ANYTHING BUT THE BARBEQUE: 64% OF YOUNG ITALIANS CONSIDER A GRILL OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE A RITE THAT CANNOT BE RENOUNCED… BEST IF THERE’S MEAT

Food as the reason to get together, a pleasure to share and partake in, to experience out in the fresh air, even experimenting with the new and the exotic: this is the picture of young Italians that has come out of a study commissioned by Aia Carnealfuoco at Demoskopea titled, “Passion becomes reality”, on their passions and new food trends.

If the most important thing for young Italians is to “be in company” (33.9%), it is not surprising then that 64.7% of those interviewed (all between the ages of 18 and 35), indicated that the barbeque was a rite that could not be renounced. A grill out in the fresh air “turns mealtime into a moment of happiness and fun” (61%), “represents a way to enjoy nature and the outdoors (14.1%), and “is an expression of simple cooking, but at the same time delicious” (11.7%).
The ideal barbeque, however, must not lack the necessary technology, with digital and video cameras to immortalize the best moments (66.1%), cell phones to send photos to friends who couldn’t make (12%), as well as the necessary iPod for music (8.4%).

But the true protagonist of a barbeque is the meat: top place goes to the steak (31%) “because it has a simple and essential flavor”, next up is the kebab (23.7%) “easy to eat with one’s hands”, sausage (22.3%) “tasty and flavorful”, then spareribs, and, in last place, hamburgers (2%).
Company is best, even over a romantic dinner for two (only 10.2% prefer this). It seems, however, that males between the ages of 18 and 25 largely prefer (71.2%) eating out with company that females (27.9%).

So it seems that the younger generations still have a good rapport with food. In fact, only 26.7% of those interviewed saw food “as a simple necessity”, even though 16.7% of women between the ages of 26 and 35 admitted that they were “on a permanent diet”.