"It's all about food!" - this is the slogan that this year welcomes visitors to the largest Baltic food and beverage exhibition at BAF, where over three days at the exhibition and congress center "LitexpoVisitors will not only be able to discover new food products, unfamiliar flavors and combinations of food and drinks, but also watch how masterpieces are born and get ideas from professional chefs.
"We are creating BAF as a true celebration of food culture and food lovers. It is a space where true friendship is born between diners and producers. For businesses and foreign guests, this is often the first push into the hearts and shelves of Lithuanian gourmets, because the love of food and cuisine unites everyone here. This year, at the exhibition, it will be possible to try new flavors of food and drinks from producers of Spain, Greece, Italy, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and other countries, to get to know the producers," says Lilijana Dirsienė, exhibition project manager of the exhibition and congress center "Litexpo".
Secrets of Italian cuisine
Professional chef from Italy Iglif Di Giacomo, who opened the exhibition with his culinary show, says that although he is visiting Lithuania for the first time, he has already felt that food is as important to Lithuanians as it is to Italians.
"It's great to see so many people in Lithuania interested in food, looking for new tastes, watching how we cook and tasting the food we make. It's my first time here, but I can already see that food is an important part of your culture. I had heard about it from my colleagues, and now I had the chance to see it for myself," says the chef who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants.
He is not surprised by the fact that Italian food is extremely popular in Lithuania, and exceptional products and wines quickly find their way onto Lithuanian tables.
“Italian food is truly a miracle and it would probably be strange if I said otherwise. For us, food is primarily about creativity and passion, communication and joy. And everyone feels it. It's true, I often joke that the Americans made Italian cuisine more famous than the Italians themselves. Thanks to them for this, but in order to feel what the real Italian taste is, it is necessary to either eat in Italy or taste the food prepared by our compatriots. I am glad that you will have such an opportunity at the exhibition," smiles Chef Iglif.
According to the organizers, the number of Italian importers at the exhibition is increasing every year. Producers of niche and exclusive products, beverages and even kitchen appliances are discovering the Lithuanian market and highly appreciate Lithuanian tastes and sympathies.
"We see that Italian manufacturers are really impressed by how open and curious Lithuanian consumers are. Believe me, manufacturers really choose which country's exhibition is worth participating in, where to come. And the fact that Lithuania becomes the first choice means that manufacturers really see the potential in our market. The fact that the exhibition is organized in a high-quality manner is also very important, with very good opportunities not only to present products, but also to communicate with consumers," says Ieva Gaižutytė, president of the Italian and Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce.
The most important thing is the desire to discover and try
Arnas Mazētis, a loyal BAF visitor, journalist and TV presenter, who attended the opening show, says that he comes here every year not only to get inspiration, but also to look for kitchen trifles and details to add to his kitchen.
"Because I feel the joy of cooking and creating in the kitchen, I look for new flavors and ideas at the exhibition. I am always interested in new technology, kitchen equipment and tools. For me, this is a great opportunity to update my kitchen, communicate, and make new acquaintances. And I would most like visitors to go to the exhibition without preconceived notions, not looking for a specific product, but with a desire to discover and try new things. The joy of improvisation and discovery is probably the funnest highlight of this exhibition," says Arnas Mazētis.
From November 9 to 11 the traditional interactive culinary space "Kitchen Studio" will be open at the exhibition, which will invite you to unforgettable chef improvisations this year. They will be created by chefs Gian Luca Demarco and Ali Gadzhiev, guests from Italy, Greek Christos Georgogiannopoulos, "Meze" restaurant the chef Creative food workshops for children and Vilnius College will also be held, as well as a cooking show by "Steak Supply", "Euribija" and other participants.
Even more attention to packaging
The exhibition will also pay special attention to the packaging sector, and the winners of two competitions - "Leaders of the Packaging Sector 2017" and "National Packaging Design Awards (NAPA)" - will also be revealed.
At the event "Packaging sector 2017", representatives of different stages of the packaging life cycle are invited to meet - from packaging developers, consumers to waste managers. At the same time, solutions will be discussed and searched for, how to create packaging that not only properly protects the product, but is also attractive to consumers and easy to recycle and organize.
The participants of the event will also be waiting for an interesting discussion about modern packaging materials, structural and design solutions that promote environmental awareness. In addition to the presentation of modern packaging waste management solutions and trends, there will also be a workshop presenting the packaging creation process.
Together with BAF, the "Eko Logika 2" exhibition-forum of responsible consumption, ecological goods and services will be held in the 2017nd hall of Litexpo.
