Questions of authenticity, sustainability, and shared culture are crucial to enjoying and fully appreciating Italian-American gastronomy’s rich heritage. So it was a pleasure and honor to address these ideas on February 25, 2021 in a video panel discussion sponsored by the Associazione Gastronomie Profestionistti (“AGP”). Sam Patti, founder of La Prima Espresso in Pittsburgh, and I joined the conservation, which attracted participants from around Italy, France and the U.S.A.
The conversation is available here in archive.
Paolo Tegoni
Paolo Tegoni, one of the founders of the AGP of the University of Parma, introduced the discussion. The AGP identifies, supports and promotes “professional gastronomes”—individuals who either participate professionally or aspire to professions in appreciating and sharing the quality of food and wine beyond simply nutrition. The Parma region is home to iconic Italian food traditions such as Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and Aceto Balsamico.
Sam Patti
My initial presentation highlights the importance of gastronomic storytelling, especially for the descendants of the Italian immigrants who came in waves to the New World in the early 1990’s. Sam Patti focuses on his efforts to integrate sustainability into all aspects of his coffee roasting and retail business at La Prima Espresso. The follow up conversation covered the issues “Italian Sounding” products in the USA., the willingness of consumers to pay premium prices for authentic imported goods, and how to communicate “gastromomy” to a wider audience.
Enjoy the conversation! Thanks also to Giuseppe Salvatore Paladino, Martina Mondini, and Giorgio Zinno who helped to organize the presentation. Grazie!
Thanks to the Associazione Gastronomie Profestionistti and two legends of the Pittsburgh food and wine scene, Dave DeSimone and Sam Patti, for this interesting discussion of how gastronomy is viewed in the US.
This webcast conversation took me back 25 years to many memorable Saturday mornings in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, the city’s gastronomic heart.
Hi Tom.
Sorry for such a tardy reply, but comments often become lost in the spam. Hope to see you some day at La Prima Coffee again in the Strip District. The area has changed a lot, but L Prima abides!
Dave D.