Genoa’s Gluten-Free Conundrum: An Unexpected Culinary Quest
Picture this: you’re in a foreign land, dealing with dietary restrictions, and you’d expect this country to be the ideal place for addressing your dietary needs. But strangely, it’s not the case.
Let me share a bit of history about how Italy has dealt with Coeliac Disease (also known as Celiac disease). A few years ago, a member of the Italian government recognized a pressing issue — a large portion of Italians had trouble digesting gluten. As it turns out, they were right. For some mysterious reason, there was a significant number of people with this condition. In response, Italy launched a national screening program that spanned two years. During this period, any Italian could get tested for Coeliac Disease. The results were staggering, and it led to a significant shift in the way people approached their diets. Nowadays, if you visit places like Rome or Venice, finding gluten-free food is a breeze.
But then there’s Genoa (or Genova, if you prefer), a place that, according to the internet, should be well-equipped to cater to people with Coeliac Disease. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Genoa seems to have a rather uncooperative attitude towards…