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A Slice of the Very Best Life

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Iberian black pigs in the mountain forests of southern Spain

Made from the cured meat of Iberian black pigs that have grazed freely in the mountain forests of southern and western Spain, Pata Negra de Bellota is no ordinary ham One of the most expensive foods in the world, ranked alongside Kobe beef, oysters, foie gras and caviar, Pata Negra de Bellota is no ordinary ham. Made from the cured meat of Iberian black pigs that have grazed freely in the mountain forests of southern and western Spain, it is agreed, as a matter of fact, that Pata Negra is the finest ham in the world. You’ll be able to tell the difference the moment you lay eyes on the delicately carved wafer-thin slices. From the deeper pink, and sometimes red, colour of the flesh to the glistening silkiness of the ribbons of fat that wrap along its side. The scent is soft, with hints of sweetness, while the taste and texture are a combination of honeyed, nutty richness from the meat and creamy silk from the fat. It is a sublime combination that deserves your full attention. And how do they create something so magical? The black-hoofed (“pata negra”) Iberian black pig grazes freely in the dry, warm oak-filled mountain forests of Spain. There they gorge on acorns, the fruit of the oak trees called bellota, which help to infuse their meat and fat with sweet, nutty flavours. But this little pig has its own special talents too, as it lays down fat slightly differently from other pigs. Not only do they develop a rich layer of fat along their haunches, but the meat itself is riven with tiny slivers of that fat where the deepest wells of flavour are found. The ham comes from the hind legs which are salted and hung to cure for as long as three to four years. Because the black Iberian pig lays down so much fat, the hams can be cured for longer than other hams resulting in a deeper concentration of flavours that create the intense experience for which Pata Negra is so rightly famed. The traditions that brought us Pata Negra de Belllota go back thousands of years and are steeped in reverence. This ham is the pride of Spain, the jewel in its culinary crown, and one single ham can sell for as much as $4,000. To really enjoy your Pata Negra at Topaz, we recommend pairing it up with a glass of Champagne, which offers a nice balance to the sweet, fattiness of the ham. Alternatively, wines from the Loire Valley are always highly recommended, such as a Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. Cleansing the palate with each sip will prepare you for a fresh new flavour explosion with your next bite.

Pump up your Vitals with Malis’ Moringa Soup

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Moringa soup at Malis Restaurant

Moringa is a genuine superfood, and highly reputed for its manifold powers to revive and boost your body’s natural defenses One of Malis’ signature dishes, our delicate but delicious and nutritious Morinaga Soup is made with a pumpkin consommé and leaves from the Moringa tree to create a healthy and light vegetarian start to your meal that, for all its delicacy, is packed full of protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Moringa is a genuine superfood, and highly reputed for its manifold powers to revive and boost your body’s natural defenses. So it’s not just good, it’s good for you too. Indigenous to India, the Moringa (‘drumstick’) tree, also known as the ‘miracle tree’ and ‘mother’s best friend’ is now arguably one of the most cultivated trees in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world thanks to its drought resistance. The tree is an important source of nourishment in developing countries where poor nutrition is a concern. Beyond, it is currently being extensively examined for its potential as a ‘functional food’, i.e. one of those foods whose benefits go beyond nutrition and may play a role in reducing or minimising the risk of certain diseases and other health conditions. Almost all parts of the tree, including the root, bark, seed, flowers, pods, seed oil, leaves and resin have potential food, agriculture or industrial uses. It is no wonder that many consider this tree to be the most useful in the world. However, it is the vivid-green, ovoid leaves that appear to offer the greatest protective, antioxidant properties. And it is not just marketers who like to say this. Our review of scientific journals reveals a consensus on the nutritional properties of Moringa leaves. They are a rich source of nutrients like protein, carbohydrate, fibre, beta carotene, vitamin C and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus. Their protein count is equivalent to that of some pulses, including soy and kidney beans. The leaves also contain various types of compounds such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids, phenolic compounds and carotenoids that act as natural antioxidants. But what is an antioxidant? In brief, they are naturally occurring, but also man-made, molecules that have the potential to prevent or delay certain types of cell damage in the body usually caused by things called free radicals. These are much too complicated to go into here but are essentially molecules of the body that have become “unbalanced” and highly reactive as a result of things like smoking. The antioxidant molecule has the capacity to “rebalance” the rampaging free radical and thus neutralise its potential for harm. Things can get confusing for consumers here because many like to promote Moringa Leaves as a specific means for combatting or preventing disease based on its antioxidant properties. However, while several decades of dietary research findings suggest that consuming greater amounts of antioxidant-rich foods might help to protect against diseases, no one has been able to establish a direct and specific link between the two. Research has shown that people who eat more vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants have lower risks of several diseases; however, it is not clear whether these results are related to the amount of antioxidants in vegetables and fruits, to other components of these foods, to other factors in people’s diets, or to other lifestyle choices. We believe there may be a lot to the claims for Moringa’s healing powers, but for now we count on the fact that this soup provides a deliciously light beginning to your meal at Malis. Perhaps one to consider as part of your January “detox”.

