GialloZafferano

GialloZafferano, Italy’s leading food media brand and one of the most loved worldwide, is launching new editorial season packed with original content, emerging talent and creative formats that turn cooking into storytelling, entertainment and shared culture.

This year, GialloZafferano’s 2025/2026 line-up goes far beyond recipes. It’s a true digital and social schedule that reinterprets Italian food culture with a contemporary, accessible and engaging language. The project brings together a diverse team of creators, chefs and communication professionals, all united by a passion for food and storytelling.

The new season also broadens its themes and content. Cooking is seen as a collective experience, a tool for wellbeing, a source of emotion and a driving force of culture.

“GialloZafferano approaches food from ever-new perspectives: it’s no longer just about recipes, but about storytelling, emotion and connection,” says Andrea Santagata, CEO of the Digital and MarTech area at Mondadori Media. “We’ve built an ecosystem that creates innovative formats combining the pleasure of cooking with the storytelling power of chefs and creators. It’s a winning mix that allows us to produce content in any format and to generate culture, value and entertainment for audiences aged from 18 to 60.”

A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING MEDIA ECOSYSTEM

With more than 21 million users reached every month in Italy (Comscore data) and over 72 million followers worldwide, GialloZafferano confirms its position as the leading food media brand. This success is also driven by its partnership with Zenzero Talent Agency, Italy’s leading food talent agency, which celebrates its third anniversary this October. A true point of reference for chefs and food creators in Italy, Zenzero represents 28 talents in Italy and six in the US market. Over the past year, Zenzero has developed over 206 branded content projects and more than 80 live events that have helped to consolidate the relationship with the community, bringing the experience from the digital to the real. Together, GialloZafferano and Zenzero offer an integrated ecosystem of original content, live events and branded projects that authentically connect brands with audiences.

NEW FORMATS THAT TELL THE STORY OF FOOD LIKE NEVER BEFORE

• Discorsi in Osteria – with Cesare Battisti

The new original vodcast, created in collaboration with chef Cesare Battisti – founder of the Milanese restaurants Ratanà, Remulass and Silvano vini e cibi – brings critical thinking and the warmth of real conversation to the table. It’s a mix of popular authenticity and culinary reflection, where Cesare and his guests tackle themes such as grandmother’s cooking, the disappearance of traditional trattorias, dishes “that can only be made one way”, cream in pasta and Sunday lunch. All while actually cooking together. Discorsi in Osteria is the first cooking vodcast made in the kitchen, where the host truly becomes the oste (innkeeper) in every sense. The series will be available from late October on YouTube, Spotify and across all GialloZafferano and Cesare Battisti social channels.
With this GialloZafferano project, Cesare Battisti begins a collaboration with Zenzero Talent Agency, bringing his deep connection to the local area, professionalism and expertise in the restaurant industry to the agency’s team of creators.

• Ti mando un vocale (I’ll send you a voice message)

A format full of warmth and flavour, bringing people and memories together around a special dish, alongside some of GialloZafferano’s most popular faces. The community will be invited to send a voice message to the editorial team, describing their most treasured recipe: the one that recalls an emotion, an image or a loved one. The luckiest participants will be invited to the brand’s kitchen to cook their chosen dish together with GialloZafferano’s chefs.

• La ricetta che ti fa felice (The recipe that makes you happy)

A comforting dish that feeds both body and soul: GialloZafferano chefs explore everyday emotions — nostalgia, stress, performance anxiety — starting from a recipe, with the support of a psychologist who translates these feelings into practical tools for wellbeing.

WELL-BEING AT THE TABLE SPEAKS TO A NEW GENERATION

Among the new faces of GialloZafferano’s upcoming season is Ludovica “Lulù” Gargari — already a chef creator for the brand — who now becomes GialloZafferano’s official Ambassador. Lulù’s journey, from graduating at ALMA to becoming a social media creator, represents a contemporary way of living and sharing food: colourful, healthy, down-to-earth and close to everyday life.

Part of the Zenzero Talent Agency roster, Lulù will also host Un piatto bilanciato, where — alongside a nutritionist — she’ll teach viewers how to create balanced meals without giving up on taste. The project is part of the expansion of GialloZafferano Benessere, the brand’s new web and social media hub dedicated to nutrition insights and the evolving eating habits of Italians. The initiative also includes new social collaborations with doctor Edoardo Mocini and dietitian Paola Stavolone.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS AND INVESTORS

Today, GialloZafferano stands out not only as a point of reference for the public, but also for those seeking creative, integrated and high-impact communication projects in the world of food. Each new format is designed to enhance:

• native editorial content, ideal for branded storytelling;
• live events and activations that foster genuine connections;
• multi-platform projects that combine video, social media, audio and recipes.

A MEDIA BRAND EVOLVING INTO A FULL MEDIA COMPANY, WITH FOOD IN ITS DNA

The new editorial season is yet another demonstration of GialloZafferano’s ability to evolve the language of food and turn it into a tool for communication, culture and shared growth. A true food media powerhouse,  combines reach, relationships and meaningful content.

GialloZafferano is Italy’s leading food media brand: online, one in two Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches more than 21 million people every month (social incremental reach, Comscore, January–August 2025). With a community of over 72 million followers, it ranks among the top food media brands worldwide on social media (source: Shareablee–Comscore and social insights). Thanks to its accessible, easy-to-follow recipes and content, GialloZafferano is there for people at every moment of the day and across all channels, from web to social, from the app to smart devices, from the magazine and books to live events across Italy.

