Italy’s Best Young Chef Crowned – Featuring Icelandic Salted Cod

In a recent culinary competition held in Rimini, Italy, the top young chef was crowned amidst stiff competition. Organized by the project Bacalao de Islandia and the Italian Chefs Federation (FIC), the event showcased the talent of young chefs from all 20 regions of Italy. One standout ingredient that took the spotlight during the final round was Icelandic salted cod.

Seventeen-year-old Emanuele Scattarella, a student at the Armando Perotti culinary school in Bari, emerged as the deserving winner. His winning dish, titled ‘Salted Fish à la East,’ combined flavors from the Puglia region in Italy with influences from Eastern cuisine. The dish featured oven-baked Icelandic salted cod on a Lebanese wooden board, seasoned with sumac, and complemented by lemons, olives, pistachios, and pomegranate.

This competition marks the fifth edition organized by Bacalao de Islandia in Italy, with the valuable partnership of the Italian Chefs Federation for the third consecutive year. The success of Icelandic salted cod among culinary students was evident, with both last year’s and this year’s winners hailing from the same school in Bari.

Kristinn Björnsson, Trade Manager at Business Iceland, commended the event’s organization and execution. He emphasized the honor of presenting Icelandic salted cod in a prestigious national competition, predicting a rising popularity for the ingredient among restaurants in Bari and beyond.

As part of his prize, Emanuele will be visiting Iceland in September, accompanied by his teacher and winners from similar Bacalao de Islandia events in Spain and Portugal. This experience will undoubtedly enrich his culinary journey and further strengthen the bond between Italian and Icelandic culinary traditions.