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Academia Barilla - Of training, making products, history
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Thursday, 16 August, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Manjushree Naik, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d Italian cuisine is the topmost gourmet favourite in the world. And, why not? Looking at the taste and variety that it offers – pizza, pasta to prosciutto – Italian cuisine deserves this distinction.
While the quality to delight taste buds and variety in offerings are the key reasons why Italian cuisine is the world’s favourite, it owes a major chunk of its popularity to institutions like Academia Barilla, a part of the globally renowned pasta company Barilla.
Academia Barilla is an international centre dedicated to the spreading of Italian gastronomic culture and offering training, services and carefully selected products from the country’s rich gastronomic heritage.
The institution was founded in 2004 and is located in Parma, one of the capitals of Italian cuisine renowned for products such as Parmesan cheese and ham. Parma’s rich gastronomic legacy and the efforts to protect it was the reason why the institution was formed. In fact, Academia Barilla was founded not only for protecting and safeguarding Italian food by combating counterfeit food products and improper use of denominations of origin and original brands, but also for promoting and diffusing the knowledge of Italian products and cuisine all over the world through special events.
Tradition and Innovation
Located in the heart of Parma, Academia Barilla, designed by architect Renzo Piano, combines the safeguard of tradition (the building occupies the area where the old Barilla Pasta mill was seated) with state-of-the-art innovation.
The place is known as a place for training chefs and others who want to learn the finer details and intricacies of Italian cuisine. Hence, it is equipped with a 90-seat auditorium, multi-sensory laboratory, practical training hall, 16 professional kitchen ranges, and multifunctional spaces that enhance the training experience.
Giving a 360degree overview of the place, Gianluigi Zenti, founder & director, Academia Barilla states, “The key activities at the academy include culinary and travel experiences, gastronomic events; cultural events and publications; and products collection.”
With regard to products collection, he added, “The collection includes extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto and cheeses, compotes, sauces, Italian antipasto, and gourmet gift boxes. The products are known for protected designation of origin (PDO/DOP), which guarantees authenticity; being traditional and innovative and strongly tied to the place of origin; and selection by panels of expert tasters and chefs.”
Instrument of Knowledge
A highlight at the institution is the Gastronomic Library, an extraordinary instrument of knowledge about the evolution of gastronomy and taste, a monothematic collection boasting more than 10,000 volumes (the most ancient one dates back to the 16th century) and 30 periodical magazines, some of them being difficult to be found elsewhere since their publication has been discontinued. Further, the institution recently acquired a unique collection – over 4,700 pieces – of historical menus, fruit of the painstaking research activity of the earl Livio Cerini from Castegnate, who along with his wife Wilma is known as a collector of gastronomy trivia.
A special place in the collection is devoted to Italian cuisine, with 2,000 pieces dating back to the early 18th century and some extremely rare specimens, such as the menu dating back to 1848: the Corpo Decurionale welcoming the Statuto Albertino (Albertine statute); two unique pieces drawn at the Toeplitz bay during the adventure of the Stella Polare (Polar Star) in 1900, with the Duke of the Abruzzi heading towards the North Pole.
Piece of History
The collection also comprises many menus from Casa Savoia (the House of Savoy), including one autographed by Gabriele D’Annunzio on October 18, 1919, during the occupation of Fiume, a key part of Italian history.
Another interesting aspect is a series of advertising menus, it includes those dedicated to travelling on great cruising ships, on aircrafts or on trains. A second core relates instead of the French cuisine – where historically the menu first affirmed and was widely spread – from the Belle Epoque, to the Liberty, and then to the Deco upto recent times.
The place is also known for a collection of antique prints relating to gastronomic subjects. There are over 150 pieces in the print collection, including xylographs, etchings and burins dating back to 1500. Some of the prints are in colour, however, all of them are dedicated to the themes of food and dining.
Captured in the prints are images of kitchen interiors, court banquets and street scenes depicting vendors and markets. There are images of family life, biblical scenes, and still lives. The collection is a precious tool for understanding the relationship between man and food during the course of the centuries, according to Zenti.
Training
Talking about the courses offered at the academy, Zenti points out, “The courses are for everybody - experienced gastronomes to simple lovers, from professionals to amateurs. The courses are known for in-depth study of food, the importance of a balanced diet and product availability; culinary technique of great chefs’ applied to everyday cooking, from favourite Italian dishes to more innovative and original recipes; and creation of menus suitable for every occasion, dish presentation, table décor, in short, everything that concerns food.”
A popular certification programme at the institution is aimed at foreign culinary institutes which provide their students with Italian cooking courses and also at professional chefs who produce quality Italian food around the world. The programme aims to monitor, promote and develop Italian cuisine in this manner.
The faculty at the academy includes a global team of chefs and visiting chefs such as Moreno Cedroni, Scott Conant, Giancarlo Perbellini, Carlo Cracco, Andrea Zanin, and Iginio Massari.
Apart from products and courses, the institution is famous for gourmet tours. These comprise experiencing the very best of Italian culture and gastronomy: from the traditional vinegar producers of Modena and Reggio Emilia, to the renowned wine and sausage sellers, from opera concerts to shopping in gourmet Italian products shops and outlets, from dinners organised in castles or historical mansions, to breaks for relaxing and ‘getting in shape’ at selected spas.
Achievements
The academy’s turnover amounts to about 10 million Euros, with more than 40,000 paying attendees. Half of them have come from USA, other parts of Europe, Japan, and South America.
In January 2007, the academy was included in success stories published by the Harvard Business School from USA. The business case study, available on the Web, was presented in Boston in front of an audience of more than 220 top managers coming from 20 countries and management students. The document retraces the conquest and the development of the pasta-making market in the United States by Barilla during the last decade, by analysing the creation of Academia Barilla as a reply to the need of safeguarding the Italian gastronomic culture worldwide through the promotion of excellence in the production of typical Italian foods.
In May 2007, the academy was awarded Premio Ice as the company which best showcased Italian creativity abroad. The award recognises the institution’s contribution towards defence and safeguard of Italian food products from misuse of tr
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