Italy: world’s largest field to fork park opens amid controversy

FICO Eataly World opened by Italian prime minister but is it an authentic experience of Italian food?

FICO free to enter Eataly World aims at attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe.  It is said to embody the wonders of Italian biodiversity and food & wine excellence. But is it a real experience of Italian cuisine?

Opened recently by Italy’s prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, this amazing food park hosts: 40 farming factories; 40 restaurants and refreshment points, a marketplace; areas devoted to sport, children, reading activities and services; 6 classrooms, 6 large educational "rides", theatre and cinema facilities; congress centre accommodating from 50 to 1000 people. There is even a foundation supported by 3 universities.

Say the organizers, visitors will be able to:

• Discover Italian agriculture by visiting 2 hectares of open-air fields and stables housing more than 200 animals and 2000 cultivars.
• Understand food processing by visiting the 40 farming factories and observing how meat, fish, cheese, pasta, oil, beer, sweets, etc. are processed.
• Taste traditional Italian food at FICO’s 40 restaurants and refreshment points.
• Jump on a "ride" by exploring FICO’s 6 large educational "rides" dedicated to Fire, Earth, Sea, Animals, Wine, and Future.
• Learn and have fun by attending up to 30 events and 50 classes per day held in classrooms, theaters and learning facilities.
• Plan your meetings and conferences at FICO’s fully furnished Congress Centre accommodating from 50 to 1000 people.
• Inside the park, visitors can decide to walk or bike on their own or guided by FICO’s biodiversity ambassadors.

However, is this an authentic experience of Italy’s amazing diversity of cuisine and hospitality?

Says Sophia Seymour of the UK Guardianhttp:// https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/nov/17/eataly-world-bologna-megamarket-betrayal-italian-gastronomy  "FICO leaves a bad taste in Bologna"  "Italy’s "City of Food" has a new attraction. After wandering the alleyways of Bologna’s Mercato di Mezzo – which is filled with local, family-owned grocers such as the well-known Atti & Figli bakery, or Tamburini of tortellini fame – visitors can now take a 20-minute shuttle bus from outside the central station to Fico Eataly World, where food from all over Italy is on show."

"Eataly World claims to be the world’s largest agri-food park, and promises visitors "a discovery of all the wonders of Italian biodiversity" under one vast, 100,000 sq m roof. However, many are struggling to make sense of a project that stands in direct contrast to the traditional allure of Italian gastronomy – the pleasure of meandering the farmers’ markets in Renaissance town squares, or sampling the delights of small producers in remote hilltop towns."

"To enter Eataly is to step into what can only be described as a US-style megamart, a Wholefoods on steroids. The site used to be a wholesale market, built in the 1980s, and the original A-frame barn structure supported by big wooden beams forms an L-shaped walkway that stretches for more than a kilometre."

"Inside are more than 45 branded Italian eateries, which according to Fico are "bonded by a passion for excellence and the role they play in producing and promoting the best of Italian food and wine". The kitchens in the restaurants are visible behind glass panelling, and host over 30 daily sessions to educate the consumer on food production, be it how to make William Di Carlo sugared almonds from Abruzzo, or how Olio Roi presses olive oil using its in-store press."

"Despite many of the restaurant spaces being beautifully conceived, and the presence of a strong educational and ethical impulse, the reality of watching mozzarella being made under strip lighting, or eating Michelin-quality cooking while shoppers whiz by on Bianchi-sponsored tricycles, makes me think Oscar Farinetti has conjured a dystopian vision of the future, rather than a homage to Italy’s rich food heritage and culture."

More info:http:// https://www.eatalyworld.it/en/

Valere Tjolle

@ValereTjolle

Related News Stories: