Accusation of Anti-Ethnic Food Is Nonsense
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Italy has welcomed ethnic food, and will always do so, Italian Ambassador to Seoul Massimo Andrea Leggeri said to those who might see his country as discriminatory toward ethnic foods and restaurants.
The ambassador's statement was triggered by an announcement by the City Council of Lucca, a city in Tuscany, north-central Italy, of a decision to ban the opening of ethnic restaurants, such as kebabs or Chinese restaurants, in the city's downtown area. The ban was implemented in late January.
The ban made headlines worldwide amid great criticism. Critics said the decision was a move toward food protectionism, counterintuitive in the current era of globalization.
A Korean radio talk show picked up the news, and two hosts discussed the negative implications the decision would have on commerce and tourism in the city.
Protestors in Lucca bashed it for the potential damage to their city's image.
``It would be impossible to open in Lucca not only a kebab shop but also a high-class French bar serving oysters and champagne,'' Andrea Marcucci, an opposition member of Italian Parliament was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor, a U.S.-based newspaper, as saying.
Yet, the ban was thoroughly supported by Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia, who said the ban was to protect Italian culture and agriculture.
``In Italy, we have available 45,000 typical food products. Every one of these represents the culture and history of our country,'' the minister told the Christian Science Monitor.
Ambassador Leggeri sided with an argument that the ban was a protective measure of its food.
Yet, ``don't misinterpret this,'' he told The Korea Times during an interview at the embassy.
``There are towns in Italy where the local government limits car access. It doesn't mean that they are against cars. But we know that if we continue to put cars in the (historical) squares, finally, the pollution will be terrible and the town will suffer. And it would eventually become less attractive to tourists.''
Then, he corrected news reports that omitted the fact that the ban was also placed on Italian restaurants.
``They are also forbidding pizza shops and pasta shops.'' And all existing restaurants will stay, not closed, the envoy said.
``If it were an opposition of some sort, the government would have forbidden them in all town, wouldn't it?" he questioned back.
He said intolerance of different culinary in Italy is unthinkable. `` If that were the case, it (the government decision) is non-sense.''
He even presented evidence of Italians in favor of different foods.
For instance, he said, ``In 2008, we had more than a 10-percent increase in the consumption of food from other parts of the world ― China, India and Arab world."
Taking a number of ethnic Chinese restaurants, for example, he said. ``In 2001, in Torino, we had just 135 Chinese restaurants. Today, we have 411 Chinese restaurants ― four times in eight years.''
Then why did the government intervene to limit the number of restaurants?
The ambassador said the decision must be understood in the context of preserving cultural heritage.
It's now well understood that as more people travel worldwide, centuries-old cathedrals, buildings and statues are more vulnerable to damages.
Particularly for Italy, home to nearly 80 percent of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, he said, making the necessity for preservation stronger and more urgent.
Lucca was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 180 B.C. Going through political ups and downs ― it was the second largest Italian city state ― the city has kept enriching its culture over the years.
The city became wealthy and built medieval basilica churches with rich arcaded facades and campaniles that remain tourist attractions, some dating back to the eighth century.
The city is also the birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini, known for his famous operas La boheme and Madama Butterfly, and other composers. It's also the annual host of the Lucca Summer Festival, to which an enormous number of tourists flock.
It's not just famous cathedrals and buildings that are of value, Leggeri added.
Buildings on a street in downtown Lucca are themselves precious treasures, and newly opened restaurants downtown, with contemporary material and designs, threaten the city's traditional scenery.
``It is to maintain what is the most important thing which is the cultural value and image of the town and the country,'' he stressed.
Another issue surrounding the ban is a collision between globalization and local culture.
``Globalization without condition isn't good. It is bad to cancel local identity,'' the envoy said.
That's why the local language must be kept and used amid the convergence of languages in the era of globalization and why Italy wouldn't demolish old architecture for the sake of erecting contemporary buildings, he said.
``Italians cherish old and heritage and would never destroy them.''
Asked about how well Seoul's heritage is preserved, the ambassador said it's pity that the city is losing its history, adding he expects to see more authentic Korean restaurants spring up in the future.