The Italian PDO and PGI deli meat have arrived to the region of Kanto: find out what is happening in Maebashi

Nature, relaxation and exquisite food from the prestigious Italian gastronomic tradition: Gunma Prefecture, famous for its beautiful nature and known as Onsen Country with its marvelous hot springs, is hosting the delicious products Mortadella Bologna PGI, Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora PDO and Cotechino Modena PGI that have arrived to its capital Maebashi. The project “Arigat-EU, the authentic deli meat from Europe”, from September to November 2019, is bringing the PDO and PGI deli meat in the chefs’ kitchens in the region of Kanto, in the cities of Yokohama, Maebashi, Saitama and Chiba. There are 200 restaurants in these four cities where it is now possible to discover the authentic Italian taste, in original recipes created by the chefs specifically with the cold cuts, in these limited months. Furthermore, a take-away version has been designed that allows lunch goers to taste the products with the quality label in special bento-boxes.

The three Italian deli meat, promoted by the campaign Arigat-EU, have arrived for the first time in Maebashi, famed as the City of Water, Greenery and Poets thanks to its pure waters, its rich nature and because it gave birth to several Japanese contemporary poets. There are 15 selected Italian restaurants where the PDO and PGI products are protagonists in recipes that chefs have been preparing for this occasion.

Involved in the project Arigat-EU in Maebashi there is the restaurant Legamento, that has received the quality certification mark of Italian restaurants AQI (Italian Quality Sticker) by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, for four consecutive years since 2016. The cuisine is mainly Italian regional with seasonal ingredients. Giustizia Di Casa Di Koke is instead a rustic Italian restaurant that offers delicious pasta, rice and dessert. At the restaurant Serendip, it is possible to taste dishes with the best seasonal ingredients because there is a connected farm in the town of Tomioka, Gunma prefecture, where vegetables are grown free of chemical fertilizers. Kamakurapasta is the famous chain of restaurants with plenty of fresh bread and fresh pasta, with more than 30 types of original sauces and fresh pastas. Mentioned last but not least, Tiga Yanakatenn, a popular Japanese style bar with a combination of Japanese, Italian and Asian cuisines. The above restaurants are just a few in Gunma Prefecture, that are hosting Mortadella Bologna PGI, Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DPO and Cotechino Modena PGI, with delightful recipes in all of the menus.

(Find all restaurants in Gunma: http://www.arigat.eu/restaurants/gunma-prefecture).

The three-year project “Arigat-EU, the authentic deli meat from Europe”, after Tokyo last year and the region of Kanto this year, it will extend to Kansai (Osaka and Kyoto) and will also include Nagoya and Fukoka for the third year. In total there will be 600 restaurants involved in the project, that will present the original menus with the Italian PGI and PDO products. In addition to the dedicated menus, the campaign Arigat-EU also offers a variety of interesting opportunities to discover the products with the quality label, such as annual workshops and the creation of a video recipe book available, created specifically in English and Japanese.

The campaign Arigat-EU combines three Consortia for the protection of PDO and PGI products, Consorzio Mortadella Bologna PGI (in the role of head institution), Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano PDO and Consorzio Zampone and Cotechino Modena PGI and is co-financed by the European Union. The project aims to increase the level of knowledge and recognition of the Italian PDO and PGI deli meat and promote them in Japan.

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