Every 2 June, Italy marks the birth of the Republic following the 1946 institutional referendum. When I wrote this piece in 2022, I was celebrating Festa della Repubblica from a very different setting: a resort kitchen in the Maldives.
National days can easily become a collection of symbols. For me, living abroad, the more interesting question was practical: what does it mean to carry Italian identity through food when the kitchen, the team and the guests are international?
Italian food abroad is not a costume
I have spent much of my career outside Italy. Over time I learned that representing Italian cuisine abroad is not about placing a flag beside every plate or repeating the same famous dishes. It is about protecting the principles that make the food recognisable: respect for ingredients, clarity of flavour, restraint and a sense of regional identity.
That becomes especially important in a resort. Guests arrive with different expectations of what “Italian food” should be. Some know the cuisine well; others know it mainly through international versions. The chef has to find a balance between familiarity and accuracy without turning dinner into a lecture.
Identity travels through details
A themed Italian dinner can include recognisable classics, but the real identity is in the details: the seasoning of a tomato, the texture of a risotto, the decision not to overload a burrata, the confidence to serve a simple plate when the ingredients are good.
Working abroad also changes the chef. You learn to explain your cuisine to people who did not grow up with the same references. You learn what can be adapted and what should not be changed simply for convenience. And you learn that authenticity is stronger when it is calm rather than defensive.
What I celebrate on 2 June
Festa della Repubblica is a national celebration, but from a professional kitchen abroad it also becomes a moment to think about where you come from. I do not need every plate to announce that I am Italian. I would rather let discipline, simplicity and respect for the food carry that identity.
Italian cuisine travels best when we carry its principles with us, not only its most famous dishes.
Cristian Marino
Originally published on 2 June 2022. This Journal archive edition has been revised for language, chronology and editorial focus while preserving the original photographs and publication date.
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