Chefs defend marine biodiversity

An international event called Slow Fish, dedicated to the world of fish will be held in Genoa, Italy from May 18 to May 21.

It is characterized by a series of unique events in which the promotion of good practices, taste education and awareness of recent developments in the fishing sector is combined with the discovery of products, people, and dishes which symbolize the defense of marine ecosystems, as interpreted through various gastronomic cultures

In the Chefs’ Alliance Kitchen Italian and international chefs from the Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance prepare their signature dishes, using Slow Food Presidia and Ark of Taste products, telling a seated public about their own way of interpreting and promoting them.

Esteban Tapia of the Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance in Ecuador serves the encocado, an example of gastronomic contamination between the traditions of Ecuador and Africa, mixing Pacific Ocean ingredients with citrus aromas, sweet coconut and spicy peppers.

From France, Christian Qui of SushiQui in Marseilles applies Japanese cuisine techniques to Mediterranean catch. His strength is sugamatori style sashimi, which includes whole fish. On the occasion, Christian explains the stages of preparation, from filleting the fish to plating it.

From Holland, Barbara Rodenburg, a biologist, fisher and chef, plates wild oysters and shore crabs from the Slow Food Presidium of Wadden Sea Traditional Fishers.

From Italy, Anna Liberto of Lo Scoglio in Albenga prepares the macheto, an anchovy tart made with products from two local Presidia: Vessalico Garlic and Albenga Violet Asparagus. Gabriele Nanni of the Sirocco Restaurant in Bellaria Igea Marina near Rimini proposes his version of seapanzanella, with organic stone mill sourdough bread and wild Portonovo mussels (Slow Food Presidium).

From Uganda, George Ntumwa, chef of Ssese Island Beach Hotel, combines local products with the fish species that populate Lake Victoria, a vast expanse of freshwater between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

In the Fish-à-porter kitchen, set up among the market stalls, chefs and fishermen prepare food on sale directly to the public.

Cris Esquivel, cook and spokesman for the Filipino community in Genoa, prepares relyenong bangus. From France Bernard Loury, chef of the Chez Loury in Marseille, presents the bouillabaisse, an ancient fish stew that has been popular in the city since its foundation in 600 BC.

Therese Theodor, an ambassador of Haitian cuisine in Italy, cooks her personal interpretation of the Haitian court bouillon. From Ireland, Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery, one of the finest smokehouses in the country, proposes tastings of fresh wild fish that have been salted, dried and smoked.

Giuseppe di Gerlando, fisherman and owner of Ittiturismo Patrizia (Italia), will allow us to discover the Sanremo red shrimp: their habitat, fishing, feeding, sensory profile and of course, tasting – raw and blanched.

Elsewhere, there are Dinner Dates every day with leading Italian and international chefs and the Master of Food series, cooking classes on food and health.

Click here to see the full program.