Abstract

This article analyzes the growing presence of cooking shows on Italian and global TV through three case histories that present different trajectories of circulation and mediation of Italian food culture. Firstly, we discuss Jamie Cooks Italy, in which Italian cuisine is narrated for English-speaking viewers, and subsequently re-translated, linguistically and culturally, for Italian audiences. Secondly, we explore Unti e bisunti, a show produced for Italian audiences that circulated abroad unexpectedly. Finally, the focus will be on food celebrities of Italian descent Joe and Lidia Bastianich, who, by participating in transnational television formats, have become the ambassadors of Italian gastronomy abroad.