“Bilateral relations have been steadily growing at all levels, mainly in the business sector,” she said.
“Italy is among the ten largest countries in the volume of trade exchange with Bahrain, and we expect that, by the end of this year, it will record better results with the gradual return to normalcy.”
In the first eight months of 2021, total Italian exports to Bahrain amounted to $307 million, making Italy the top European exporter, she added.
Figures show that 40.2% of Italy’s exports to Bahrain are industrial machinery and equipment, while iron and steel exports make up 9%, cars and motorcycles 5.2%, furniture 5%, medicines 4.1%, and chemical products 3.7%.
Italian arts and cultures have also been active in promoting relations with Bahrain, the ambassador who speaks Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic, said.
“Currently, we are sharing our famous Italian culinary richness as part of the Sixth Annual Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. It is a unique window into what Italy has to offer and a chance for people to immerse themselves in Italian culinary culture and, of course, buon appetito!”
Following up on the themes developed at Expo Milan in 2015, the Italian government then launched the first International Week of Italian Cuisine. This year’s sixth edition is held on November 22-28.
“Italian cuisine with its long tradition and deep-rooted recipes which have captivated taste buds around the globe for centuries is being celebrated simultaneously all over the world with an array of events organized by diplomatic and consular offices, Italian cultural institutes, and the Italian Trade Agency network celebrate Italian food and culinary traditions as a hallmark of Italian cultural identity.”
“Tradition and perspectives of Italian cuisine: awareness and enhancement of food sustainability” is the theme of this year’s edition.
“Our core message is that the Italian Cuisine expresses culture, research, innovation, biodiversity, and identity. It stands as a synonym for quality and variety. The Mediterranean diet is a balanced dietary model and style. Indeed, an important dimension of food is health. Food is also a great unifier. It bridges nationalities, geographies, and generations,” she said.
“The mere aroma of food can take us back to our childhood or to somewhere we have visited abroad. By learning more about food from other cultures, we also learn about the history, geography, climate, economy and many other factors that make each country or region unique.”
Amadei, who took up her post as Ambassador of Italy in Manama in January 2020, said she was delighted to discover that in Bahrain the offer of Italian dishes is wide and varied with the opening of the first restaurants in the 1970s. “This week is a great opportunity to celebrate Italian Cuisine together,” she said.
Several Italian restaurants and chefs in Bahrain have offered a special celebration menu.
Celebrations have included a class with an Italian professor for a fun lesson on “The Vocabulary of Italian Cuisine” and a dedicated event for the food importers in Bahrain with longstanding business traditions in bringing Italian food delicacies to the Kingdom.
