As if there aren’t enough things to get upset about in Italy, some Italian authorities have now declared war on ethnic foods. The town of Lucca has banned any new ethnic eateries inside its old city walls.

Luca Zaia, the Minister of Agriculture, praised the ruling in Times Online:

Mr Zaia said that those ethnic restaurants allowed to operate “whether they serve kebabs, sushi or Chinese food” should “stop importing container loads of meat and fish from who knows where” and use only Italian ingredients.

Asked if he had ever eaten a kebab, Mr Zaia said: “No – and I defy anyone to prove the contrary. I prefer the dishes of my native Veneto. I even refuse to eat pineapple.”

Another Italian critic of the kebab restaurants said it was unfair competition because the immigrant entrepreneurs worked long hours.

Vittorio Castellani, a celebrity chef, belittled the new law. He said all dishes are the creation of blends from competing cultures. “Even spaghetti, it is thought, was brought back from China by Marco Polo, and oranges and lemons came from the Arab world,” said Castellani.

Others pointed out that anti-immigrant feelings or racism is at the heart of the matter.

“This is blatant discrimination. They are saying French or German cuisine is acceptable but Indian or Arab is not,” said Alessandro Tambellini, an opposition politician.

The food ban has strong support from the anti-immigrant Northern League, which is part of Silvio Berlusconi’s government. While the food ban affects only a small portion of restaurants at this time, the enthusiasm for it by the Northern League makes it an easy issue to use against the influence of foreign culture.

The law still has some details to work out, though. No one is quite sure what “ethnic” means. Apparently, French food is in, but Sicilian may be out since Arab cooking heavily influences it.