Massimo Bottura and the importance of knowing where you come from

MASSIMO Bottura defines himself in terms of cheese. If you dissect him, you’d probably find that his body is made up of equal parts “Parmigiano-Reggiano and aceto balsamico”, as he likes to say.

These staples of Italian cuisine form the foundation of the region of Emilia-Romagna, where the celebrated chef was born, and where his highly acclaimed restaurant Osteria Francescana remains – in Modena. 

“These two iconic ingredients are made in the same place that I was,” he says in an e-mail interview with The Business Times. “They are in my blood and my bones. They are part of who I am, and what I cook.”