Kebab becomes symbol of cultural invasion - and xenophobia

On a cold, foggy lunchtime in Turin, Demir Ergulu is slicing hot wedges of glistening meat into oven-fresh pita bread as hungry office workers queue up.

"This is local veal, bathed in milk and minced onion, then grilled with a touch of added veal fat," said the Turkish kebab chef. "We don't touch those frozen lumps of veal mixed with chicken and turkey that come in from Germany."

Turin has backed Ergulu's six-year experiment in gourmet kebabs, turning his kiosk into a cult address and a beacon for those who believe multiculturalism, starting with fusion food, has a chance in Italy.

But as the country's legal immigrant population swells to 7 per cent it is touch and go, with anti-immigrant politicians on councils across Italy seizing on the humble kebab as a symbol of the sort of cultural invasion they dislike.

Lucca, in Tuscany, set the ball rolling in January, followed by Altopascio nearby, where unknown assailants had already firebombed a kebab shop. Towns near Bergamo and Genoa followed suit, as did Prato, in Tuscany, where 200 local people gathered this month to protest against the ban in the historic centre, not only of kebab shops, but also call centres and internet points, "all of which are, not by coincidence, managed by foreigners", said protest organiser Marco Monzali.

An MP from the anti-immigration Northern League, which is behind many of the bans, forced French butter off the Parliament's restaurant menu, while police in Tuscany uprooted and seized unauthorised Chinese vegetables planted by Chinese immigrants.

Italy's Agriculture Minister, Luca Zaia, a member of the Northern League, gave the raids his backing.

"We must continue to block the arrival in this country of all foods which have nothing to do with our extremely rich agricultural heritage, and protect the hard work of our farmers and the health of Italians."

But culinary journalist Vittorio Castellani, asked: "Where would Italy be today if the Northern League had been around to block the first imports into this country of tomatoes and potatoes?"

"Ideally we should be eating food grown on our own soil," said Zaia.

Castellani warned that xenophobic Italians were finding the defence of Italy's culinary heritage a convenient cause to adopt.

"If you go to the Facebook page 'Yes to Polenta, No to Couscous', you will find some violently racist comments."

- OBSERVER