Costa Cruises, the largest Italian travel group and Europe’s number one cruise line, took part in the International Day of Italian Cuisine (IDIC).  On Monday 17 January 2011, all 14 ships in the Costa fleet participated in the “Global Wave of Genoese Pesto”, preparing and serving pasta with “pesto alla Genovese,” made to the traditional recipe.

For Costa Cruises, the only cruise line flying the Italian flag and a global ambassador for traditional Italian cuisine, the perfection of the culinary arts is part of the company’s corporate identity.  It is only natural for Costa, founded and headquartered in Genoa, to have embraced and supported this initiative which attracted thousands of chefs, restaurateurs and food lovers from every continent.

The original Genoese pesto made to the authentic Ligurian recipe was the star attraction on the Costa fleet yesterday, from the Mediterranean to Dubai, the Caribbean, Singapore, the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

There was pesto making demonstrations on the main decks with chefs showing how to prepare Genoa’s most famous sauce in the traditional way, with a mortar and pestle, and then guests were treated to “trenette al pesto” for lunch.

Excellence in gastronomy has been one of Costa’s distinctive features for more than 60 years, skillfully providing Italian gastronomic traditions with the best of the international scene.  The menus onboard reflect traditional Mediterranean cuisine catering to all tastes, with light and vegetarian options as well as special celiac and diabetic menus.

There are also typical dishes from the destinations visited en route – from couscous to moussaka, Baltic salmon to paella, without forgetting Chinese noodles.

Within such a great variety is one common denominator – the quality of basic ingredients used, a quality identified with Italian-made products.  Whether it is pasta, buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, cold meats and salami, cheese, wine or dessert, the Italian products used onboard every Costa cruise are always guaranteed.