Chef Luu Meng Wins ABC ‘The Exceptional’ Award

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After much deliberation by an expert panel of five judges, Chef Luu Meng was honoured by ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ Campaign for his contributions to Cambodian society. At a jubilant showcase evening last month, Thalias founding-director, the inspiration behind Malis restaurant’s success and energetic promoter of Cambodian cuisine around the world, Chef Luu Meng was honoured by ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ Campaign for his contributions to Cambodian society. The ABC ‘The Exceptional’ Award was created by the makers of ABC Stout last year in order to celebrate the achievements of ten individuals across five industries: music, art, business, e-sports and culinary. The aim is to inspire and empower a new generation of Cambodians to define the terms of their own success. The other Award winners this year were Chef Pol Kimsan, film producer Neang Kavich, documentary maker Chum Sothea, entrepreneur Chea Langda, musician and festival-founder Rithy Lomorkesor, and fashion designers Nat Soknan and Van Natacha. In addition to his award, Chef Meng also received $20,000 which he has pledged will go towards creating fund-raising events that give back to the community. “I was not prepared to get this prize,” said Chef Meng at the event. “So whatever I have received, I will make it bigger, to give back to the people who need it. I will work with our team to raise funds to give back to the community and we will discuss where to distribute the money to. We will make sure this award is given back in a bigger and bigger way so that it can create a good example for younger people”. Chef Meng, who created an ABC-Stout infused menu for the evening, was visibly surprised but delighted by the award and said he was humbled to share the company of the other Exceptional awardees. “[They] have endured hardships and overcome challenges with determination to get to where they are today,” he said. “They have certainly inspired me, and I’m sure they will inspire many young adult Cambodians to pursue their dreams and overcome adversity to co-create an even better Cambodia together”. During a previous interview with the team behind the ABC ’The Exceptional’ Campaign, Chef Meng had some solid advice for young Cambodians who wish to pursue a career in hospitality. “Please be yourself and make sure this is the right career that you love to be a part of… As long as you work hard on what you love, sooner or later you will master it, and remember to be kind to people along the way”. Our heartfelt congratulations to Meng and all of the Exceptional winners of this year’s awards. True leaders and inspirations for us all.

