Fantastic. Hopefully they make sure to get rid of Tuscan foods like potatoes, tomatoes and green beans because if there's one thing I hate, it's that doggone junk that's indigenous to America spoiling Italian classics. If they so much as touch a pumpkin, there's going to be trouble. Hopefully Lucca doesn't use olives or olive oil since they originated in Greece. And turkey or cod? Never should either show up since they comes from the Americas. Since lemons originated in east Asia I'm sure they won't see the kitchen in Lucca, thankfully. Anyone who uses those foreign products ought to be thrown in jail for life.
Maybe someone can work on India and Southeast Asia who wrongly use chilies from America for their curry and soups and everything else. Don't they know it's wrong, that we aren't supposed to include any fusion in food? More cultural exclusion is the direction of the world so let's get with it folks.
Lucca is the new Freedom Fry.
If you are craving a kebab, tandoori chicken or Peking duck you may go hungry in the small Tuscan city of Lucca, which has just barred new ethnic restaurants from opening in its historic medieval center.
Officials say new rules passed last week by Lucca's conservative administration aim to protect local specialties from the rising popularity of "different" cuisines. The measure also bans fast food restaurants and hopes to reduce littering within the city's ancient walls, a magnet for tourists.
"By ethnic cuisine we mean a different cuisine," city spokesman Massimo Di Grazia said Thursday. "That means no new kebabs, Thai or Lebanese restaurants."
Di Grazia said ethnic restaurants opened before the measure was passed could stay in business.
The move has sparked accusations of gastronomic racism from opposition politicians and criticism from Italian chefs, who say modern cuisine relies on fusion, the combination of ingredients used in different food traditions.
"It's a discriminatory ban," center-left councilman Alessandro Tambellini told the Corriere della Sera daily. "It's a sign of closure toward different cultures."
"There is no dish on the face of the Earth that doesn't come from mixing techniques, products and tastes from cultures that have met and mingled over time," said Vittorio Castellani, a TV chef and cookbook author.