Zenzero is the talent agency that exclusively manages some of the top food creators on the Italian digital scene. Founded at the end of 2022 through a collaboration between GialloZafferano, One Shot Agency and six of Italy’s leading food creators, it now reaches over 43 million followers and more than 50 million video views. Zenzero Talent Agency represents a new point of connection between an extraordinary network of creators and brand partners, developing powerful communication strategies that meet brands’ growing need to engage with passions, values and new languages, including those of Generation Z.

GialloZafferano, the most popular in Italy and one of the world’s most beloved food media brand, opens CasaGiallo, its first house of production in the United States, designed to talk about the Italian way of understanding and experiencing cuisine across the ocean.

Located in Brooklyn, with a view of the three famous bridges of New York – the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn – CasaGiallo is a new creative space for developing content dedicated to contemporary Italian cuisine.  Furnished with characteristic articles of Italian design, CasaGiallo not only overlooks the city’s bridges but also becomes a bridge between Italian cuisine and the American public.

An evolution of the space presented in 2024, the new content studio will form the heart of production for GialloZafferano aimed at the US market. CasaGiallo aims to produce the best cooking content for visual quality and social language, respecting Italian tradition and building open, long-lasting cultural exchange. The studio will host chefs, creators, and branded content projects, offering companies an integrated digital (web and social) and physical multipurpose hub, in an ideal location for unique, innovative experiences.

‘With CasaGiallo, we bring our vision of Italian cuisine to the creative heart of New York,’ says Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media Digital Area. ‘It is not just a simple production studio but a dynamic place for talent, cultures, and brands to connect. With CasaGiallo, we offer companies promoting the Italian culinary tradition in America an effective way to tell their story through innovative content that can speak to the American public using authentic, up-to-date language.’

With 72 million followers globally, GialloZafferano strengthens its presence in the American market, initiating a new phase of internationalisation.

CasaGiallo was inaugurated in the presence of the Italian Trade Agency, with an exclusive moment created with the Italian-American creator Bilena Settepani, owner of the historical Settepani Bakery in Brooklyn, and Aurora Cavallo @Cooker Girl, the brand’s ambassador.

GIALLOZAFFERANO, OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF THE ITALY PAVILION AT THE SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW

One of GialloZafferano’s most successful initiatives in the United States is its media partnership with the Italy Pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York (29 June – 1 July), the most important food and beverage fair in America. This the third consecutive year for the partnership, which relies on an exclusive collaboration with Universal Marketing, the only Italian agent for the Specialty Food Association and organiser of the Italy Pavilion, which brought 340 companies to New York under the concept ‘Italy, the Art of Taste’.
During the Summer Fancy Food Show, GialloZafferano was accompanied by Italian and Italian-American talent from Zenzero, the vertical talent agency by Mondadori Media in the world of food. Guests included Cooker Girl, Cook with Fez, Daniele Rossi, Bilena Settepani, Rosy Chin, Flavors by Alessandra, Lulù Gargari, Silvia Barban, and Marco Chef.

On the eve of the event, the creators participated in a photo session in Times Square and, during the four days of the fair, enlivened the Italy Pavilion with 20 live showcookings and over 50 original content items shared on GialloZafferano Loves Italy, the social media profile dedicated to an international audience.

ACTIVITIES WITH BRAND PARTNERS

Following the success of the last edition, the collaboration between GialloZafferano and Grana Padano was renewed for the 2025 edition of the Summer Fancy Food Show. In fact, GialloZafferano was present at the Consortium’s stand with two showcookings a day, hosted by well-known faces from the digital kitchen. For the second consecutive year, GialloZafferano was also a partner of the exclusive annual event organised by Grana Padano on 30 June at Bar 65 (Rockefeller Center). Here, creators Cooker Girl and Marco Chef brought the tradition of Italian cuisine to the table, reinterpreting it in a contemporary language.

There was also a great following for this year’s #NotSoFancy Party, the after-party created by GialloZafferano. The event, held in collaboration with Ferrarelle – which has just begun its expansion into the United States and considers this initiative an important milestone in building its reputation overseas – served as a unique opportunity to foster synergy and connections among Italian food brands, celebrate innovation and excellence in Italian cuisine, and further enhance the experience of the Fancy Food Show. The evening took place in the elegant restaurant Travelers, Poets and Friends, with a food and beverage menu epitomising Italian excellence. Key stars of the event included food creators from Zenzero Talent Agency alongside chefs and guests from the food world, as well as influencers, critics, and opinion leaders in the sector. The event was organised in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency, Urbani Tartufi, and Di Marco as technical sponsor.

For this edition as well, several Italian companies in the agrifood sector partnered with GialloZafferano at the Summer Fancy Food Show in NY to develop initiatives – showcooking in particular – and special content with related amplification on social media involving creators and chefs from Zenzero. These included Granarolo, Rega, and Urbani Tartufi in collaboration with Universal Marketing – Regione Campania, Regione Lazio, and Russo Food.

The activities were developed by Mondadori Media in collaboration with the Mediamond agency and the BrandOn Solutions team, which is responsible for special initiatives.

GialloZafferano is the leading food media brand in Italy. On the web, 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches 22 million people every month (Comscore Social Incremental Reach, March 2025). With a fanbase of 72 million followers, it tops the world’s food media brand ranking on social media (source: internal analysis of Shareablee-Comscore data and social insights). Offering recipes that are always easy to make and accessible to everyone, it is available to people at any time of day on all channels: from the web to social media, apps, smart devices, magazines, books and local events.