Spoons Out! It’s Mont d’Or Season…

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Mont d’Or is revered in France almost like no other cheese is, and there’s a good reason why that is! While many consider the Christmas Celebration season an excellent reason to be jolly, there’s certainly no need to feel glum now that it’s over for another year. That’s because there’s another season going on which, we think, is guaranteed to have the cheese-lovers of this world singing joyously as they grab their spoons for a scoop of the gloriously luscious cheese, Mont d’Or. What is Mont d’Or? Well, for starters it’s revered in France almost like no other cheese is, and there’s a good reason why that is. More technically, it’s a lightly pressed soft cows’ milk cheese with a washed rind. It is produced between September and March each year using milk from cows on their cold-weather diet of hay and no longer producing enough milk to make the traditional large-scale cheeses such as Gruyère, Comte and Beaufort. However, this fall and winter milk, while less voluminous is also higher in protein and fat that produce richly flavoured cheeses which ripen quickly into a deliciously gooey, runny cheese with a heavy rind. However, while the flavour might be deep, it tends to be less complex than that produced from the milk of summer-grass eating cows. And because the French are French, this would not do. So an ingenious solution was found. The practice of wrapping maturing cheeses in strips of bark was first recorded in the thirteenth century, though may well have preceded that time. Wrapping the cheeses in bark, specifically spruce bark in the case of Mont d’Or, encourages the development of different classes of flavour-forging bacteria that yield rich, creamy cheeses with complex, multi-layered flavours. It is no surprise that Mont d’Or was a firm favourite of King Henry XV. This production method is labour-intensive, which may explain why only eleven producers create this cheese today. And the flavour. Well, it’s not just the scarcity of seasonality and production that drives the passions this cheese invokes. In the words of American food writer, David Liebowitz, “… it’s like a brain wreck of everything going on – fat, funk, fresh cream, wood, garlic, rank and a peculiar buttery sharpness scrambling all your senses together in each single mouthful. And if that description doesn’t scare you away, then you’ll be rewarded with a life-altering eating experience”. Who could say no to that?! The only questions now should be: what size spoon should I use, to which the answer is small because you likely won’t be able to stop once you start, and what wine should I drink with this miracle? If you can get your hands on a vin jaune, which is produced in the Jura, then all the better. In the absence of that, you’ll need a dry white wine that can stand up for itself, like Chardonnay, Gewürtztraminer, or Sancerre. Oh, and Champagne! If you fancy something else though, then perhaps a porter-style beer might be your answer. Mont d’Or can be enjoyed as it is, or elevated to food-of-the-gods levels by wrapping the entire container securely in foil (particularly if you’re the one who usually has to clean the oven), while leaving the top open. Then poke a few holes in the golden rind with a knife, sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper, pour a glass of white wine over it, and bake it about 190ºC (375ºF) for about 20 to 30 minutes. Hiding all the spoons in the house except your own is liable to lead to wars.

Food is a Passport to Global Recognition

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“Gastronomy is a powerful tool for diplomacy to improve relations between countries through cultural exchanges such as exhibitions and meetings between foreign diplomats.” – H.E. PRAK Sokhonn Last month, the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR) held an event highlighting the importance with a special training session on the preparation of Num Banh Chok Khmer (Cambodian rice noodle soup) before an assembled group of spouses of ambassadors posted to Cambodia and those of Cambodian diplomats posted abroad. The event was led by Thalias Hospitality founder, Chef Luu Meng who, together with a team from the Cambodian Academy of Culinary Arts, prepared the flavourful noodle soup while explaining its origins and recipe before everyone was able to enjoy a delicious tasting of this classic Cambodian dish. The training was part of NIDIR’s 2021-2023 economic diplomacy strategy to promote Cambodia’s tourism and culture, including culinary arts, on the international stage. According to H.E. PRAK Sokhonn, “gastronomy is a powerful tool for diplomacy to improve relations between countries through cultural exchanges such as exhibitions and meetings between foreign diplomats.” H.E. Dr. NHIM Khemara, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his appreciation for the event and hoped that diplomats and chefs at missions abroad would endeavour to apply what they had learned in order to further promote Cambodian cuisine as a means of cultural diplomacy. This form of diplomacy, called ‘gastrodiplomacy’ since The Economist magazine coined the phrase in 2002, has grown in importance over the last decades as countries all over the world seek to foster relations between nations, but also to raise awareness and interest among populations of a particular cuisine and the appeals of the country behind it. Many countries have followed this strategy, most notably Thailand, whose efforts The Economist was describing in its 2002 article. The Thai initiative aimed to expand the number of Thai restaurants in the world from 5,500 to 8,000. Their multifaceted approach included making it easier for restauranteurs abroad to import food from Thailand, including the use of soft loans, and agreements with foreign countries that made it easier for Thai chefs to secure work visas. Many other countries have followed suit since then including South Korea, which focused on kimchi as part of its initiatives, Taiwan and Peru, the last of which succeeded in creating a global boom for Peruvian food. As distinct from the grand occasions one might normally associate with gastronomic diplomacy, one of the endearing features of gastrodiplomacy is that anyone can play a role given the right audience. No need to starch your suits and dresses, just to keep the cooking fires burning.

