An Italian Chef’s Gourmet Journey in China

By staff reporter ZHOU LIN

ANTONINO Scordo， a 38-year-old Italian， is an executive sous chef at Jinling Hotels Restaurant Pacific Grill in Nanjing. He is affectionately called “Nino” by his friends. Having a passion for culinary arts， he often walks out of the kitchen and interacts with the diners. For him， cooking is more than just a simple act of preparing a dish. More importantly， it helps express the emotion of the chef and his or her unique understanding of the world. During Ninos days of living and working in China， the warm-hearted people around him have made him feel quite at home.

A Taste of Home

Nino was born in Sorrento， a small city in southern Italy near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Located 27 kilometers away from Naples， the city with its beautiful scenery has earned the name “a pearl of the Gulf of Naples.” Its name actually came from the Greek word “Sirene，” which means a diamond in the crystal sea. In the classic song “Torna a Surriento，”the world-famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti expressed his fascination with the scenery of Sorrento. The city is famed for the colorful houses built on sea cliffs， the azure waters of the bay area， and a land of lemon groves， all of which make it a perfect destination for tourists to fill their lungs with fresh air.

“Since I was a child， it has been my understanding that food can be used not only to satisfy our physical needs， but also to express our emotional feelings. It is an essential part of life，” Nino said. Since early childhood， he has been dreaming of journeying abroad to find the meaning of his life. “Seeing the delight on peoples faces when taking a bite of the dishes I created makes me happy and satisfied to no end，” said Nino. He then added that this enjoyment is the sense of home that he wants customers and friends to feel when they walk into the restaurant. “Its like the feeling I had when I ate the dishes my mother cooked for me back at home.”

“This is also how I felt when I came to China for the first time in 2011，” Nino said. Living in China has helped him realize that Italy and China have much in common in what the people value in life. He feels his true calling is to bring together the best of both culinary cultures. Fortunately， he had an opportunity to work for the prestigious Jinling Hotel， the first five-star hotel in Nanjing. The management team entrusted him to run the Restaurant Pacific Grill， giving him a whole new platform to realize his dream.

“Nino is now an important member of our big family. He has a strong sense of belonging here，” said Ge Dalin， director of food and beverage in Jinling Hotel and also Ninos mentor and friend. In his eyes， Nino is more like an artist with a creative passion， a dedicated workaholic who is crazy about cooking.“He is really gifted in incorporating Western and Chinese styles to deliver dishes that are both appetizing and presentable，” Ge said.

Jinling Cuisine vs. Mediterranean Food

Nino has many friends in Michelin restaurants， and longs to help the Italian chefs understand the charm of Chinese food. At his invitation， the famous Michelin chef Giuseppe Aversa visited Jinling Hotel twice in May and November of 2018， each time bringing an exotic Michelin banquet to the people of Nanjing. The unique flavor of Jinling cuisine allured Aversa， too. Also known as Nanjing cuisine， Jinling cuisine is similar to Huaiyang cuisine that is popular in the region surrounding the lower reaches of the Huaihe and Yangtze rivers in terms of the taste and cooking methods.

In March 2019， Aversa invited 10 chefs of Jinling Hotel to Italy for a 10-day gastronomic tour. The challenge at that point was how to help local foodies in Italy appreciate the traditional Chinese Huaiyang cuisine. This time， the chefs of Jinling Hotel and Nino racked their brains to come up with a solution.

To fit the dietary habits of Westerners and best present the essence of Huaiyang cuisine， the chefs drew on their own strengths to make full use of local ingredients， and combined authentic Chinese flavors and cooking techniques with Western seasonings and plate presentation arts. The classic dishes， such as smoked mandarin fish， five-spice beef， Dongpo pork， and the Chinese-style buns and dumplings took on a brand-new look， and have become the latest craze in the area of the Mediterranean Sea.

“Dongpo pork garnished with lobster and cheese wonton are popular dishes，” Ge recalled. He pointed out that the choice of ingredients is particularly important. Chinese chefs realized that Italians prefer to eat seafood， and they also love black pork. As local free-range black pigs eat wild fruit， their meat is rich in fiber and tastes good with an alluring aroma， a prefect ingredient for Dongpo pork. When the thousand-year-old dish Dongpo pork was combined with fresh lobster meat， they created a tantalizing gustatory mixture of the forest and ocean.

Cantonese-style wonton with cheese fillings was another creative dish designed by Nino. Pasta is an indispensable food in Italy. Adding Italian bacon and cheese to the filling made it impossible for locals to refuse the new taste of this Italian-styled wonton. Whats more， the Chinese-style vegetable stuffed steamed buns were so popular among locals that the Jinling chefs had to work till late night to meet the local demand. Yang Kuibin， a dim sum chef from the visiting Chinese chefs， made nearly 300 Chinese-style vegetable stuffed buns every day.

In Sorrentos famous Michelin Restaurant Il Buco， the Jinling Hotels banquet dinner that combines both Chinese and Western styles was packed with distinguished guests. Nearby Michelin chefs all came to savor the unique charm of Huaiyang cuisine and exchange ideas of cooking skills with the Jinling chefs. In addition， nearly 50 local celebrities and dignitaries came to express their admiration for the Chinese food and its culinary art.

“We also visited the century-old Sao Paulo Tourism School and had a gastronomic exchange with teachers and students there，” Nino said. The Italian students had long yearned for an opportunity to taste Chinese cuisine， and it was the first time for them to have a face-to-face dialogue with Chinese chefs. They kept asking questions about the cooking methods and use of ingredients and spices in Chinese dishes. They marveled at the skillful techniques used in making all kinds of Chinese noodles and dumplings.

Sister Cities

The gourmet exchange between Jinling Hotel and Il Buco is not only about mouth-watering delicacies， but also about a bridge between Sorrento and the ancient Chinese city of Nanjing. Giuseppe Cuomo， mayor of Ninos hometown Sorrento， met with the chefs of Jinling Hotel in the city hall and proposed to carry out more bilateral exchanges about history and culture.

“Food can serve as a cultural bridge that connects the stomachs and hearts of people all over the world，”said Nino， who is always curious and enthusiastic about food. From the eyes of both Chinese and Italian young chefs， he saw the same emotion. The emotion impressed him so much that he still remembers it vividly to this day. At that moment， the word “twins”came to Ninos mind， a perfect word to describe the relationship between Sorrento and Nanjing. He not only wanted chefs from these two cultures to exchange creative ideas， but also hoped to establish a long-term dialogue between these two cities.

After eight months of negotiations， on November 28， 2019， Sorrento City in Italy and Gulou District in Nanjing City signed an agreement to become “sister cities.” According to the agreement， the two sides will carry out cooperation in culture， education， tourism， and other areas. Once again， Ninos dream came true！

Dr. Andrea Baldini， associate professor at the School of Arts of Nanjing University， a close friend of Nino， is dedicated to the study of art philosophy， aesthetics， and visual arts. He and Nino have been promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between Nanjing University and relevant institutions in Sorrento. “We Italians certainly love food， and Italian chefs can create amazing food that even those who know nothing about Italian traditions and culture can understand and enjoy. I think the secret of intercultural communication is to share and express，” said Baldini.

“I love China， for the great opportunity that this country gave me to realize my childhood dream here，” said Nino with great emotion. “And Im sure that other foreigners like me are also doing well in this country. I hope that in the future， we can work together for a better world.”