Fried cow’s brains? – Italy’s historic cities push local cuisine, produce

reuters.com – by Isla Binnie – Fried cow’s brains might not be to everyone’s taste, but more people may sample the Florentine specialty now that Italy’s art capital has ordered food outlets in the city center to sell mostly local produce. Florence is the latest Italian tourist destination to adopt the mantra “you are what you eat”, and is requiring shops and restaurants to make sure that 70 percent of their food comes from the surrounding region. “We are seeing an unstoppable distortion in our cultural heritage, of which food is a part,” Mayor Dario Nardella wrote on his Facebook page. “A restaurant opens every week in Florence, not to mention minimarkets and Asiamarkets,” he said, apparently referring to food and drink shops often run by immigrants and open all hours.

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