Onwards and Upwards to the Year Ahead

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Developing Asia Economies Set to Grow 5.2% this Year Amid Global Uncertainty The beginning of this year already feels like it happened a decade ago. Cambodia had just reopened its doors to tourism and the world was gradually moving over to a policy of “living with Covid”. No one really knew what the future held, but there was tentative optimism. What choice did we have after all? But Cambodia’s experience over 2022 has at least borne some of that optimism out. And it looks as though we have ground for even further optimism going into 2023. This December, the World Bank revised Cambodia’s economic growth levels for the year upwards to 4.8%. According to their report, Cambodia’s garment industry, travel goods and footwear exports showed resilience, while the services sector, especially travel and tourism, has also done well. As a result, business and consumer confidence have risen and both domestic and foreign investment have increased. While this is a fraction of Cambodia’s historic highs, it still puts the country ahead of much of the rest of the world. Global growth is projected to reach 3.2% for this year, “the weakest growth profile since 2001” not including the financial crash of 2008 and the early, acute phase of the Covid pandemic. So while larger countries are slowing down, Cambodia is maintaining its traditional trend of gearing up despite strong negative external factors such as the ongoing conflict in Europe, and the US’s and China’s faltering economies. That upward trend is set to continue for 2023, where Cambodia is predicted to hit growth levels of 5.3%. That trend may receive a further boost from a $274-million credit earmarked for Cambodia by the World Bank in order to “promote a resilient recovery” from recent economic turbulence. The support is expressly intended to support economic reforms that “will boost growth and strengthen Cambodia’s resilience”, including those that will promote competition, streamline administration and expand access to finance. In Cambodia’s favour, tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with over 1¼ million arrivals in the first nine months of this year, almost seven times more than the dismal equivalent period in 2021. This third-quarter figure already outpaces predictions made in May for the entire year by 25%. A key driver for tourism’s recovery will be the relaunch and introduction of key air routes with countries like Japan and India, among others. This undertaking received a boost last month with the announcement by AirAsia of a new joint-venture agreement for the creation of a new low-cost airline in the country.

We’ve got a Fabulous Festival of Flavours for You this Festive Season

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“Oh, come all ye hungry, joyful and triumphant” and join us at Topaz or Khéma for a special Christmas celebration that will be a giant bouquet of flavours, family and friends. Our teams have wrapped up some iconic menus for you, but you’ll need to be quick… If anyone else feels like last Christmas and New Year’s Eve were either last century or last week, you are not alone! Mercifully, our teams have not been forced to ponder what they’re going to prepare for you for the last two decades, but they have taken a little longer than a week or two to compose some stellar menus to elevate your celebrations this year. And the kitchen team at Topaz under the guidance of Chef Sopheak Pov has really outdone itself this year. We are incredibly proud to present two menus that are the essence of some serious celebratory business. You’ll find plenty of decadently luxurious ingredients with divine flavours and combinations all wrapped up in two eight-course menus. To give you a brief glimpse of what’s lined up for a beautifully Bright Christmas at Topaz, you’ll be unfolding dishes including Foie Gras Terrine with Black Winter Truffle, magically cut through with a Raspberry Coulis, and later on, Poached Atlantic Lobster with Champagne Sauce. And these are just some of the supporting act before the main event, which will be a magnificent Turkey Ballotine stuffed with Foie Gras and Morel Mushrooms with Chestnut Purée and Black Trumpet Mushrooms. And for a fire-cracker of a New Year, the menu starts off with a Hokkaido Scallop Tartare with Caviar, and just goes up, up and up from there. Like we said, the team at Topaz have outdone themselves. But, not to be outdone, the Khéma crew are batting for you with a pair of fantastic five-course menus that are guaranteed to add an extra sparkle to your day. Here, your Christmas celebrations kick off with a very Cambodian twist, and a delicious salad of Mekong Lobster with Foie Gras and Green Beans followed by a Kampot Crab Cannelloni with Wild Mushrooms. For the centre-piece of the meal, you’ll enjoy a beautiful Turkey Ballotine with a Chestnut and Foie Gras Stuffing, accompanied by Root Vegetables and Potato Dauphinoise. And New Year’s Eve will be no less spectacular, for a menu packed with delicious surprises, including a Creamy White Bean and Scallop Soup, a Seafood Gratin, Foie Gras, and crowned by a Pan-seared Duck Breast à l’Orange served with Spring Vegetables. To find out more, keep an eye on our Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/TopazRestaurant and https://www.facebook.com/KhemaPasteur, and to make your booking, follow this link: https://thalias.com.kh/reserve/ But hurry up, places will fill fast!