Zenzero is the talent agency exclusively for the best food creators in Italian digital media. Founded at the end of 2022 through a collaboration between GialloZafferano, One Shot Agency, and six of the top food creators in Italian digital media, it reaches over 43 million followers and over 50 million video views. Zenzero Talent Agency is a new point of contact between an extraordinary hub of creators and brand partners. Its goal is to establish effective communication pathways that respond to brand’s growing need to tap into the passions, values, and new language of Generation Z.

Building on the success of previous editions, McDonald’s is once again offering new McChicken Creations, recipes created in collaboration with GialloZafferano, Italy’s favourite food media brand, and inspired by the original McChicken sandwich. It will be available in the more than 760 McDonald’s restaurants from today to 19 August.
The successful partnership between McDonald’s and GialloZafferano is now in its seventh year, with more than 55 million sandwiches sold.

This year’s new McChicken Creation recipes, using 100% Italian chicken breast, are topped with three PDO and PGI ingredients: Provolone Valpadana PDO, which returns to McDonald’s menus, Cappero (capers) delle Isole Eolie PDO and Peperoni (bell pepper) di Senise PGI, which appear for the first time as an extra touch in the mayonnaise and sauce on the new sandwiches. The Peperone combines bacon, crispy onions and a flavourful, fragrant sauce made using Italian Peperoni di Senise IGP. In contrast, the Provolone consists of crispy bacon, the authentic and enchanting Provolone Valpadana DOP and a special mayonnaise with the intense, unmistakable flavour of Cappero delle Isole Eolie DOP.

McChicken Creations demonstrate a commitment to making the quality and authenticity of Italian ingredients accessible to everyone, enhancing the recipes with treasures from our land. With this goal in mind, the relationship with the protection consortia, which began in 2008 with the invaluable support of Fondazione Qualivita, has grown stronger over the years. This interaction has led to the introduction of 24 PDO and PGI ingredients on McDonald’s menus, enabling millions of people to discover and recognise the value of Made in Italy.

Through the collaboration with GialloZafferano comes the new McChicken Creations: two original recipes meticulously created to celebrate and make the most of 100% Italian flavours, combining the best of innovation and tradition.

‘We are proud to present the seventh edition of McChicken Creations, an initiative that strengthens our commitment to supporting the Italian food supply chain,’ says Giorgia Favaro, Managing Director of McDonald’s Italy. ‘Through our collaboration with GialloZafferano, the Qualivita Foundation and the protection consortia, we are able to integrate PDO and PGI ingredients into our offerings, making them accessible to an ever wider public. We have been working in this direction for more than 15 years, aiming to enhance quality raw materials and support local producers,’ Favaro concludes.

‘The collaboration between GialloZafferano and McDonald’s, which is celebrating its seventh edition, conveys solid synergy with the aim of depicting the Italian way of life in an innovative manner,’ says Andrea Santagata, Managing Director of Mondadori Media. ‘The project combines taste, accessibility and innovation through effective interaction with the public, using a new and engaging language. The results achieved over the years demonstrate the effectiveness of a strategy — in terms of reach and audience appreciation — that focuses on quality, creativity, tradition and experimentation,’ Santagata concludes.

The new edition of McChicken Creation was presented with a special event at the GialloZafferano headquarters, with the participation of Giorgia Favaro, Managing Director McDonald’s Italy, and Andrea Santagata, Managing Director Mondadori Media. Speakers also included: Valeria Casani, Chief Marketing Officer McDonald’s Italy; Nicola Lussana, Managing Director Mediamond; and Mauro Rosati, Director General Fondazione Qualivita. Other participants included representatives of the certified ingredients in the new recipes: Vittorio Emanuele Pisani, Director of the Consorzio di Tutela Provolone Valpadana DOP; Lorenzo Cortese, President of the Associazione Cappero delle Isole Eolie DOP; and Enrico Fanelli, President of the Consorzio di Tutela Peperoni di Senise IGP.

The event was also enlivened with an engaging cooking show by McDonald’s Chef Raffaele Bellini, who revealed the secrets and preparation of the new recipes to the audience. GialloZafferano involved a team of exceptional chefs and food creators to preview the new recipes and create exclusive content for social media: Andriana Kulchytska, Roberto Valbuzzi – Notordinarychef, Angelo Coassin – Cooking with Bello, Eva Andrini – Evasfoodaddiction, Gessica Runcio – Le ricette da Gessica, Nonna Silvi and Dany Resconi. With his charismatic attitude, Radio 105 host Nicolò Torielli led the event, encouraging interaction and participation and creating a dynamic and engaging atmosphere.

The entire activity and visibility plan for McChicken Creations were developed together with Brand On Solutions, the project area of Mediamond, with the coordination of OMD and OPRG and the creativity of Leo Burnett for all GialloZafferano digital channels, from its website to social media profiles – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – up to the app, which has a push notification targeted at the McDonald’s drive-to-store and drive-to-app.

McDonald’s Italia
Present in Italy for 39 years, McDonald’s now has over 750 restaurants across the country with a total of 38,000 employees serving 1.2 million customers every day. Ninety per cent of Italian McDonald’s restaurants are managed as franchises by more than 160 local entrepreneurs who testify to the brand’s rootedness in the territory. With regard to suppliers, McDonald’s also confirms its desire to be a ’local’ brand. To date, in fact, most suppliers are Italian. Worldwide, McDonald’s is present in more than 100 countries with more than 41,000 restaurants.

GialloZafferano
GialloZafferano is the leading food media brand in Italy. On the web, 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches 23 million people every month (Comscore incremental reach, March 2025). With a fanbase of 72 million followers, it tops the world’s food media brand ranking on social media (source: Shareablee-Comscore and social insights). Offering recipes that are always easy to make and accessible to everyone, it is available to people at any time of day on all channels: from the web to social media, apps, smart devices, magazines, books and local events.

