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Le Strade Della Mozzarella (LSDM), the international congress of Italian haute cuisine showcasing the culinary potential of Italy's finest produce, has created a 10 step manifesto (see below) to inspire and challenge Italian chefs.
The ten points draw on the so called Mediterranean diet - a concept first documented by US doctor Ancel Keys who theorised that the absence of heart disease among the Mediterranean population was due to their lifestyle and healthy diet. A diet based on fresh ingredients like fruit and vegetables, where pasta and extra virgin olive oil are also enjoyed at leisure.
How to put this theory to work in contemporary kitchens will be the main topic of the talks given by chefs at the next editions of LSDM. A fitting challenge given the wealth of produce available in a country with a worldwide food reputation, from pulses to vegetables and mozzarella di buffala to olive oil.
LSDM: THE PROJECT LSDM
Add into the mix the pivotal role of the modern chef's as "creator of joy and the mentor of his customers" chefs are no longer simply tasked with producing good food that is technically and stylistically correct. Instead they have become protagonists in expertise and innovation and responding to our modern lifestyles without sacrificing dining or the conviviality of food culture.
LSDM have put together a holistic plan that responds to those diverse factors that gives the modern chef guidance on range of factors they can be expected to respond to.
LSDM: The 10 Point Manifesto
The LSDM 2018 edition will start with a ten-point manifesto, and a source of inspiration for a chefs to stand by - allowing today’s Italian chefs to draw inspiration for creating their menus:
1. Serve fruit and vegetables, in savoury and sweet dishes, with a preference for seasonal produce.
2. Use more extra virgin olive oil than any other fat.
3. Do not disdain dried pasta, a universally recognized symbol of Italian food.
4. Increase the use of vegetable proteins – such as pulses – and contribute to recovering the traditional varieties to be found all over Italy.
5. Purchase from sustainable farming and breeding activities, with a preference for traceable products.
6. Valorise small-scale local craftsmen, with a preference for good practices rather than just local ones.
7. Respect local food traditions and the peculiar characteristics of your terroir.
8. Cater for the special dietary needs of your customers and, in general, serve well balanced dishes from a nutritional point of view.
9. In the kitchen, use technology as a tool to improve on tradition, not as an end in itself.
10. Be ready to dialogue with colleagues worldwide, to facilitate interdisciplinary contaminations.
