Andrea Tranchero and his culinary triumphs
From kitchens all over the world, the global ambassador of Italian cuisine Andrea Tranchero has tickled the tastebuds of the likes of Giorgio Armani, Roger Federer, Sir Richard Branson. His secret recipe? Simplicity.
Chef Andrea Tranchero was born in Cuneo, a city in Piedmont immersed in an area of immense wine and food heritage, the birthplace of many regional delicacies that are prized internationally, and the home of institutions and movements that have marked the history of Italian food culture such as Slow Food. We asked Andrea about the role played by his birthplace in his career as a chef:
Being born in Piedmont certainly gave me an appreciation for excellent raw materials and seasonal ingredients. Fruit, vegetables, and even cheeses all have their best season. At the beginning of my career, I worked in Piedmont, so I learned the tastes of northern cuisine rich in cheese, meat ( including game), and fresh pasta, as well as flavorful risottos. After that, I had the chance to work also in Calabria and Sardinia, and I was able to deepen my experience of seafood and the flavors and aromas of traditional southern cooking.
After gaining experience in Italy, Andrea decided to embark on an overseas experience in Japan. He offered some recollections about his experiences working as a chef in Tokyo. We asked him what that first experience in large, international kitchens taught him:
My first experience abroad was in Japan in distant 1994. I was fascinated by their culture and by how organized they are. In Japan, I started working for international hotel chains, and I learned that there are several facets to being a chef. There is, of course, the practical part–the cooking–but there is also the managerial aspect and handling local staff.
We were curious to know what challenges were involved in preparing Italian cuisine in Japan and serving it to Japanese diners:
I think maintaining a high standard of Italian gastronomy abroad is very challenging because the raw ingredients available taste different and can be very expensive. The Japanese clientele is extremely discerning, especially in Tokyo. Very often, customers have been to Italy and have come to appreciate our simple, concise, and flavorful cuisine without, as some of my colleagues say, “too much fussiness.”
After working in Japan for some time, Andrea returned to Italy, where he worked for some highly-rated restaurants. However, he was enticed abroad again by attractive job offers and the excitement of living and working in different countries. His career then took off. He did a second Japanese stint at Giorgio Armani’s Tokyo flagship restaurant, the River Club in Beijing, and the Crown Casino in Perth, from where he crossed the country to become one of the stars of Casa Barilla in Sydney. He was even invited to open a pop-up restaurant at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Now he is based in Singapore as the executive chef and head of Barilla Asia, Africa, and Australia. We asked him, from the summit of this stellar career, to look back and reflect on what he had learned about himself and Italian food living for so long away from home:
Living outside of Italy, I have learned to appreciate our country differently, perhaps in a more attentive way. I also rediscovered the value of regional Italian cooking and its traditions. At the moment, part of my role at Barilla is to organize events and cooking lessons and to try and link Italian cuisine to the tastes and products available in the countries in our region–Asia, Africa, and Australia. I’ve lived abroad for 25 years, and I think the most important thing is curiosity about other cultures. With all the experience I have gained, I am proud to be considered a global ambassador for Italian cuisine.
Andrea has cooked for thousands of people all over the world, including figures like Giorgio Armani, Richard Branson, Roger Federer, and former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. As we closed the interview, we were curious to find out what it is like cooking for such famous and distinguished personalities. Andrea chuckled and replied:
It’s not what you might think. People like that often have quite simple tastes and appreciate simple, balanced cooking. Most of the time, they actually ask for a small portion of a simple pasta. Spaghetti cooked al dente with a tomato sauce and finished with a grating of parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. In the three years I managed Casa Barilla, during the Australian Open, before every match, we would prepare spaghetti for Roger Federer. When he won the tournament in 2018, do you think maybe the chef had something to do with it?
| Images provided by Andrea Tranchero