The kitchens of Palazzo Farnese opened their doors yesterday for a festive meeting and cultural exchange, organised by the French Embassy in partnership with GialloZafferano, Italy’s number one food media brand, which promotes Italian cuisine throughout the world.

Participants from all over Italy arrived early in the morning at Palazzo Farnese in no particular order, as well as some chefs and members of the jury directly from France. The idea for the event came from Martin Briens, French Ambassador to Italy, a food and wine connoisseur and keen chef – who recently tried his hand at preparing the cacio e pepe recipe together with Nonna Silvi, the ‘Grandmother of Italy’ – and Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media, publisher of GialloZafferano.

As part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the French Embassy in Rome, several teams of aspiring chefs, culinary masters under 35, and talents from the food world competed to offer a contemporary and multicultural reinterpretation of Sunday lunch.

The key concepts for the day hosted by the French Embassy were three: the transmission of knowledge, by training new generations of chefs and fostering dialogue and collaboration between schools and professionals from different nations; sharing, as the creation of synergies between young French and Italian chefs through cooking; and sustainability, seen as the promotion of the use of zero-kilometre products and limited budgets for each menu.

The program for the day at Palazzo Farnese

Gustofolie is a project – organised by the Institut Français Italia in collaboration with the Alliances Françaises d’Italia – aimed at students of Italian hotel schools, created with the aim of promoting Franco-Italian relations in the professional hotel training sector. The competition invited participants to reflect on topics such as Francophonie, eco-responsibility and creativity in the kitchen. During the first part of the day, the two finalist teams (each made up of three students, two Italians and one French from a partner school, Genoa-Dijon and Viareggio-Grenoble, under the guidance of a teacher) challenged each other on the theme of “Sunday Lunch” – always a symbol of togetherness and tradition – which was reinterpreted with a modern twist, maintaining a maximum spending limit of 25 euros. This limitation presented a stimulating challenge, encouraging reflection on the social importance of shared moments at the table and their sustainability, not only environmental but also economic.

The members of the jury and the chefs involved in this unforgettable cultural exchange initiative arrived yesterday morning at Palazzo Farnese from all over Italy and directly from France.

Alongside Ambassador Martin Briens, the jury included Luana Belmondo, the “favourite Italian cook of the French”, embassy chef Cyril Esneault, Ludovica – Lulù – Gargari, resident chef of GialloZafferano and part of the Zenzero Talent Agency roster, and Carla Parolari, headmistress of the IPSEOA Vincenzo Gioberti vocational high school in Rome. The prize is the creation of the winning recipe at the GialloZafferano production studios in Milan, with publication of the video online.

The Gustofolie final was an occasion for joyful cultural and culinary competition aimed at highlighting French and Italian cuisines and products, promoting new links in the field of food and wine and professional training.

In the afternoon session, the baton was passed to the young (under 35) chefs. The theme of their menus was also Sunday lunch, reinterpreted with a contemporary approach (with a maximum charge this time of 35 euros) to celebrate the meeting of French and Italian cuisine. The friendly challenge took place between the following pairs:

• Carla Ferrari, executive chef at Pizza Cosy, and Sabrina Macrì, executive chef at BistRo Aimo e Nadia. They cooked:
  • Appetizer – Emilian-style stuffed onion: whole onion steamed and glazed with chicken jus, stuffed like a tortellino, parmesan cream and mixed salad
  • First course – Pasta with potatoes d’a-mmare: mixed creamy pasta with potatoes, provola cheese and seafood ragù (mussels, clams and calamari), parsley cream, bisque and lemon zest
  • Dessert: Pastiera mon sciú: religieuse with two fillings, lemon curd and Neapolitan pastiera

• Alessandro Belmondo, chef at the Bistrot Gourmand Caillebotte, and Aurora Cavallo – Cooker Girl, chef, content creator at Zenzero Talent Agency and Ambassador of GialloZafferano Their menu was:
  • Appetizer – Warm, soft homemade focaccia to dip in a selection of pissaladière-inspired toppings: thyme-confit onions, anchovy and black olive cream, and sweet chili-confit cherry tomatoes. With the addition of sweet and sour red onion
  • First course – Large ravioli filled with shredded veal, fondant carrots and mushrooms, inspired by the classic blanquette. The ravioli is topped with a bright jus creamed with hazelnut butter. Accompanied by a small ramekin of lukewarm mousse with lemon cream and fresh herbs. Finish: lemon zest, chopped herbs, a touch of fleur de sel, toasted hazelnut
  • Dessert: Choux pastry with cocoa craquelin filled with whipped cream with Piedmont PGI hazelnut praline. Sour heart with lemon confit or wild blueberry for freshness.

• Umberto Rocca, chef de partie at Joia, and Apolline Soëte, chef at Le Clarisse de Apolline, who prepared:
  • Appetizer (recipe by Apolline Soëte) Oysters in jelly with their own water, vermouth, wild fennel and pink pepper. Tomato tartare with two consistencies, Ligurian herb oil.
  • First course (recipe by Umberto Rocca) Anima mundi, Vegetable risotto with young carrots, tasty mushrooms, cashew and saffron crescenza, salsa verde and fresh blueberries.
  • Dessert (Umberto Rocca and Apolline Soëte) Cuddles under a white blanket: a meeting between Normandy and Lombardy with soft milk bread mousse and stimulating surprises

The jury will once again be chaired by ambassador Martin Briens, Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media Digital and MarTech area, Massimo Borgnis, Editor-in-Chief of CHI, here exceptionally in the role of host of the Food Network television series “Le Locande del cuore”, Sebastian Fitarau, resident chef at GialloZafferano and part of the Zenzero Talent Agency roster. A winning team was chosen for each course. The three couples will also cook for a gala dinner at the Embassy in the autumn, as the closing event of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the French Embassy in Rome.

