THE COOKING EXPERIENCE, THE INFINITE HORIZON OF RESTAURANTS AND THE WEALTH OF ITALIAN CUISINE, HÉLÈNE PIETRINI, DIRECTOR OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL GLOBAL FOOD RANKING, " THE WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS", TALKS TO WINENEWS.

The cooking experience, the infinite horizon of restaurants and the wealth of Italian cuisine, Hélène Pietrini, director of the most influential global food ranking, "The world's 50 best restaurants", talks to Winenews.
More eagerly awaited than Michelin, "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" ranking has become, in its 15 years of existence, the point of reference for food critics. It narrates the news and trends of global catering, thanks to the work and to the judgments of 1000 experts from around the world (www.theworld50best.com). Getting on the ranking is not easy, and for the first three places it is a true enterprise for a select few, like Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena, at number two on the 2015 edition, while Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca and René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen, are firmly in the leading positions.
There is no formula to get on the ranking, really, because, as Hélène Pietrini, director of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" told WineNews, “there are no precise criteria for being one of the best. It may seem surprising, but every guide, each ranking, each list has its own "recipe", and ours is a panel of voters around the world, chefs, food writers, foodies, gourmet travelers who send us the list of their 7 best dining experiences. One thing that is special about "The World's 50 Best Restaurants"”, continued the director, “is just that, the experience aspect. We are not talking about our judgment of food, or products or chefs, but the whole experience. We do not use specific criteria, rather we judge the experience as a whole”.
A secular approach, one might say, about culinary experiences from the farthest parts of the globe, which narrate “ food geography that is changing. I think the view of restaurants and chefs has never been so comprehensive”, said Hélène Pietrini, “and what people like is the ability to discover new places to eat around the world. And this is probably why the cuisines of Northern Europe, as well as those of Peru, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines and Australia are becoming increasingly popular. When people travel, they discover the importance of cooking and approach it with more mindfulness. In the future of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" there will be more and more cuisines to discover farther and farther away, while maintaining respect for the great chefs”.
Italian chefs over the years have climbed positions and gained prestige. “When I think of Italian cuisine”, - “explained the director of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants", “I imagine a family kitchen, with a mother. We’re talking about a cuisine that boasts a tremendous historical heritage, a strong personality (also its chefs), able to renew itself constantly. Additionally, it is becoming more active around the world with its protagonists, like Massimo Bottura, of course, but the best aspect is that the great Italian restaurant is able to offer very different experiences: I, for example, love both Annie Feolde’s and Massimo Bottura’s cuisines in their diversity. And this diversity”, concluded Hélène Pietrini, “ is one of the things that captivates people about Italian cuisine”.