(20 January 2016) “Past nustran, and eats the san” (“our national meal is to eat healthy”) is a famous Lombard proverb, one whose veracity is appreciated not only in the Italian region, but around the world. Between pizza alla Milanese and pulaster, passing by the ossobuco with risotto accompanied by gremolata in Perth and the Quito restaurant offering vitello tonnato, there is also a restaurant in Beijing making pumpkin dumplings in Mantovana sauce… Overall, there are 123 Italian restaurants abroad (including chains) offering Lombardy’s traditional cuisine, certified by the chambers of commerce on the Italian Quality Experience portal, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Milan with Unioncamere and the other Chambers. The online platform is available in 3 languages , and businesses can join for free. Typical products from Lombardy are worth €4 billion, according to an elaboration of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan on ISTAT data related to the first nine months of 2015 and 2014. Most is produced in Milan (over €1 billion), Bergamo (€470 million) and Mantova (€420 million), while meat, fruit, cheese and flour products are the most popular products on French tables, fish in Greece, oils and wines in the United States, grains and starches in Germany… The United Kingdom is appreciated more and more bread and bakery products (+ 22%) and wines and other beverages (+11%), also consumed in the United States (+14%). Japan approves of Lombardy’s olive oils (+29.5 %), while Switzerland eats Lombardy’s meat (+ 9.8%) and fish (+ 7.6%). The most popular dishes around the world are: risotto, starring in one in three menus, followed by the Milanese cutlet, soups and stews, and vitello tonnato.Polenta and osso buco alla Milanese are also present in one in ten menus. (Red)
