Antonino Cannavacciuolo said that Italian cuisine “does not exist”: the words of the well-known chef on the tradition and products of our country
Antonino Cannavacciuolo freewheeling: the chef from Campania spoke about himself in an interview granted to ‘Corriere della Sera’, dealing with various topics, from his adventure in the new season of ‘Nightmare Kitchens’ to his vision of the world of catering in Italy and the abroad, up to anecdotes linked to his extraordinary professional career.
Cannavacciuolo: Italian cuisine “does not exist”
One of the most significant passages of the interview with Antonino Cannavacciuolo, one of the most starred chefs in Italy, concerns Italian cuisine which, according to him, “does not exist”: it is not a provocation but a reflection on the part of Cannavacciuolo, who wanted specify that there is only one cuisine, the good one, and that the difference lies in the quality of the products.
“’Our’ cuisine does not exist, there is only one cuisine, the good one – declared Antonino Cannavacciuolo – of Certo in Italy we have some great products, the best, and every bell tower has its own recipe. But the cuisine has flavors and contaminations from all over the world. Every now and then I read people who revolt because an ingredient is changed in a typical dish, and then I feel like doing it, out of provocation, we are not saving human lives, cooking is pleasure, we have to do it the way we like it the most”.
The pleasure of cooking
During the interview, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, who decided to close the Novara bistro, revealed what he feels when he finds himself in the kitchen, his natural habitat: “Being in the kitchen is never tiring, I enjoy it. I open the day there and try to stay there, it’s the most beautiful place I can be, where I’m really calm. If you take away my kitchen I’m done living.”
And again: “With the chef who work like me, we always try to invent new things, you experiment and see if something arises… that’s why I do everything to be there, even when I record. Whenever I can I return to Villa Crespi and this is my luck, what brought us to the third star. My first goal was, is and always will be cooking.”
Popularity and entrepreneurial activity
Much loved by the television audience thanks to his participation in culinary shows such as ‘Masterchef Italia’ and ‘Nightmare Kitchens’, Antonino Cannavacciuolo spoke of the popularity he achieved thanks to TV, and of his extraordinary professional path, from the apprenticeship to the Three Stars of the Michelin Guide obtained with Villa Crespi in Orta San Giulio:
“Has life changed with popularity? It’s true, it has changed. It made many things grow, but my path was already written, I already knew what I wanted to do, my idea of entrepreneurship linked to food. I invested the first money that arrived from TV in the company, first of all to make those who work there feel better: I renovated the entire kitchen of Villa CrespiI made it a professional kitchen, like Laqua or the Banco di Cannavacciuolo.
In the catering it’s easy to get there but difficult to maintain a certain level, you have to find stimuli every day, it’s the most complex part. First rule to achieve this? Timetables, you can’t think of going into service at 11.30 and then opening at 12. Even grandmothers or mothers, when they wanted to do something good, started cooking at 6 in the morning. You got up and you could already smell that onion scent in the air, you need that kind of love.”
