Interview: 'The most important ingredient is culture,' says chef Massimo Bottura on his visit to Bengaluru
Chef Massimo Bottura has a passion for food that has not dimmed with time. A four-decade long career, three Michelin stars, and the frequent distinction of being the world's best chef; but his eyes still light up when he explains how he makes ragu. We meet in Bengaluru for a freewheeling chat. The conversation flits from stories about dining with Michael Schumacher in the '90s, to how his golden retriever Thelonious Monk probably needs to go on a diet. We speak of Pope Francis, King Charles, Enzo Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Lou Reed, and the United Nations. But what strings it all together, the underlying rhythm, is his passion for cooking and food.
The reason for Bottura's visit to Bengaluru on April 24 was a pop-up at Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Palace in partnership with Culinary Culture, a community co-founded by Vir Sanghvi. The dinner, which came with a hefty price tag of ₹50,000 plus taxes, was sold out. His name is enough for diners to shell out the sum, dining at a Bottura restaurant is a culinary pilgrimage. He owns the renowned Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, which topped the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants twice and has three Michelin stars. He has teamed up with Ferrari and Gucci for restaurant chains across the world. He had opened the now defunct Torno Subito in Dubai. He claims he does not like the city, and the way his staff was treated.
Breaking the rules
'When I started out in the '90s, people used to say, 'have you heard of that crazy Italian who is breaking the rules?' They used to say, 'Go quick because the restaurant will close by the end of the year because no one is going there'.' Osteria Francescana is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Bottura's elevated Italian cuisine is path breaking, modern and out of the box. The menu in Bengaluru features classics from his menu at Osteria Francescana, like the famous dessert Oops! I Dropped The Lemon Tart. It was created when a fellow chef accidentally dropped the lemon tart before service, and Bottura ran with the idea. The deconstructed dessert has lemon custard, sorbet, hot pepper oil and savoury capers. The dish is plated by the chef himself at the dinner. The Crunchy Part Of The Lasagna is an homage to his favourite part of the dish — the edges of lasagna. And the Pasta Al Pesto in abstract is made without pasta, to emphasise the importance of the pesto sauce. For one of his dishes, a controversial take on Bollito Misto, a beloved northern Italian meat stew, he delved into history that goes back to the Dark Ages. 'The most important ingredient for the chef is culture. Culture makes you see things in a different way.' His food is about looking back to the past and bringing it to the present.
Tackling food waste
The iconic chef also has a number of soup kitchens across the world, in his bid to champion causes such as food waste, sustainability and food equity. He runs the not-for-profit Food for Soul. For his efforts, he was recently appointed as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Advocate by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. 'It was a reflection of what I have done in the past 10 years. I believe that the peripheries of the cities bring light to the cities. Like in Rio de Janeiro, Paris, New York. This was the vision of Pope Francis. He said do not focus on the centre, focus on the periphery. The periphery needs light,' he says. On earth we produce food for more than 12 billion people, while we are only 8 billion. The rest goes to waste; almost 33% of what we produce. 'This is not acceptable.' He wants to start a silent revolution.
'India feels like home'
For the Bengaluru dinner, he had to adapt his menu. There was no beef, and there were more vegetarian dishes. 'But I love a challenge.' This is his third pop-up in India, one in Mumbai in 2022, and in Delhi in 2024. 'I love India and India loves me. There is something so deep in your culture that attracts me. I have travelled to many places, South Africa, Tokyo, New York. But I never feel at home like I do here.' It is one of the reasons he says he does not want to open a restaurant here. He wants to visit in leisure, and not turn it into a business opportunity.
Music, movies and art is something Bottura draws from constantly for inspiration. He has made tasting menus based on The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the music of Bob Dylan. The 30th anniversary celebratory tasting menu at Osteria Francescana is themed on the 1954 Italian movie Miseria e Nobiltà — Misery and Nobility. The movie questions poverty and privilege, through the lens of culture and food. A theme that is close to Bottura's heart.
Inspiration is always finding Bottura. His mind is focussed 'like a samurai' and he is always on. I ask him what his comfort food is... what he reaches out for at the end of a long day. 'I bring home ingredients from the restaurant. It could be a good piece of Parmigiano, beautiful anchovies, or fresh mozzarella. This helps me keep my palate at a certain level, so I can discern the differences between one Parmigiano and another. It is an exercise.' I ask if there are any guilty pleasures, like a late-night instant ramen? He laughs at the idea.
Apart from his many awards, Bottura's Osteria Francescana was also given a Michelin Green Star in 2020. The Michelin Green Star is given annually to restaurants that are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices.
In 2015, the very first episode of the Netflix show Chef's Table featured Bottura. In it he spoke about how he broke all the rules of Italian cuisine, and how controversial that was in the country.
In 2019 Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People included Bottura. This honour was given to him for his community kitchens called refettorios, that currently spans nine countries.
In collaboration with Ferrari, he re-opened Ristorante Cavallino in the city of Maranello. This is the restaurant where the brand's founder Enzo Ferrari used to dine. The site where it stands today was initially opened as a canteen for the Ferrari workforce. It opened to the public in 1950.
A fan of motorsports, Bottura owns a custom Diavel 1260 S bike from the Italian motorcycle brand Ducati.
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