Spice Up Your Life: Pinvita on What It Takes to Serve Autentico Italian Grub in Beijing
People of the world! Every boy and every girl: In the lead up to our second annual Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 20-21, we’re Spicing Up Our Lives with a few of the vendors to see what searing treats they'll be doling out over this fine spring weekend. This time: Pinvita chef Roberto, and Pinvita gelato chef Franco.
Since they opened in October 2017, Pinvita has secured a reputation for serving up a 100 percent authentic taste of Italy in Beijing. Their gelato especially earned them legions of fans, but from their Pinvita Italian Food Bazaar flagship store in Tian'anmen, they also sling a range of delicious Italian street food, salads, and Italian coffee, wines, and juices.
Best of all, Pinvita are just getting started. We caught up with the team ahead of this weekend's Hot & Spicy Festival to talk about what makes their gelato so good, and how they are bringing the fire to the festival.
Did you attend last year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
No, but I think that the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest will be the most exciting part of this year's festival. I hope I can try some of the chilies!
In your opinion, what are the most important elements that help make great spicy food?
Precious equipment and professional chefs, along with 100 percent pure, natural ingredients.
Tell us about the spicy food you will bring to our Hot & Spicy Festival.
Our spicy chocolate gelato is a 100 percent authentic Italian royal gelato. It's made entirely with Italian ingredients from a supplier who has been around since 1952. To make the chili dark chocolate gelato, we choose the best, freshest red cluster peppers from Zunyi, Guizhou, and boil them for 10 mins to create fresh chili water. Then we mix it together with 95 percent chocolate cocoa powder imported from Italy.
Thanks to our world-class gelato making equipment, we can make authentic Italian gelato every single day. It's totally pure, with no artificial colors or chemical additives, and with less than 8 percent fat content, and no trans fat. It's also vegetarian-friendly. Plus it tastes great, with creamy top notes and a strong dark chocolate flavor, spicy taste-bud tickling middle notes, and a sweet and refreshing aftertaste.
Our 24-hour slow-cooked duck leg confit piadina with spring vegetables ratatouille are both traditional dishes from the Emilia-Romagna Region, which have a history of 700 years. We're bringing a feast to the fest, combining Mediterranean and Asian flavors.
What drink from your menu will go best with your spicy food?
Affogato. Though you may know the dessert drink as affogato, the full name of this delicious concoction is affogato al caffe, which translates literally to “drowned in coffee.” This is a pretty apt name, as the classic recipe for affogato is simply a scoop of ice cream and an espresso shot poured over it. Some variations also include a shot of amaretto, Bicerin, or other liqueur.
When did your love of spicy food begin?
I've always loved spicy food since the day I was born.
In your opinion, which country in the world has the best spicy food and why?
China. There are so many different kinds of chilies in China that we can taste.
What is the spiciest thing you have ever eaten? Would you recommend other people try it?
My favorite spicy dish is 油泼面 yóu pō miàn, "oil spill noodles." The flavor from the chili oil on the veggies and garlic gives them a strong taste and a nice aroma.
What are you looking forward to at this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
Hot music and dancing, hot and spicy food from all over the world, and hot people too!
Do you have any tips or tricks for eating spicy food that might help the competitors in our Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest?
Yogurt gelato can relieve the burn you get from eating spicy food.
Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
If you want the most authentic Italian taste in Beijing, come to the Pinvita Tian'anmen Flagship Store (Pinvita Italian Food Bazaar). There are more 100 percent Italian delicacies waiting for you to discover, so you can bring your gourmet dreams to life!
Get your tickets to this weekend's Hot & Spicy Festival ahead of time and receive a free gift!
Photos courtesy of Pinvita
