After the fully digital 8th edition, on Saturday 5 March 2022 the World Championship returns in attendance (but also in streaming) to celebrate the Genoese nature of pesto, the sauce that has become the most famous in the world, pride of Made in Italy, standard-bearer of the Diet Mediterranea, model of sustainability and modern food culture. Compared to only 10 years ago we talk about Pesto Genovese in a totally different way and the World Championship, born in 2007 and now in its 9th edition, after having also gone through the dark moments of the pandemic with a totally digital edition, has contributed not a little. to draw the perimeter of “what Pesto Genovese is or isn’t”. The official recipe of the Championship has become the reference model globally, the DOP of Genoese basil and the other elite ingredients have conquered spaces in the awareness of consumers and consequently in the marketing, in particular of the regionally produced Pesto which enjoys a excellent reputation. This year, in one way or another, there has been talk of Pesto in 140,000 cases, an average of about 400 times a day, from television and radio services, to newspaper articles, recipes, news and social messages, 60% of which abroad, in particular the United States, with repercussions on tourism and the image of Genoa and Liguria not comparable to any other media messenger of our territory. The final competition of March 5, 2022 will be in attendance (from today December 16, 2021 at midnight it is possible to register by filling out the form: https://www.pestochampionship.it/registration-form-2022/?lang=en), with the measures provided for against the coronavirus, but it will be possible to view the moments in streaming at the same time. topical of the event (the children’s championship, the start of the 100m race and the afternoon final). As always, there are many collateral events (the complete program is attached) but two of them represent a novelty.
The first consists of the meeting with the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU), a non-profit scientific organization that brings together scholars and experts from all areas related to the world of nutrition, Friday 4 March morning in the Transparency Room of the Region Liguria on the theme “Genoa door of Mediterranean cuisine to Europe”. The other event that projects us into an imaginative future concerns the performance in the Sala del Minor Consiglio “I Robot Make Pesto with a Mortar” of the “Robot Bimanual Torso” of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa which is able to learn through imitation of human movements, without the need for programming. Will he be able to catch up with the world champions?
“The Chamber of Commerce is focusing a lot on spreading the Mediterranean diet, not only for its strong link with our territory but also for its sustainability, now certified by science and by the WHO (World Health Organization) itself – comments Maurizio Caviglia , general secretary of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce. “A sustainability that must not be understood only from a strictly environmental point of view, but also from an economic and cultural point of view, enhancing the virtuous behavior of producers, restaurateurs and consumers. The operation we did with mortar pesto, now 14 years ago, goes in the same direction: it seems undoubted to me that mortar pesto is more sustainable not only than that of industrial production but also than that made at home with a blender. … For this reason we will dedicate the eve of the championship to a reflection organized together with the SINU (Italian Society of Human Nutrition) and the University of Genoa on the role of our city as a gateway to Mediterranean cuisine, in which we will once again make the experts of food and local catering.
“The enhancement of the territory, local businesses and traditions is a strategic chapter for our region – declares the regional councilor for economic development Andrea Benveduti – Pesto now in the collective imagination is an iconic reminder of all that is” good ” ”, And there are more and more offers, Liguria can offer to enrich the tables with quality, taste and health. We are happy to be back in attendance at an event that we have convinced ourselves to continue to support ”. “After the digital edition of last year, with 25 chefs who challenged each other online with pestle blows in the mortar, on March 5 the Pesto World Championship is finally back live which, starting from this edition, will be characterized by Pestello, the mascot created by cartoonist / illustrator Angelo Lucio Di Giuseppe and chosen to represent the raw basil sauce all over the world, pride of Genoese cuisine, appreciated internationally – explains the councilor for major events and commerce Paola Bordilli – The work to promote our excellences continues and intensifies, with particular reference to those which, such as pesto, represent and connect an important chain between agricultural, artisanal and commercial activities “. “For two years we have had to limit our activities due to the pandemic, concludes Roberto Panizza President of the Palatifini Cultural Association, and in fact there will be few new winners of qualifying heats, but despite this the Championship is more alive than ever and there is a great desire on the part of pesta-makers from all over the world to follow the Championship and express themselves in this increasingly popular race also for its joyfulness, as demonstrated by participation in the all-digital VIII Edition last March. The winners of the preliminaries who were supposed to compete in 2020 will have a preferential lane if they still want to fight for the world title ”.
