking show with a chef and a representative delegation of pasta makers who will interpret Carbonara before a media audience.
The digital event
Aidepi – association representing Italian pasta, bakery, chocolate, confectionary, gelato and breakfast cereal manufacturing industries – will use the digital platform We Love Pasta and create a Facebook Event Page for the event. Get involved to find featured Carbonara recipes and meet fellow pasta aficionados. Simply subscribe to the event page by clicking “Attending”, invite your friends to join in and share the event on your Facebook…the more the merrier!
In addition to Facebook, pasta lovers can join the fun during the #CarbonaraDay Twitter Storm scheduled online between 12 noon to 2 pm CEST, and 1pm to 2pm EDTduring which pasta lovers can share their love for Carbonara by using the #CarbonaraDay hashtag; contribute their take on one of the most loved, famous and debated Italian pasta dishes, and respond to the Q&A published on the WeLovePasta/IPO Twitter page. Participants can add their photos, videos or links to their tweets, as well as retweet any content with the #CarbonaraDay hashtag.
Talking points
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Carbonara in the UK is most popular with courgettes, with chicken in China and Malaysia. In Spain they like it with fish, a trend that’s catching on among Italian traditionalists, too. Can Carbonara be reinterpreted with local ingredients globally, or are only the local Italian ones admitted?
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Pork jowl, pecorino cheese and no cream. But yes to fish eggs and seafood. The classic recipe vs. modern variants: the debate is on.
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Exploring Carbonara: from its controversial origins – some claim Carbonara is a U.S. creation – to the scientific precision of making perfecting the creamy sauce (it’s not just a question of expert hands, but includes egg coagulation, too) and all the trivia that make foodies tick.
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It’s not just pasta: Carbonara has become an icon for other bold reinterpretations, from pizza to risotto. Discover & discuss.
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Who makes the most delicious Carbonara in the world?
by Eleonora Baldwin