How Did Arnaud Darc get to where he is today?

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Arnaud Darc (left), Thalias CEO, at the signature of partnership with Meridian International Holding, 2021.

An entrepreneur, a leader, a cultivator of talent, and a lighthouse for industry: how did Thalias CEO Arnaud Darc get to where he is today? We took a time-out with him to dig into some of the things that have influenced him, and how he keeps going underneath his many hats… We sat down with Thalias CEO Arnaud Darc to ask him some questions about leadership, switching off and why the mistakes we make can become the bedrock of future success. How would you define your leadership style? I see my main role as being to identify and nurture the innate talents that people have so that they can evolve and grow into their greatest potential for the good of themselves and at the same time for the good of the company. That idea is core to how Thalias has grown the way that it has, and continues to grow even in the face of recent crises. And it is a pleasure for me to see team members becoming the best versions of who they are, and achieving things that go far beyond what they themselves might ever have imagined. What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? Invest in yourself, and not just professionally, but also into your health and emotional wellbeing. It’s the surest way of having a long-lasting and positive impact on the people you live and work with, so it pays a double return. Do you have any hobbies that help you in your work? In the last few years I discovered running. I started in order to keep fit, and it does do that, but I find that it also helps me to disconnect from the surface stresses of running a large business and supporting the industry. Funnily enough, while I’m running my mind is not consciously focused on problems and decisions that I need to face, it’s focused on the road ahead. But while doing that, I tend to come up with solutions and answers that I might not have otherwise. What do you do if you want to completely switch off? Funnily enough, when I want to completely switch off, I sleep. I think it’s one of the most underrated human activities, which is a shame because it’s also one of the most necessary and beneficial. And by sleeping, I mean quality sleep, lots of it, and I work towards achieving that all day. It starts with getting up early in the morning, and getting a sunshine and vitamin-D boost while running or walking my dog, and I continue throughout the day with things like avoiding caffeine late in the day. I couldn’t do what I do without this. How important is it for executives and leaders to switch off from time to time? Essential. If you don’t, you risk burning out. We’re not machines and, at the end of the day, nothing is more important than your health, physical and mental. Without that, nothing can get done. What book has helped you the most to do your job? I think that Danny Meyers’ book Setting the Table is essential reading for anyone in this business, though much of what he says can be applied in any industry because wisdom is wisdom. It doesn’t need a specific context. What book(s) do you consider to be essential reading for someone who wants to progress in hospitality leadership? Setting the Table without a shadow of a doubt, but a podcast I never miss out on is the Huberman Lab podcast (https://hubermanlab.com). They discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life and work, and it has had a tremendous impact on me over the last two years. I love that we can now listen and learn as we go about our day using audio books and podcasts, and it has enriched my life immeasurably, both at and outside of work. What are your thoughts on mentors and whether people on the way up the ladder should seek one out? Again, essential for anyone who wants to really grow not just in an industry, but in themselves. A mentor has been around the block a few times, they can recognise where the pitfalls are, and help to guide you through them or around them. While good business is built on relationships, networks and communication, it can also feel very isolating especially when you’re faced with problems that you might not have encountered before. Choosing a good mentor with whom you can be frank and honest, who will not make decisions for you but guide you towards making the right decisions yourself, can make an enormous difference to your success or failure. Choose wisely, ask politely, respond graciously to their advice, and never fail to acknowledge their role. What is the most valuable trait that you look for in your team leaders? A willingness to try, and to try to do their best. Sometimes it’s not about the things you already know how to do, but about the things you’re willing to do that you might not have done before that really show whether you’ve got what it takes to get to the next level. It takes courage, confidence and belief in the future, and these qualities are what make a leader, not how good one is at presentations etc. And we learn more from those times when we put ourselves on the line. We’re more alert, more present because we don’t always know what to expect. These are the things we learn and grow the most from. What was the most important lesson you learned from a mistake you’ve made in the past and how did you turn your thinking about the mistake around? Mistakes are an unavoidable part of life, and if you’re not making mistakes from time to time, then you’re probably not actually living. But while they can feel hard in the moment, they’re also the strongest steps on your climb of the hill towards success. If you want to … Read more

