COLDIRETTI - IN 2011, WINE & FOOD TOURISM EARNED MORE THAN 5 BILLION EUROS, PROVING IT IS THE REAL FORCE BEHIND MADE IN ITALY HOLIDAYS AND THE ONLY SECTOR IN CONSTANT GROWTH

Food and wine tourism earned more than 5 billion euros in 2011 and is the real force behind Made in Italy holidays as well as the only sector in continuous growth, revealed the Italian Farmers Association Coldiretti at the 31st edition of World Tourism Day that the Minister of Tourism, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, has dedicated to wine & food. Italy is the only country in the world, says Coldiretti, that can count on European leadership in organic production and typical product offer with 229 appellations of origin recognized by the EU, 4606 regional traditional specialties and 505 wines with denomination of origin (DOC), controlled and guaranteed origin (DOCG) and typical geographic indication (IGT).
It is not just by chance, therefore, says Coldiretti, that for more than one out of three Italians (35%) a successful holiday depends on the food and a perfect vacation should never lack tasting local food and wine, according to the SWG (research and survey company) study. Italians consider food the most important ingredient on a holiday; more so than a visit to museums or shows (29%), shopping (16%), looking for new friends (12%), sports (6%) and gambling (2%).
So, vacations are the chance to eat out and try new flavors, but holiday resorts are often, says Coldiretti, where you find more “fakes” or “tourist trap” meals that have nothing to do with local tradition. It ‘s good norm to stay away, continues Coldiretti, from restaurants that offer fake recipes like veal cutlet prepared with chicken or pork, fried in vegetable oil instead of butter and to flee from a restaurant that offers Roman Spaghetti Carbonara with ham instead of bacon and grated cheese instead of Pecorino Romano.

One of the most “betrayed” dishes on the Amalfi Coast, continues Coldiretti, is the typical Caprese served with industrial cheese instead of mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella and in Liguria Pasta with Pesto prepared with almonds, walnuts or pistachios instead of pine nuts and industrial cheese instead of real Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano. Even the traditional Sicilian Pasta alla Norma has been contaminated and is often prepared using any grated cheese instead of salted ricotta cheese. And then there’s the fake Tiramisù found all over Italy made with whipped cream instead of mascarpone cheese or Spaghetti Bolognese, an invention for tourists that is completely unknown in Bologna.
Be careful also, Coldiretti continues, when you purchase souvenirs sold as typical of the area, but have nothing to do with the reality of local production, like mountain or country hams in locations where there is no such farming. Local specialties, concludes Coldiretti, can be purchased in the many food & wine tourism localities: there are over 19.000 holiday farms and 63.000 oil mills, wineries, farms and ranches where you can buy directly from producers without intermediaries, but there are also over 800 “Country Friendly Farmers Markets” where you can buy genuine products directly from field to table.