For those who spent the last two years mostly cooped up, a bite of the fresh Italian produce is like rediscovering the entire range of the visible spectrum. The good news is that you can take a trip to Italy without ever leaving your city! To draw attention to Italy’s ideal conditions, quality, guaranteed safety, and sophistication associated with Italy’s long artistic heritage, “The European Art of Taste: Italian Fruit & Veg Masterpieces” will be held by Italy’s leading fruit and vegetable producers – Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) in partnership with the European Union – for its 3rd consecutive year, this time at MIAN, the latest addition to The Murray’s exciting portfolio of dining establishments. With 40 years of experience under his belt and profound knowledge of the diverse Chinese culinary heritage, Chef Ronald Shao presents an innovative menu honouring the finest Italian produce, prepared with authentic Chinese techniques.
Thanks to its unique microclimate and rich soils, Italy is one of the leading fruit and vegetable producing countries in Europe. The EU quality production system stands out worldwide for its stringent product protection requirements. A traceability system allows individual agricultural producers to be traced; and organic certification guarantees organic production, prohibiting the use of synthetic chemicals and promoting environmental sustainability. Italy has long been widely known for its prominent culinary culture. Purchasing European Italian products also means purchasing products of excellence. The European quality checking system safeguards PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certified products by involving the entire agri-food industry. Currently, there are 93 PDO and PGI certified products in the agri-food industry, such as Arancia Rossa di Sicilia PGI (Blood oranges from Sicily), Cosda Pear, Italian Kiwi and more. Protocols and certifications have been developed through a series of extensive and accurate checks. These signs of progress demonstrate how much food safety is valued by the “Made in Italy” market, allowing the country to thrive and flourish in an ever-expanding economy. Italy has currently 3.64 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables exported with a value of 4.59 million euro.
“In Chinese culture, the ingredients play a major role in creating the distinctive flavours. Italian produce is fresh and full of flavours that can be fun and easy to incorporate in Chinese cuisine.” says Chef Ronald Shao, who has diverse culinary experience from Saudi Arabia and Singapore. He created a special tailor-made menu for this campaign, introducing dishes including “Boston Lobster with Organic Tricolour Quinoa with Chinese Tea Fragrant White Peach Jelly” to start, “Crispy Mantis Shrimp Fillet with Shallot Oil & Lemon with Prickly Pear Sauce”, “Pan-fried Spotted Grouper Fish Fillet with Sweet and Sour Plum Tomato Sauce” as well as “Double Boiled Cosda Pear with Honey Locust Fruit, Fritillaria Bulb & Tangerine peel” along with a refreshing “Kiwi and Osmanthus Daiquiri” & “Blood Orange Juice” & Lemon with Prickly Pear, Sauce Pan-fried Spotted Grouper Fish Fillet with Sweet and Sour Plum Tomato Sauce.
European Italian fruit and vegetables will be seasonally available on the Hong Kong market.
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