The sponsor of this festive day was Julie Andrieu, a TV presenter and food critic, who announced the winners in the splendid setting of the Embassy’s Murano Gallery, with a buffet prepared and served by a Roman hotel school.

Celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the French Embassy in Rome

The celebrations for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Embassy and the Ecole française de Rome at Palazzo Farnese opened on 3 December 2024 with a dinner “in the style of 1875”. The event on 21 May opens a new season full of culinary sharing between Italy and France with events that in 2026 will again involve young students and chefs to explore the themes of knowledge transmission, cultural sharing and sustainable creativity.

Statements

Martin Briens, French Ambassador to Italy, commented: “Since I have been living in Italy, I realise more and more, even when I travel in the various regions, that Italians and French share this passion for food. We are two peoples who place particular importance on food in our daily lives, but also importance on the sense of sharing that a meal with family or friends provides. I want young Italians and French people to always feel welcome in our countries. This is why hotel school students and young chefs met and cooked, and I hope they will meet again to cook together, which is the best way to have unforgettable experiences together.”

Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media Digital and MarTech area: “We are deeply honoured to join the French Embassy and Ambassador Martin Briens in this project that celebrates the meeting of two extraordinary cultures through cuisine. GialloZafferano is increasingly a reference point for Italian cuisine worldwide, with over thirty million followers outside Italy. Participating in this initiative means supporting dialogue between young chefs, professionals and creators, providing space for new ideas and stimulating discussions. The greatest pleasure is to see how French and Italian culinary traditions meet, revealing not only deep affinities, but also an extraordinary ability to tell stories through flavors. Because, after all, cooking is a universal language that unites and enriches.”

GialloZafferano is bringing to TuttoFood – the prestigious B2B trade fair dedicated to the agrofood ecosystem – the successful formula that has made it the most popular food media brand among Italians: the pleasure of cooking together and the ability to communicate.

The tenth edition of TuttoFood, hosted by Fiere di Parma for the first time, is welcoming 4,700 companies in over 150,000 square metres spread over 10 stands, as well as thousands of professional visitors and top buyers from all over the world. GialloZafferano, a reference point for Italian cuisine – one in two Italians cooks with its recipes – is the media partner of the 2025 edition.

During the four days of the fair (5-8 May, Rho Fiera Milano), the GialloZafferano Lounge will host entrepreneurs, chefs, creators and opinion makers. In addition to the preparation of dishes and tastings that combine innovation and tradition, there will be discussions about ways to showcase cuisine in Italy and around the world, as well as opportunities for development in the dynamic agrifood market.

GialloZafferano Lounge with live kitchen

In the GialloZafferano Lounge, a 180 sq m stand in the centre of Corso Italia, the main street of TuttoFood 2025, every day begins with a coffee tasting followed by a showcooking session featuring chefs, GialloZafferano ambassadors and creators from the Zenzero Talent Agency, the agency that manages the best food creators in the Italian digital scene.

The heart of the GialloZafferano Lounge is the live kitchen where, every day, GialloZafferano resident chefs Sebastian Fitarau and Lulù Gargari, hosts Giovanni Castaldi and Manuel Saraceno, together with Chef Daniele Rossi, offer innovative ideas and suggestions in the kitchen, alternating with debates moderated by Federico Quaranta, one of the most authoritative voices in the food and wine world and in the media.

The program, which is packed with dishes and content, also addresses the theme of catering and hospitality with Rossella Cerea, general manager of Da Vittorio, and chefs Cesare Battisti of Ratanà, Raffaele Minghini and Sauro Ricci of Joia, Alessandro Pinton of Horto, Fabio Pisani of Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia, and Giovanni Ricciardella of Cascina Vittoria.

Finally, a business perspective is brought to the Lounge thanks to contributions from entrepreneurs and managers such as Anna Bardon, brand & digital marketing senior manager cheese – Gruppo Lactalis, Amanda Biasi, marketing manager – Rummo, Antimo Caputo CEO – Mulino Caputo, and Andrea Santagata, managing director of the Digital and MarTech area of ​​Mondadori Media.

Commenting on the occasion, Andrea Santagata remarks: “We are delighted to present the  GialloZafferano content and network in the physical setting of TuttoFood. With 50 guests including important chefs, content creators, entrepreneurs and managers of food companies, the GialloZafferano Lounge becomes a reference point for the guests of the Fair. We hope that these four days of discussion will shed even more light on the need for the media and companies to innovate and communicate more effectively against a backdrop full of critical issues, as well as opportunities for the Italian food sector: foreign markets, in particular the United States, the use of artificial intelligence, and new consumption habits.”

The GialloZafferano Lounge will also be animated with showcooking activities and tastings featuring Mulino Caputo flours, a selection of Leffe beers, Urbani truffle products and the aroma of Verzì coffee. The partnership activities have been developed together with Brand On Solutions, a project area of Mediamond.

GZ Lab and Italians’ well-being at the table

In the rich programme of meetings and showcooking sessions, a central role is dedicated to a discussion of the ways in which Italians’ consumption is changing, particularly the concept of well-being at the table. New data will be presented by GZ Lab, the first digital food observatory in Italy created with scientific support from the Sylla research institute, which, thanks to the GialloZafferano community, explains how Italians’ cooking habits and priorities are changing.

