I tried the Heinz dish that made governments say 'feed it to the rats'
In an innocent attempt to expand its ready-meal selection, Heinz inadvertently declared a culture war against Italy. The latest in tinned goods from the food giant has resulted in the nation's government and top chefs publicly declaring the item as a "b******isation of our cuisine."
The controversial item in question is an entire spaghetti carbonara in a tin. Heinz describes the item as "spaghetti pasta and pancetta in a cheese sauce for a rich & creamy flavour... truly delicious. It is the perfect meal for kids and grown-ups alike!"
Heinz's spaghetti carbonara created such demand it initially sold out. However, not everyone was keen to get their hands on a tin, specifically the Italians, who created the dish.
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Italy's tourism minister Daniela Santanchè made her thoughts clear. She said "Italian cuisine is a serious thing," before paraphrasing actor Alberto Sordi in the 1954 classic film Un americano a Roma to say that canned carbonara should be fed to rats.
Famous Italian chef Gianfranco Vissani also made his thoughts abundantly clear, telling news agency AdnKronos that such products "destroy Italian culture and our cuisine". Cristina Bowerman of the Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria in Rome issued harsher criticism, branding the carbonara as a "b******isation of our cuisine."
With culinary professionals and the Italian government issuing statements on such a controversial product, I had to try it myself. You won't find it in stores, this little troublemaker is an online exclusive.
As soon as it arrived I ripped the tin's lid off, poured it into a bowl and threw it into the microwave in typical Heinz ready-meal fashion. In a few moments, the carbonara pinged and if the microwave's ding hadn't already signified this, the overwhelming smell of cheese would have given it away.
My initial thoughts as I took my first bite were, "This is quite gloopy." The thick, creamy consistency of a typical carbonara was swapped with an almost watery substance. The spaghetti is the typical pasta Heinz uses in a range of products so don't expect anything special. There are a few pieces of pancetta sprinkled through for good measure.
After a few more bites, I came to the realisation this was completely fine. I assumed given the discourse Heinz's spaghetti carbonara would taste as criminal as its reputation but it didn't. I can't see adults eating this any time soon but kids will no doubt clear their plates. If there's nothing else left in the house, you won't turn your nose up at it. But I won't buy it again.