Carebonara, a pasta dish with a special power: unifying people
7 May 2021
Everyone love a good story, because stories are the way we express ourselves and shape the world, giving context and meaning to what is happening to us and around us. Stories are powerful, particularly when they can stay meaningful throughout time, becoming legends.
There are numerous stories about the origins of Carbonara, and they are all different from each other.
Carbonara is the most widely debated, interpreted and beloved Italian recipe in the world. The etymology of its name is still a mystery, with three possible explanations: the carboneria (a secret society), the carbonai (charcoal kiln builders) and the colour of the pepper used to prepare it. While, considering the origin of the recipe various theories are still being debated. So was Pasta alla Carbonara the result of an encounter with the K-ration of Ancel Keys, during the Second World War, or was it an evolution of the dish “cacio e ova” (cheese and eggs) enjoyed by the charcoal kiln builders in the Apennines? Could it be a variation on some Neapolitan recipes based on eggs and cheese dating to the end of the 19th century? Is it an American recipe, an Italian recipe or a fusion of both?
Barilla has always believed in the power of pasta to unite people and in 2021, to celebrate Carbonara Day on April 6th, has chosen to tell in a short movie the story of this famous pasta dish that best represents a message of caring and unity.
CARBONARA BECOMES CAREBONARA, A RECIPE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE AROUND US
1944, Rome: the American soldiers entered Rome in World War II. Among other things, their US Army rations included powdered egg and bacon. That’s the scenario where a young American soldier and an Italian cook met and came up with the idea of mixing the American bacon, the Italian pasta and the eggs in order to feed the troops. One of the most famous pasta dish in the world is born, as a result of two different cultures meeting in difficult times. In this year, in which we have been so distant from each other due to the Covid-19 pandemic that severely impacted all around the world, Barilla decided to share a relevant message. That’s why in 2021 Barilla turned Carbonara into Carebonara: the legend of the pasta dish becomes the symbol of a timeless act of caring and gives a new meaning to what makes this pasta recipe so good. “A sign of love”, in line with the new Barilla global campaign, as preparing a pasta dish for the ones you love is the greatest sign of care and affection.
A REAL GESTURE OF CARE: THE DONATION TO FOOD FOR SOUL
We love stories that can have a positive impact on the world. To make a real gesture of care, Barilla donated 1 million pasta dishes in the course of 2021 to Food For Soul, the nonprofit founded by chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore, supporting their mission and sustainability initiatives around the world, nourishing socially vulnerable individuals through the organization’s operational partners in Refettorio projects in Europe, The Americas and Asia.
“Massimo Bottura, with his wonderful “Food For Soul”, gave us the opportunity to accomplish, once again, what should be the mission of a good company: to contribute to the well-being of the community. For Barilla, Carebonara has a much more important meaning than simply eating, it is taking care of others by doing it in its own way: celebrating pasta for its great power to unite people”, said Luca Barilla, Vice President of the Barilla Group.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF CAREBONARA
The short movie was shot by the Belgian award-winning advertising director Xavier Mairesse, known for his stylistic approach and vibrant aesthetic tension of images, and launched on April 1st, 2021 on YouTube. The film casts Italian actor Claudio Santamaria, playing the cook, and Yonv Joseph, in the role of the soldier. As in the legend on Carbonara’s origin, it was the mix of different cultures that made this narration so special.
The quality of the production was recognized at the New York Festivals 2021, where the short movie Carebonara got 4 awards.
When creativity, emotion and passion for great stories go hand in hand, they leave their mark.
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