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Spicy tastes of China fire up an Italian chef鈥檚 palate
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When Gianluca Luisi tried spicy Chinese hot pot for the first time, it numbed his mouth so completely that he thought his friends had been pulling a prank on him. But now, the Italian is not only comfortable with the challenging taste but has also dived deep into the spice business.
Luisi鈥檚 office in southwest China鈥檚 Chongqing Municipality is filled with all kinds of spices. Spicy sauces are marked in degrees ranging from zero to 75. There are even bracelets and cufflinks inspired by red chilies.
鈥淭his is our newly launched product called 鈥榮oft ear鈥 pepper powder. 鈥楽oft ear鈥 in the Chongqing dialect means an obedient husband. I am totally soft ear,鈥 said Luisi in fluent Chinese. He is known by his Chinese name Zhang Luka.
Luisi, 33, began learning Chinese when he was studying for his bachelor鈥檚 degree in London. Drawn to Chinese culture and history, he decided to apply for an exchange program at Peking University.
After completing his studies, he joined the newly opened Italian consulate in Chongqing in 2014. During his three years there, he worked to facilitate business in China for Italian companies, turning opportunities into real benefits for both sides.
Eating like the locals
After settling down in the southwestern Chinese city, Luisi fell in love with the typically spicy local food, although at first, it surprised him how one pot could be stuffed with so many chilies. 鈥淚 learned that it was the local way to eat and I myself couldn鈥檛 do away with hot pot now,鈥 he said.
Luisi sees market potential in the vast Chinese culinary culture and believes he is well-positioned to increase foreigners鈥 knowledge and appreciation of Chinese cuisine.
At the end of 2017, he quit his job and established a joint venture with DeZhuang, a Chinese company specializing in hotpot, to produce Chinese food for overseas markets.
鈥淲hen I was young, my dream was to become an astronaut. Then I set foot in diplomacy. Now I am spreading Chinese cuisine to the world. Different careers, but the same in essence. I always want to see the outside world and promote international communication,鈥 he said.
In 2018, Luisi established the World Chili Alliance, a non-profit organization fostering exchanges in the global chili industry.
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