One Ingredient to Bind Them: Foie Gras

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Le fois gras poêlé - Topaz.

There are few things more quintessentially French than a sublime sliver of silky smooth foie gras perched atop a slice of crisp baguette. This luxurious “fat liver” is one of our key ingredients at Topaz, and for very good reason… . At Topaz, we’ll soon be launching an exciting new menu where you’ll find some completely new dishes, some lively twists on old favourites, and some of your most-loved dishes just as you’ve always enjoyed them. As always, the menu is unmistakably French, as are the ingredients, one of which holds pride of place in all our hearts: Foie Gras. As smooth as pure satin, Foie Gras combines rich umami tones with a sweetish minerally flavour. Yet for all the richness and depth, its smooth, buttery texture gives it a melting, delicate quality. Foie Gras (“fat liver”) has long been a staple of the Gascon larder. Gascony, in the Southwestern corner of France, that borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Pyrenees mountains to the south, is one of the engine rooms of French cuisine, renowned not just for the quality and variety of the ingredients produced there, but also for the the methods of preparing, preserving and cooking them. It’s also breathtakingly beautiful in case you should be thinking of passing by. It is commonly, and most likely incorrectly, thought that the method of feeding ducks or geese in order to produce Foie Gras originated in Egypt. However, it is very likely true that the practice was brought to France by the Jews for whom it afforded a source of fat as dietary rules, kashrut, prohibited the consumption of lard, and often butter. In France, Foie Gras was first produced in Strasbourg but eventually made its way to Gascony, which has made an art, and today an industry, out of its production. At Topaz, we’ve integrated Foie Gras into a range of our dishes in order to add richness, depth of flavour, and a deliciously luxurious flourish. You’ll find it wrapped up in puff pastry with mushroom duxelles, truffles and fillet of beef for an iconic Beef Wellington—a feast for kings—or prepared with its very own tart and a deliciously tangy Périgueux sauce as a glorious opening starter for your meal, or once more wrapped up in a puff-pastry crust (the ultimate comfort food) together with black winter truffles, another Gascon speciality, and meltingly delicate veal sweetbreads. Alternatively, you could let the Foie Gras really take centre stage with two time-honoured ways of enjoying it. There is the simplest, with everything taken down to their its elements, Foie Gras à la Truffe en Terrine, a generous slice of umami-packed silk to be enjoyed with toasts, and perhaps shared with those you love most (if they’ve been good). Or you could heat things up a little with a Pan-seared Foie Gras with Caramelised Apples, a classic of French cuisine that marries the sublime richness of Foie Gras with the sweet-tart sauce. There’s a very good reason the French love this so much: it’s a sensational dish. And also a good one to remember the next time a French person tells you they can’t eat sweet & sour pork because they’re not used to mixing sweet and savoury in French cooking. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on trying it.

