Tuscan city says 'basta' to ethnic food

By ARIEL DAVID

Associated Press

ROME (AP) - If you are craving a kebab, tandoori chicken or Peking duck
you may go hungry in the small Tuscan city of Lucca, which has just
barred new ethnic restaurants from opening in its historic medieval
center.

Officials say new rules passed last week by Lucca's conservative
administration aim to protect local specialties from the rising
popularity of "different" cuisines. The measure also bans fast food
restaurants and hopes to reduce littering within the city's ancient
walls, a magnet for tourists.

"By ethnic cuisine we mean a different cuisine," city spokesman Massimo
Di Grazia said Thursday. "That means no new kebabs, Thai or Lebanese
restaurants."

Di Grazia said ethnic restaurants opened before the measure was passed
could stay in business.

The move has sparked accusations of gastronomic racism from opposition
politicians and criticism from Italian chefs, who say modern cuisine
relies on fusion, the combination of ingredients used in different food
traditions.

"It's a discriminatory ban," center-left councilman Alessandro
Tambellini told the Corriere della Sera daily. "It's a sign of closure
toward different cultures."

"There is no dish on the face of the Earth that doesn't come from mixing
techniques, products and tastes from cultures that have met and mingled
over time," said Vittorio Castellani, a TV chef and cookbook author.

Castellani told Corriere the ban was also a blow to immigrant
communities, whose members often make a living by selling ethnic food.

Downtown Lucca, 40 miles (70 kilometers) west of Florence, is a popular
destination for thousands of visitors, who roam its intact walls,
medieval churches and Renaissance palaces.

Di Grazia, noting that other nearby towns had passed similar rules, told
The Associated Press the measure was not discriminatory. He said it
aimed to improve the city's image and protect Tuscan products, like wine
and oil, as well as Lucca's cuisine, rich in soups, meat and pasta
dishes.

It remained unclear how "different" a restaurant's menu would have to be
to fall under the culinary ban.

Di Grazia said a French restaurant would be allowed to open, but he was
not sure about a restaurant offering Sicilian dishes, which often
include Middle Eastern ingredients.

AP Writer Valerio Penna contributed to this report.