Master Chef Flavio Tagliaferro Mentors Maghrebi Student Mohamed Harmachi

Master Flavio Tagliaferro and student Mohamed Harmachi: a meeting of two different culinary cultures and a promising challenge in the name of Arab cuisine. Tagliaferro, an acclaimed chef and highly sought-after gastronomic consultant, frequently travels between Japan and the United States for demonstrations and lessons. Currently, he is engaged in Portland, Oregon, at the Western Culinary Institute. Harmachi, a lifetime expatriate, is an impromptu seasonal pizza maker who arrived at Lake Garda about ten years ago. Years of sacrifice, but also of satisfaction, driven by his passion and discovery of local cuisine, which culminated in his second-place finish at the recent risotto contest with tastasal, held at La Meridiana center, among the Lamberti wineries’ cellars, organized by the Garda veronese branch of Slow Food and the i Ghiottoni association from Torri.

Mohamed Harmachi’s Passion and Challenges

“My luck,” says the 29-year-old Maghrebi, married with a two-month-old son named Hamza in honor of the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, “was meeting Flavio, a prestigious chef. This allowed me to start my career as a cook, and my goal is to establish myself in the field, continually improve my professionalism, and enhance my culinary knowledge.” Cooking is in his blood, especially considering that it’s not easy for a practicing Muslim to reconcile his work as a chef with his faith, which requires strict observance: refraining from tasting any food during the fasting month of Ramadan and avoiding pork meat.

“That’s not a small problem,” Harmachi admits, “but I manage to overcome it by tasting my own dishes with those I work with in the kitchen.” It’s evident that with passion and determination, Harmachi has made significant strides in the culinary sector, earning recognition from experts.

Training Path and Future Prospects

“When I worked at the Zeno restaurant in San Zeno di Montagna,” specifies Tagliaferro, “Harmachi often came to the kitchen after his pizza-making shifts, showing great interest in understanding Italian culinary culture. This experience helped him develop a solid foundation, and now he can aspire to be a chef with precise knowledge. At the same time, I’ve had a good opportunity to deepen my understanding of Maghrebi cuisine with Harmachi. This will lead us to organize an evening dedicated entirely to Arab cuisine at the end of March.”