Here is a preview of some figures: 27% of Italians have increased the number of times they eat at home compared to last year. Moreover, as many as 98% of Italians associate the concept of healthy eating with home-cooked meals: this makes it possible to combine health, taste and high-quality ingredients, which, according to 39.5% of respondents, should ideally be locally sourced.
For 62%, well-being is also about having enough time to cook; ‘meal prep’, i.e. planning and preparing weekly meals in advance, is increasingly popular, with 58% of respondents practising it, and a further 25% interested in trying it out.
The recipe for eating well is a balance between health and taste (rating 8.9/10), which, according to 65% of respondents, is achieved by using fresh, seasonal ingredients

GialloZafferanois the leading food media brand in Italy: on the web, 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches 23 million people every month (Comscore incremental reach, March 2025). With a fanbase of 72 million followers, it tops the world’s food media brand ranking on social media (source: Shareablee-Comscore and social insights). Offering recipes that are always easy to make and accessible to everyone, it is available to people at any time of day on all channels: from the web to social media, apps, smart devices, magazines, books and local events.

GialloZafferano, the leading food media brand in Italy, made its debut at the winter edition of Fancy Food Show, one of the most important food industry fairs in the world, held in Las Vegas from 19 to 21 January.

The edition took place under the mark of Italian spirit. In fact, Italy was chosen as Country Partner for the fourth time. This is an absolute record for the trade fair, reflecting the importance of the Italian culinary culture around the world, values that GialloZafferano has always embodied in its DNA, offering new growth opportunities for companies in the sector.

The involvement of GialloZafferano was made possible by a partnership – which will continue throughout 2025 – with Universal Marketing, an agency that supports Italian businesses in organizing their participation in the most important world expos, even preparing the exhibition area. With the success of the edition that just ended in Las Vegas, work has already begun to plan content and activities for the brand’s participation in the Summer Fancy Food Show.

THE WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW

After collaborating the 2024 summer edition, GialloZafferano was also the media partner of the Italian Pavilion for this edition. With about 1,000 m² and 101 stands, it is the largest international exhibition area at the fair, showcasing the best of Italian companies in the food industry and the regions of Piedmont, Calabria and Sicily.

Together with Zenzero, the Mondadori Media talent agency dedicated to the world of food, GialloZafferano starred in over 10 live show cooking events, enlivening the First Taste Experience area and Lounge Italia, promoted and organized by ICE (Italian Trade Agency) at the centre of the Italian Pavilion. The team of food creators and chefs was of absolute quality and prestige, with Aurora Cavallo (@CookerGirl), who spoke at the opening press conference, Alessandra Ciuffo (@FlavorsbyAlessandra), Bilena Settepani (Settepani Bakery, New York), Lulù Gargari (Resident Chef Creator, GialloZafferano) and Silvia Barban (Executive Chef and co-owner of LaRina restaurant, Brooklyn), present during the fair in Las Vegas.

During the three days of the exhibition, more than 30 original content items were created and shared through GialloZafferano Loves Italy (@giallolovesitaly), the social media account dedicated to an international audience, which currently has more than 30 million cooking followers in foreign markets.

PROJECTS FOR 2025
Throughout 2025, GialloZafferano will continue use its website and social media channels to recount the ways in which Italian cuisine is increasingly permeating the eating habits of American consumers. A rich schedule of new social media series is already planned to explore traditions and new trends, emphasizing the quality of Italian ingredients. This exciting journey of discovery will carry us up to the most important event of the year: the Summer Fancy Food Show, scheduled from 29 June to 1 July 2025 in New York. At the event, GialloZafferano will present itself as a sounding board for Italian brands looking to enter the American market or further strengthen their position. GialloZafferano, the best loved Italian food media brand and ambassador of Italian cuisine around the world, will continue to listen and recount Italian taste, bringing the unique characteristics of Italian products and cuisine to the sensitivity of the American public. In fact, its participation in other important events on the Italian food industry calendar will soon be announced.

GialloZafferano is the leading food media brand in Italy. Half of Italians cook with GialloZafferano online, which reached over 25 million people in November 2024 (Comscore, Multi-platform digital audience). With a fanbase of 72 million followers, it ranks among the top food media brands in the world on social platforms (source: Shareablee-Comscore and Social Insights). It has feasible content accessible to everyone, serving people at all times of the day and across all channels, from the Internet to social media, from its app to smart devices, from its magazine to books and even local events.

Zenzero is the exclusive talent agency managing the best food creators in the Italian digital landscape. Stemming from a collaboration in late 2022 between GialloZafferano, One Shot Agency and six of the top food creators in the Italian digital landscape, it has reached over 43 million followers and over 50 million video views. Zenzero Talent Agency is a new point of contact between an extraordinary hub of creators and brand partners whose goal is to establish effective communication pathways that respond to the growing need of brands to intercept the passions, values and new language of Generation Z.

GialloZafferano, Italy’s number-one food media brand with more than 70 million followers worldwide, announces an autumn filled with exciting news that once again confirms the strong, multi-channel, innovative approach that has made the brand a major benchmark for cooking enthusiasts, including at an international level.

Launch of GZ Lab

Building on its relationship of trust with its community, which in Italy alone numbers more than 35 million followers and 17 million unique monthly users, GialloZafferano is launching GZ Lab, the first digital observatory of consumption and trends related to cooking in Italy, a tool to investigate and learn about Italians’ opinions, interests and habits when it comes to cooking.

