Listen live
If recent talks in Brussels over the fate of the eurozone are anything to go by, Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi wields little power on the international stage. Yet while the leader of the world's eighth largest economy was little more than deadweight at the negotiating table, it's unlikely the same treatment would have been meted out had discussions dealt with the dinner table. After all, when it comes to food, Italy is arguably the world's lone superpower.
This article is for Monocle subscribers only. Please Subscribe to Monocle or Sign in if you're already a subscriber.