Good afternoon!
There's a spat at the heart of the EU this week, and it involves one of the Union's heavyweights. Italians are up in braccia about food passing itself off as Italian, whilst at the same time being an abomination of traditional recipes and ingredients.
The specific target of ire in this case is 'carbonara' pasta sauce from a Belgian supermarket. The issue: it contains cream for one thing. Even I know that cream should never ever be anywhere near a carbonara, and I hail from the UK's culinary landscape.
This may all seem like a bit of a storm in an Earl Grey teacup, and amount to no more than a bit of... errr... pasta stirring on the part of the media. But these things have a serious aspect to them.
Food is very much part of culture and identity, and it's right that traditions and processes, together with ingredients, are protected. This is something the EU is looking to enshrine further in its recent Cultural Compass.
It's important that we protect traditional ways of doing things. Many people's livelihoods depend on this, from farmers and growers to producers and sellers. Food is big business, and of course, some dishes take off and become global. It's absolutely right that they should be able to be enjoyed by everyone.
But it's also right that we know what makes those dishes what they are, where the ingredients come from. They should not be destroyed or bastardised by corporate behemoths, as ultimately these recipes or delicacies will die or mutate so far from what they originally were that the people involved in their production will lose their livelihoods, and potentially, entire cultures will be lost forever.
It sounds dramatic, but ingredients take on the characteristics of where they are grown, the people who nurture them, and the process they go through. If we start to make these in factories thousands of miles from where they originated, then they are no longer what they are, and they shouldn't be called that either.
The world is full of examples of lost ingredients, processes and even communities because we have globalised food production. Let's not lose anymore.
Oh, and by the way, it takes just as much time to heat up a jar of 'carbonara' sauce as it does to make the real thing from scratch, so why not take the weekend to learn how to do it the traditional way?
Ciao for now!
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1. Four Brussels municipalities record lowest median income in Belgium
The Brussels-Capital Region’s communes also have the highest proportion of people at risk of "monetary poverty". Read more.
2. Italian minister fumes at Delhaize’s ready-made ‘carbonara sauce’
While visiting the European Parliament in Brussels, the far-right minister took offence at 'Italian-sounding' products with wrong recipes. Read more.
3. Three-day strike: Charleroi Airport cancels all flights on Wednesday
Charleroi Airport expects "major disruptions" due to the union action and the lack of staff available to ensure safe operations on Wednesday. Read more.
4. Is the EU at risk of banning hand sanitisers?
Healthcare actors have raised concerns over the possibility of a de facto ban on hand sanitisers across the EU. Read more.
5. Eurovision Song Contest televoting rules to be adjusted
There has been criticism of the voting procedure in recent years. The Flemish broadcaster VRT, among others, contacted the EBU about the televoting. Read more.
6. What to do in Brussels this weekend: 21 – 23 November
The nights are getting chilly in Brussels, but don't let that put you off – there are still plenty of activities and events to discover. Read more.
7. Ten years ago today, Brussels went into lockdown
Soldiers patrolled the city’s streets, the metro was suspended and schools were closed as the eyes of the world turned to Brussels following the 13 November 2015 attacks. Read more.