As a first step, GZ Lab explored Italians’ relationship with food and cooking in cultural, social and personal terms through a questionnaire, developed together with the Sylla research institute, which received more than 8,000 answers in one week. Various interesting aspects emerged:

• food as a fundamental resource for physical and mental well-being: for 84% of those surveyed, food choices are guided by weight control, allergies or intolerances, and ethical or religious reasons;
• the return to a domestic approach to meals, experienced as a time to express your creativity and show affection towards others: in the past year, 27% of people have increased the number of times they eat at home and 54% have decreased their online food orders;
• a focus on limiting expenses: for 21% this is a factor that guides their food choices, without compromising on exploring new horizons and discovering new flavours thanks to high-quality ingredients and attention to the way dishes are presented;
• more than 30% of the respondents associated cooking and meal preparation with a gesture of love and care directed towards others, as a connection with the world to build and consolidate bonds, and towards themselves as personal growth, a path of experimentation, curiosity and discovery.

Full results are available here.

An all new version for GialloZafferano Magazine

Starting this month, Italy’s most popular cookery magazine with over 80,000 copies per month and more than 1.5 million readers, is presenting itself to the public in a new version adapted to readers’ demands.

Its pages devote even more space to recipes, with a step-by-step approach that ensures that they are easy to follow and more closely linked to GialloZafferano’s website and social media channels. There will also be even more contributions from ambassadors, resident chefs, bloggers and brand creators, including Luisa Orizio, Sebastian Fitarau and Azzuchef, who are all featured in this month’s issue. GialloZafferano Magazine also presents new columns and special features, such as themed sections dedicated to the local area and industry events, offering visibility opportunities for partner companies.

To mark the magazine’s renewal, a digital campaign was carried out involving more than 50 GialloZafferano bloggers and strong visibility in retail outlets and large-scale retail trade.

GialloZafferano in the United States

After taking centre stage at the recent Summer Fancy Food Show in New York with showcooking, original content and performances designed and staged for major Italian food brands, GialloZafferano is expanding its roster of chefs and culinary talents active in the United States with the addition of Bilena Settepani and Daniele Uditi to the team. Awarded by Iginio Massari in 2023 as one of the best pastry chefs on an international level, Bilena Settepani is Executive Pastry Chef of the famous Settepani Bakery in New York, whose creations based on the Italian confectionery tradition are appreciated throughout the United States. After moving from Caserta to Los Angeles in 2010, in 2017 Daniele Uditi opened the first “Pizzana”, a brand that has now become a chain with 7 locations in California and Texas, which are frequented by prominent figures from the American jet set.

The new chef creators of GialloZafferano, managed by Zenzero, Mondadori Media’s talent agency, will further strengthen the presence of Italian cuisine in America, including through the creation with Universal Marketing – the exclusive organiser of Italian companies’ presence in the Fancy Food Show halls – of a new trade fair experience for our cuisine, already starting from the next Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, in January 2025.

GialloZafferano is also announcing the start of an editorial collaboration with Alessandra Ciuffo, known on social media as Flavors by Ale. Alessandra, whose profile now has over 900,000 followers, grew up in New York, started cooking when she was just three years old and has made a name for herself in the industry by sharing her passion for cooking, cooking techniques and everyday moments with her close-knit Italian-American family.

GialloZafferano is Italy’s leading food media brand on the Internet. 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches an average of 17 million people every month (average month Audicom 2024). It is the fourth largest food media brand in the world on social media, with a fanbase of almost 71.5 million followers (source: Shareablee-Comscore and Social Insights, August 24). Thanks to recipes within everyone’s grasp, it is available to people 24/7 on all channels: from the Internet to social media, from apps to smart devices, as well as magazines, books and local events nationwide.

The partnership between McDonald’s and GialloZafferano, Italy’s most popular food media brand, has been renewed for the sixth consecutive year. This partnership, which has led to sales of 45 million sandwiches, is now returning with a new edition of McChicken Creations: two tasty recipes inspired by the original McChicken, available in all of the over 700 restaurants until 28 October.

The two variants boast high-quality Italian ingredients that enhance the classic 100% Italian, free-range, GMO-free chicken breast supplied by Amadori and the bread produced in Italy by Bimbo. The new recipe for 2024, McChicken Delizioso, combines crispy bacon and Italian artichokes, along with “Grana Padano PDO” artichoke sauce; McChicken Gustoso is also back in a Wrap version with crispy bacon, Italian red cabbage and Pecorino Romano DOP & pepper sauce.

The McChicken Creations reaffirm McDonald’s commitment to the Italian food supply chain year after year: in 2023, the company invested around 415 million euro in the sector. McDonald’s commitment is also reflected in its strong ties with the Protection Consortia, with which – thanks to the valuable support of the Qualivita Foundation – it has been working since 2008. Since then, 21 PDO and PGI ingredients have been introduced into McDonald’s menus, included in more than 45 recipes, with a total of 7,000 tons of raw materials used.

The McChicken Creations were conceived by McDonald’s and GialloZafferano, which created two recipes that showcase Made in Italy excellence.

“We are proud to re-launch such an important project for McDonald’s. For six years, the McChicken Creations initiative has seen us unite with GialloZafferano in the goal of creating recipes that showcase the quality and taste of Made in Italy ingredients,” remarks Giorgia Favaro, CEO of McDonald’s Italy. “This annual initiative not only strengthens our connection with Italy, but also reaffirms our concrete commitment to supporting the agri-food sector. Partly thanks to the collaboration with the Qualivita Foundation, over the past 15 years our support has enabled us to highlight local excellence, bringing PDO and GI-certified Italian products to our customers’ trays.”

