What will we eat in 30 years from now? Almost certainly pasta. Its growing global success is a fact: in 10 years, its consumption almost doubled, from almost 9 to 15 million tons. That is why World Pasta Day 2019 will give the possibility to pasta lovers from all over the world to join an event not to be missed: during “Al Dente” festival, it will be possible to taste the flavor and consistencies of future pasta during one week (October 18th-25th). More than 100 restaurants all over the globe, will enrich their menus with a dish inspired to #pasta2050 exploring the 6 main trends that will mark pasta consumption in the next 30 years. Those lovers who wish to taste the personal interpretation of these chefs can look at the list of the restaurants participating in the initiative on the digital platform http://aldente.worldpastaday.org, whose name is a celebration of the pasta cooking style par excellence.
World Pasta Day, conceived and organized by International Pasta Organization and Unione Italiana Food, celebrate the symbol of the Mediterranean Diet on the 25th of October of every year, since 21 years. This 21st edition is focused on taste, creativity, care for wellbeing and passion for good food.
Pasta, that’s how we will eat you in 2050: the 6 trends as per the experts – After an interdisciplinary experts’ meeting about the future of pasta in the global food evolution framework, IPO and Unione Italiana Food detected 6 trends that will mark pasta consumption in the next decades: I Eat Traditional (pasta with tomato, the flagship of the Mediterranean diet in the world), I Eat Ethical (pasta, vegetables and sustainability), I Eat Global (pasta fusion, a world of contaminations), I Eat Different (pasta with ingredients to be discovered), I Eat Simple (more and more basic and healthy pasta), I Eat Conscious (the correct information challenge). Chefs used these trends as an inspiration to interpret the #pasta2050 hashtag.
Paolo Barilla: “Pasta is a very ancient and revolutionary product and is also good for the planet” – According to Paolo Barilla, President of the International Pasta Organisation, “the global consumption of pasta doubled in 10 years because everybody likes it, but there’s something more. We are talking about accessible food with low environmental impact. A simple and daily product that brings people together, being versatile because it can combine with the traditional ingredients of all world cuisines and gives every dish the flavor and benefits of Mediterranean Diet, the best lifestyle in the world. Since 21 years, World Pasta Day reaffirms the responsibility to project towards the future this very ancient food which still is a revolutionary one because it tastes good, it is good for the planet and for the health of those living it.”
Raffaello Ragaglini, Secretary General of the International Pasta Organization – “After fifty years working with Italian, European and international pasta industrialists, I can state with absolute conviction that pasta has been and will continue being the queen of cuisine – Raffaello Ragaglini, Secretary General of the International Pasta Organization and Honorary Secretary General of the Union of European Pasta Industrialists (UNAFPA), says. Pasta is the best embodiment of a healthy, safe and conscious food culture that also cares for environmental sustainability. Therefore, we can summarize the true essence of pasta as: passion, tradition, sharing, quality, health and sustainability. The great director Federico Fellini loved to say that life is a combination of magic and pasta. I would add that these two elements represent the dream of a better future for humankind”.
Riccardo Felicetti: “With pasta, that’s how the Mediterranean tradition challenges tomorrow’s cuisines” – “We tend to imagine pasta as an unchanging product but actually it has accompanied our lifestyle changes throughout the years – Riccardo Felicetti, the president of Unione Italiana Food pasta makers, explains. If we think about how we used to eat pasta 30 or 60 years ago, we realize how much recipes, consumption occasions, types and portions changed. The global success of pasta is exactly due to how it can intercept food, cultural and social trends. At the same time, its production process evolved too, with a growing care for environmental impact and for healthy trends. That’s why we tried to mark its future from now to 2050, by asking the interpretation of chefs and pasta lovers”.
A taste of future pasta in 100 recipes in restaurants over 3 continents – Rome, New York, Tokyo and Dubai: they are just some of the “capitals of pasta” where it will be possible to taste one of the pasta dishes inspired to #pasta2050 and #WorldPastaDay for one week. Many young chefs as well as heavyweights like Heinz Beck, the Alajmo Brothers, Rosanna Marziale decided to participate in this pasta world tour to demonstrate that people like the “challenge of how pasta will be in 30 years”. Fun fact: most chefs believe that tradition will be the main feature of future pasta. Indeed, among the future trends to which many of the dishes are inspired, the reinterpretations of a great “classic” like pasta with tomato are the most popular ones.
IPO and Unione Italiana Food invitation is also extended to bloggers and pasta lovers, who will join a “virtual spaghetti dinner” on the 25th of October by using #pasta2050 and #WorldPastaDay hashtags. Everybody will have the chance to post photos and videos about their interpretation of #pasta2050 during a day full of tweet ups, Facebook events and Instagram moments.
