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, 70 km 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.