Presto a Siena! Real Italian Food…

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Giuseppe Napoletano, new chef at Siena in Flatiron, Phnom Penh

It’s ironic that one of the world’s best-loved foods is also one of its most not-so-much misunderstood, but rather under-understood. Italian cuisine has a great deal more to offer than pizza and pasta, and that’s what we’re looking forward to bringing you at Siena at Flatiron. We took a small dive into Italy’s incredibly rich and varied culinary history to give you a glimpse of what’s coming …. We’re really excited about the (coming soon!) opening of Siena at Flatiron, a brand-new Italian steakhouse rooted in real Italian ingredients and traditional Italian cooking from the north and south of the country, all served in a sophisticated contemporary setting with spectacular views across the whole of Phnom Penh city. The best of all worlds. We think it’ll be a terrific addition to Phnom Penh’s dynamic dining scene, and hope that you will too. Italian cuisine is one of the most loved in the world, and for plenty of very good reasons. At its heart, it combines sublime flavours with a simpler approach to preparation than you might traditionally see in French cuisine, and a laser-like focus on freshness, regionality and practicality. Italians know that the right ingredients are everything, and are just as serious about their food as their neighbours to the north and in fact cooking and food were considered so fundamental to life that the first European cookery book, by Apicius, was created in Rome in the 10th century, and the first printed cookery book, by Platina, came 500 years later. But while Italian food may be generally regarded as more “approachable” — less complicated, less fancy, less expensive — than French cuisine, that is often because the full complexities of Italian cooking have not travelled as far and wide. Italian food embraces a vast world beyond the pizza and pasta with which we are all so familiar, and it is a world full of rich, layered and delicious flavours. And that makes an awful lot of sense when you look at Italian history. If you ask an Italian about Italian cooking, he’ll ask you where from. And you’ll say, “well, Italy!”, and then he’ll say, “Yes, but where from?!” The nation state that we recognise as the trademark “boot” today only came into being in the second half of the 19th century following unification of an array of city states and republics, each of which had its distinct dialects, traditions and, of course, cuisines. So when you talk about “Italian food”, you’re really talking about food that could be Bolognese, Venetian, Roman, Milanese, Tuscan, Piedmontese, Sicilian, Neapolitan, and so on… On top of that, there is a long history of conquests, both outward, the Roman Empire springs to mind, and inward with invasions from the Greeks, Moors (called Saracens in Italy), Vikings, and more. Each of these left their own traces which we can still see today. For example the fabrication of the salty, sheep’s cheese Pecorino can be traced back to Greek influence. You’ll also find further influences from neighbours such as France, Austria and the Balkan countries in dishes such as spätzle Tirolesi, a Germanic spinach pasta with smoked speck ham and a cream sauce. Then there is Italy’s extraordinary geography: a long peninsula with the second-longest coastline in Europe, flanked by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, the Mediterranean to the south and the Adriatic to the east, and topped by the Alps in north which settle down to Italy’s only major plain. This is Italy’s dairy region, where hearty cooking tends to centre on meat, butter is widely used, and the staples are rice for risotto and cornmeal for polenta. Running down from that plain, the Apennine mountains stretch the entire length of the country, like a gigantic spine, dividing one coast from the other and riven with valleys whose peoples were isolated from one another, as were their cultures, customs and cuisines. This mountain range is also responsible for an astonishing variety of climate areas for such a small country, and also played a role in the variety of Italian foods. At the bottom is the sun drenched south, where olive oil, dried pastas, bright, fresh ingredients and plenty of seafood rule the days, and nights. There’s a reason why some of the seminal contemporary books on Italian cuisine, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan and The Silver Spoon by Phaidon, run to 700 and 1500 pages apiece. At Siena, we hope to give you an insight into the startling breadth and diversity of traditional Italian cooking, done the Italian way. Looking forward to wishing you “Buon Appetito!”