"Why Does Chinese Cheese Feature the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' Image? Italy Reacts Strongly"

Rep. Yi "Unfair Use of Italy's Famous Specialty"

A controversy has erupted over a Chinese company's mozzarella cheese packaging sold in Europe, which features a drawing of the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa.' The issue arises because the cheese, produced in China, appears to be made in Italy.

On the 8th (local time), according to the British daily The Guardian and others, the Chinese company 'Gaopu Foods' has been producing and selling 'European Mozzarella Cheese' in Austria. The product contains 12 thinly sliced pieces of cheese.

The problem lies in the illustration on the outer packaging. The packaging displays the product name in English as 'European Mozzarella Cheese' alongside Chinese characters, and features images reminiscent of Italian landmarks such as the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' and gondolas. In particular, the gondola is depicted as if set against the backdrop of the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal, famous tourist spots in Venice.

Italian Brothers (Fdl) lawmaker Tomaso Razolini Instagram. [Image source=Instagram]

As the photo spread through social media (SNS), some in Italy reacted strongly.

Tommaso Lazzolini, a member of the ruling party Brothers of Italy (FdI), posted the cheese photo on his Facebook account, claiming that Italian landmarks like the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' were "unfairly exploited." He further pointed out, "Attaching Italian landmarks to products of dubious origin is a serious problem."

The Italian food industry also expressed outrage. A food experts association labeled the 'European Mozzarella Cheese' in question as a 'fake' imitating the original. The association claimed that this cheese has been found not only in Europe?including the UK, Germany, and France?but also in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and even infiltrated Italy itself.

According to Coldiretti, Italy's largest agricultural association, the global market size for imitations of Italian food increased to 120 billion euros (174.6 trillion KRW) last year. A Coldiretti official criticized the 'European Mozzarella Cheese' as "one of the worst cases of identity theft," adding, "Such products confuse consumers and steal the market of authentic Italian food."

China's Baidu Claims Kimchi, Samgyetang, and Now 'Samgyeopsal' Are Chinese Dishes

The Chinese Baidu Encyclopedia that stated Samgyeopsal originated in China.
[Image source=Facebook of Professor Seokyung Deok, Sungshin Women's University]

Meanwhile, China's cultural appropriation issues are becoming more serious. Recently, Baidu, China's largest portal site, described samgyeopsal as a Chinese dish in its encyclopedia, following kimchi and samgyetang, sparking controversy.

Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University stated on his Facebook on the 2nd, "China's claim that samgyeopsal is Chinese food, following kimchi and samgyetang, is expected to cause controversy," adding, "It is no exaggeration to say this has gone beyond 'Kimchi appropriation' to 'Korean food appropriation.'"

He continued, "Baidu claims that grilled samgyeopsal originated from a Chinese scallion pork stir-fry wrapped in Chinese pancakes," and emphasized, "Grilled samgyeopsal is the most ordered menu item at Korean barbecue restaurants and is one of China's representative top dishes."

He explained, "There are no accurate historical records about samgyeopsal," but "according to food experts, the practice of grilling samgyeopsal and serving it wrapped with vegetables is estimated to have started in the mid to late 1970s."

Furthermore, he added, "Samgyeopsal is widely accepted as a modern Korean dish with a relatively short history," and described it as "Koreans' 'soul food.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.