Cucina; Italian Cuisine Day

The word for cuisine in Italian is 'cucina', pronounced as kuchina in Japanese. For that reason, September 17th is Italian Cuisine day, because September 17th can be read "kuchina". Japanese dates are written with the month first then the date. September is the 9th month, nine in Japanese can be read "ku". One can be read as "chi" in Japanese and seven as "na". Put them together and you get ku-chi-na! 

The aim of the anniversary is to convey the charm of Italian cuisine. The Japan Italian Cuisine Association established the anniversary. The Japan Italian Cuisine Association is composed mainly of Italian chefs and works to popularize and develop Italian cuisine. They do this by introducing culture as well as improving skills and knowledge.  "Italian Cuisine Day" is a day to rediscover the charm of Italian cuisine, not just the taste, but also the culture and history.

Mark the day with an Italian dinner with a friend or your family. Or try your hand at making homemade pasta and / or pizza. My kids always love making their own pizza, as per the photo! It is also a good excuse to indulge in some Italian wine. Or browse the hashtag "#イタリア料理の日" on social media to see how others are celebrating and / or get some Italian food ideas on this day, September 17th, annually.