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Italian chefs learn about the Icelandic cod
On 6 December 2016, a promotion on the Icelandic salted cod was held at L. De Medici International Institute in Ottaviano, in southern Italy. The promotion is a part of the marketing project Bacalao de Islandia - “Share the secret of the Icelandic salted cod”, and a special focus has been set on informing culinary students in Italy, Spain and Portugal, on the quality ingredients and the Icelandic origin. Ottaviano is in Campania region, where there is a rich tradition of consumption of salted cod and therefore an important market for the Icelandic salted cod. Promote Iceland runs the Bacalao de Islandia project along with producers and sellers.
The students expressed a great interest and around 100 listened to lectures on fisheries, processing, and different products from the salted cod. Andrea Eminente, from the company Unifrigo Gadus that sell Icelandic fish, told guests about fisheries, processing and quality management, and Bjorgvin Thor Bjorgvinsson from Promote Iceland addressed the guests and emphasized the importance of the collaboration between the Icelandic fisheries and the buyers on the market, to maintain the consumption of salted cod – that could be done by communicating with young chefs and increasing their knowledge of the ingredients and different ways of cooking, among other things.
The Italian chef, Lorenzo Alessio, a member of the Italian culinary team, showed the students how he works the fish, cooked different dishes, and shared his experience from his visit to Iceland in 2015.
This was the seventh time a promotion like that was held by the Bacalao de Islandia project. Further cooperation will be with the school in Ottaviano, and culinary competition among the students, like was held in Barcelona, will be pursued. The winner in Barcelona got a trip to Iceland as a prize.
Below are videos and photos from the promotion. The project´s website in Italian.
Italian chefs visit Iceland
In December 2016, two Italian chefs from the Campania region came to Iceland to learn more about Icelandic fisheries, the processing and the country in general. They are among trusted buyers and offer Icelandic salted cod on the menu at their restaurants. Their visit is a part of the Bacalao de Islandia marketing project.
The chefs are Vincenzo Russo from the restaurant Baccalaria í Naples and Vincenzo Nocerino from the restaurant Laconda Nonna Rosa in Somma Vesuviana. Both restaurants specialize in salted cod dishes and offer a great variety under international influences, such as Greek and Thai. The chefs were invited to Iceland to learn about the production of quality products from the Icelandic cod and to share with Icelandic chefs, Italian tradition in treating and cooking the salted cod. Icelandic chefs and participants of the marketing project were invited to a show cooking where the Italian chefs each cooked six dishes. The restaurants involved, will offer salted cod on their menu and enable the many Southern Europeans that visit Iceland, to enjoy the salted cod in the country of origin.
The purpose of the trip was also, that the two chefs become ambassadors for the Icelandic salted cod and reinforce the promotion of the fish in collaboration with Promote Iceland. The project will invite more chefs and restaurants to collaborate in promoting Icelandic fish.