What Is The Pesto World Championship?
The Palatifini Cultural Association set up the Pesto World Championship in 2007 and now takes place every two years at the stunning Doge's Palace in Genoa. Nowhere on earth will you find a pesto recipe more authentic than this.
The tournament was established to promote, celebrate, and safeguard not just the region of Liguria, the quality of their ingredients, but the traditional and authentic pesto recipe that the Italians hold so dear to their hearts. A strong undercurrent of the event is the ultimate desire for Genovese pesto to become a protected asset and be formally recognised by UNESCO as a product of intangible cultural heritage.
Participants from around the globe, from Brazil to China, compete in national heats, and the winners of those heats travel to the Grand Final, where they compete alongside 99 other pesto makers. The 30 judges are made up of chefs, restauranteurs, food critics, and professional testers. The championships are open to both professionals and amateurs, and children get a look in too with their own mini competition.
One of the most interesting things about the championships is how every participant is required to work with identical ingredients and equipment. There is a strict 40-minute time limit, and blenders and food processors must be left at the door. The very best Genovese pesto can only be made with a wooden pestle and marble mortar.
The limited ingredients mean the overall winner is judged not on their ingenuity in recipe creation; after all, the organisers would argue there is only one pesto recipe, but on their skill in working with the ingredients to produce the winning colour, mouthfeel, and balance of flavours.
The winner of the championship is awarded with a pestle worth €2,000 made of olive-tree wood and a gold-plated handle. Although the winners tend to be Italian, this isn't always the case. In 2008, the prestigious prize was awarded to the Korean American chef, Danny Bowien.
The World Pesto Championship president is Roberto Panizza, a charismatic figure who has become the face of pesto in Italy and around the world. His time is split between running his restaurant, Il Genovese, and promoting pesto to all who will listen.
Pesto World Championship Winners
2024: Mattia Bassi (56, Acquasanta)
2022: Camilla Pizzorno (22, Pegli)
2020: Pesto itself (Genoa)
2018: Emiliano Pescarolo (39, Genoa)
2016: Alessandra Fasce (36, Genoa)
2014: Alfonsina Trucco (84, Genoa)
2012: Sergio Muto (58, Calabria)
2010: Federico Ferro (44, Genoa)
2008: Danny Bowien (New York)
2006: Luciana Parodi (68, Genoa)