The Queen of Taste 2023: the unique faces of mountain catering are told in Cortina

The seventh edition of The Queen of Taste 2023 took place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September in Cortina D'Ampezzo, the taste festival dedicated to catering and mountain flavors organized by Cortina For Us and Chef Team Cortina , in collaboration with Globetrotter Gourmet , sponsored by the Municipality of Cortina , the Province of Belluno and the Veneto Region . A new success with over 160 participants in StrEat Chef –   the traveling dinner in 5 stages which involved 14 cooking and pastry masters - and which saw the sold out of StrEat Lunch , a starred lunch in Piazza Angelo Dibona where 110 diners savored the delicacies created by Graziano Perst of Chef Team Cortina and owner of the Tivoli * restaurant, Alfio Ghezzi of SENSO Alfio Ghezzi MART * (Rovereto, TN), Theodor Falser of the Johannesstube * (Nova Levante, BZ), Giuseppe Gasperoni of the Osteria Povero Diavolo * (Poggio Torriana, RN) and the pastry chef Giovanna De Vincentis. An event also with an international character which recorded a good presence of foreign customers from Canada, Australia and America. At the Sunday morning conference The courage of difference interesting ideas emerged, for example a new training idea, in which innovative teaching created by the Valboite Omnicomprehensive Institute puts the student at the centre . “Today with the Hotel Institute we are proposing a new direction for the three-year period – explains the principal Paolo Lamon – in which there is no choice between dining room and kitchen but rather combines and enriches them in a single path which also includes pastry making. This facilitates small quality hospitality businesses that require 360-degree trained operators. A broadening of horizons that also affects the GustArte workshop where kids encounter artistic beauty in the kitchen." Among the great protagonists of the event is the Calabria Region : represented by the territorial development agency GAL BaTiR (Local Action Group Basso Tirreno Reggino) and the PPAS Consortium (Associated Potato Producers Consortium) involved in the production and promotion of the Sila Potato PGI . The GAL was created to promote, encourage and support processes of endogenous growth and improvement of the quality of life in 36 municipalities of the Lower Tyrrhenian Reggino , diversifying the rural economy, increasing employment opportunities and increasing the awareness of local communities about their potential and organizational skills. A territory that within its borders includes Aspromonte, numerous caves and rivers, forests rich in tree species and custodians of local biodiversity. “We are proud to have participated in The Queen of Taste – explain the vice-president Angelo Politi and the director Fortunato Cozzupoli – bringing a little-known face of Calabria characterized by mountains, plateaus and natural beauty. Our objective is to enhance the environmental, cultural and social resources at our disposal by creating, for example, the Atlas of the Lower Tyrrhenian Reggino, rural tourist destinations and ruralscapes routes, also through the use of technological innovation tools, such as information systems Territorial". The PPAS Consortium, however, represents the largest organization of producers, over 80, dedicated to the cultivation of the Sila Potato PGI , which today stands at approximately 150,000 quintals of certified product. “Bringing an eco-compatible mountain excellence that grows in the Sila National Park at an average altitude of 1,200 m above sea level to the heart of Cortina – declares president Albino Carli – was a source of pride and an opportunity for us important to remember the work of entire generations of farmers who have handed down this cultivation since 1800, making it today the most widespread on the Sila plateau". The Queen of Taste was also able to count on the support of Poste Italiane, partner of the seventh edition of the event.

The Queen of Taste 2023 saw the support of Audi Main Partner of the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo, UnipolSai Zandonella Premium Partner of Cortina For Us, Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio, Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC. To these are added Acqua Minerale San Benedetto, Coppini Arte Olearia, Petra, Lavazza, La Cooperativa di Cortina, Bonaventura Maschio, Heko, Fondazione Cortina, Cortina Banca, Piave DOP and Prosciutterie srl. Also worth mentioning are the collaborations with Cortina Express, GiocHotel, Nardi, Majoni, Chalet Tofane, Moser, Carine, Max Catering, Lis, Hotel Villa Argentina, Appennino Food Group. For the first time, Gourmet Reporter , digital editorial reference for food and wine in Italy and around the world and official media partner of the event, will accompany the event