"I feel very close to the Chinese cuisine, I know quite well its varieties of dishes," said Gualtiero Marchesi Chef Ambassador Expo 2015.
"I think that the Chinese public is more open to new food experiences because they are always curious, while the Italians are more difficult to eradicate from the traditional menu," Marchesi said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua at the ongoing Expo Milan.
At the age of 85 the "maestro" is known as the "father" of the modern Italian cuisine.
As Expo Ambassador the Italian Chef explained "I will present the two dishes that I dedicate to the Expo. The first one is saffron risotto from the Milanese tradition while the second is a new kind of pasta I created which is inspired to the little swarfs of the wood called trucioli where I add some black pepper rice."
Asked about the Chinese cuisine, he said, "I like a little bit of everything in the Chinese cuisine because China has a very interesting mix, then we always say that the most important cuisines are three: the Chinese, the Moroccan and finally the French even if I would add also the Italian one."
Marchesi underlined that it is important to innovate the Italian food tradition.
"The Italian food tradition is supported by our special micro climate which help us to do a big variety of different dishes, from Naples to Rome and from Palermo to Bolzano," said Marchesi.
"We have to work with this variety of traditions trying always to add some modern elements and put a limit to fats in the dishes," said Marchesi.
The Chef remembered his experience during the Shanghai Expo.
"I had an extraordinary experience. I remember the Chinese Pavilion for its impressive dimensions with the paintings of young artists then the gallery where little cars were going down," he added.
When Marchesi opened his restaurant he worked for six months with a Chinese cook.
"It was nice to work with him then what I liked the most was the duck that they prepare in a very complicate way taking out the skin," he explained.
Regarding the main theme of Expo, Marchesi thought that Food and Sustainability are important but "we can't precisely know before what will happen in the future."
For Marchesi the food itself is not enough, he explained " I work a lot on the dish itself because the public is also looking a lot to the aesthetics. I assimilated this lesson from the Asian food traditions and also in China the dish plays an important role."
Marchesi explained the "receipt " to become an important Chef, he said "To be a good chef you have to be curious. I was always teaching to my interns to always find a reason to do something and not to be only a cold executor. I always asked why, because I want to go deep."
