Kōrero: Italians

More recent immigrants have catered to New Zealanders’ enthusiasm for Italian food, especially in Auckland. In the 1980s a stretch of boutique restaurants brought a touch of Italy to Parnell. Chefs sometimes adapted their regional cuisines to produce a ‘kiwitalian’ flavour. Pictured in 2004 at his Wellington café and food store, La Bella Italia, Antonio Cacace is the grandson of an Italian who lived in New Zealand for about three years from 1927, and who planned one day to bring Italian food to New Zealand. Over 60 years later, in 1992, Antonio emigrated and eventually began to import Italian foodstuffs. He shares with his grandfather the motto ‘La qualita non teme la concorrenza’ – ‘Quality is not afraid of competition’. Pictured behind Antonio is a childhood photo taken in his home town of Massa Lubrense, southern Italy.