I hvert nummer sætter Delfinen fokus på en studerende eller en underviser ved Aarhus Universitet, og prøver på at gå under huden på dem.
Fotos: Justin Yang
Name:
Alessandro Amato
Age:
24
Country:
Italy
I’m in Denmark because:
I originally planned to do my studied in the Netherlands but the Mundus Journalism program happened to start here. However, among the more practical reasons that lead me to the North, Scandinavia has a mysterious allure that makes me come back in one way or another. I’m on a mission to find out what that is.
The theme of this issue is “food and drink”, could you put down some words springing to mind when you hear these words?
I would say that everything revolves around food and drink. It governs our lives; we eat and drink in order to live and work, and we work to be able to eat and survive. You must acknowledge this, whether you are a lone wolf who seeks to consume his/her meal while watching a favorite TV show on a laptop. or whether you enjoy the pleasures of sharing and conviviality.
What do you think of the food culture here in Denmark?
The accomplishments of the Danish cuisine had already reached me before I came here. There is indeed a lot to try and discover, and the overall food culture seems quite dynamic, promising. A special mention goes to your potatoes: I must say they are the best I’ve ever had.
How is that different from Italy?
This is a tricky question. Italian cuisine has influenced the whole damn world, so I could easily eat Italian here for the next few months and get along with it. However, as you can see from my Julefrokost experience, I like to experiment a lot and Denmark has inspired me with its numerous, ingenious ways to eat pork, for instance. You also have your own quirks and obsessions like the weird chicken, bacon and curry combination, or the whole organic/biodynamic stuff (one should investigate whether those products are actually as good and healthy as their label claims).
How important is good food and drink for you personally – does it carry any particular significance to you?
Without sounding too redundant, I’d completely identify myself with the answer to question number two. Yet there is something more to it. Human beings are able to attach emotional, cultural, traditional, economic or whatever other value to food. I dare those scientists who go on saying “food is fuel.” Food is a lot more than just fuel. It’s about how you interpret food, how you value it and how you celebrate it. I am pretty damn sure this quote has just earned me the abhorring label of foodie.