“GialloZafferano’s partnership with McDonald’s is a truly successful project to which we are particularly committed,” comments Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media. “It perfectly represents some of the key elements that make up our brand’s DNA. These include always offering products that are tasty and accessible to everyone, combining Italian character with innovation, and dialoguing with and entertaining our target audience by developing new communication languages and formats,” Santagata concludes.

The new edition of the McChicken Creations was presented today at a special event at the GialloZafferano headquarters, attended by Giorgia Favaro, CEO of McDonald’s Italy, Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media, Nicola Lussana, CEO of Mediamond, Mauro Rosati, General Manager of the Qualivita Foundation, Stefano Berni, General Manager of the Consorzio di Tutela Grana Padano, and Gianni Maoddi, Chairman of the Consorzio di Tutela Pecorino Romano.

The event also involved GialloZafferano’s top food creators, including Sebastian Fitarau, Luisa Orizio – Allacciate il grembiule, Angello Coassin – Cooking with Bello, Gessica Runcio – Le ricette da Gessica, Andriana Kulchytska and Dany Resconi, who collaborated on the project with a series of exclusive content posted on social media.

The outstanding presenters were the two faces of the Le Iene TV show, Veronica Ruggeri and Stefano Corti, who conducted the event with their distinctive style, involving speakers and participants.

All the activities and visibility plan for the McChicken Creations were developed together with Brand On Solutions, Mediamond’s project area, with the coordination of OMD and in partnership with Leo Burnett, on all digital channels of Giallozafferano, from the website to all social media profiles – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube –, and the app, with the addition of push notifications targeted at McDonald’s drive-to-store and drive-to-app.

GialloZafferano, Italy’s leading food media brand, announces the addition of two new resident chef creators to its team: Lulù Gargari and Sebastian Fitarau, true culinary talents who, with their appetite for innovation and creativity in recipes – together with their solid knowledge of culinary techniques, ingredients and raw materials – will enrich the experience of all food lovers.

Empowered by their new roles, the two chefs will have the opportunity to further develop their expertise and put it at the service of the GialloZafferano community. Their creations will be inspired by the most successful content, offering new recipes and menus to spark the imagination of the many cooking enthusiasts and stimulate their creativity.

Lulù and Sebastian, young chefs who graduated from Alma – the prestigious School of International Cuisine based in Colorno (PR) and founded by Gualtiero Marchesi – reflect the values of Italian cuisine, like the love for quality raw materials and respect for traditions, which they are able to transmit effectively through content on social media.

Lulù Gargari offers her fanbase of 400,000 followers inclusive and healthy cooking: fit, tasty and affordable recipes. The young chef’s technique meets creativity, with the aim of instilling a love for food and the very act of cooking, without losing sight of the person’s health.

“Cooking is a universal language that speaks directly to people through flavours. I am thrilled to be collaborating with the GialloZafferanoteam, a true leader in the international culinary scene, and that I’ll be able to offer authentic recipes and get everyone cooking,’ says Lulu.

Sebastian Fitarau has a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry and is followed by a community of more than 1.3 million followers. Sebastian offers genuine contemporary cooking that focuses on the details, even in the simplest recipes. Focusing on raw materials, accuracy and craftsmanship in the recipe give his dishes unique tastes and presentation, qualities that distinguish his video recipes.

“Cooking for me is a passion and an art form that finds expression in all my dishes in different ways. I am really grateful and very happy to be part of this project, and to be able to inspire food lovers through GialloZafferano,’ said Sebastian.

To celebrate the addition of Lulù and Sebastian, GialloZafferano will launch the ‘Resident Chef Creator Day’ on Friday, 19 April. This is a day entirely dedicated to the creativity and content of the two creators who will offer some new recipes on the brand’s social media profiles directly from the kitchens of GialloZafferano for the occasion. It will be a unique opportunity for followers to discover the processes, secrets and facts about their dishes.

The two new resident chef creators are part of the roster of Zenzero, Mondadori Media’s Talent Agency that exclusively manages the best food creators on the Italian digital scene.

GialloZafferano supports and promotes new talents in the kitchen and, from today, also has the expertise and grace of Lulù Gargari and Sebastian Fitarau.

GialloZafferano, Italy’s leading food media brand, continues its growth path in the United States with the launch of a new roster of Chef Creators, true ambassadors of Italian national culinary excellence, who are conquering New York City with their restaurants and cooking philosophy.

With almost 70 million followers on social media globally, GialloZafferano is now the fourth most important food media brand worldwide and the first player to promote the quality of Italian cuisine and products abroad with its content. The overseas presence represents an opportunity for Italian brands that want to strengthen their positioning in the American cooking market.

GialloZafferano landed in the US over a year ago with a strategy consisting of dedicated social media profiles, original content productions, iconic talent, and million-view results. It’s no coincidence that GialloZafferano Loves Italy, the social media account dedicated to internal audiences, has decided to promote the new wave of Italian cuisine, mixing tradition and modernity, which is a feature that’s necessary today in order to be able to communicate Italian products worldwide, especially to the US market.

This content offering is now joined by important new stars: Silvia Barban, Nicola Fedeli, Alberto Marcolongo and Riccardo Orfino. Together with GialloZafferano, four of the most successful and talented Italian chefs in New York will invent original recipes and content dedicated to the American market. Giallo ‘s communicative power and the chefs’ recipes will create an original mix of format and content capable of combining authority and quality with record-breaking reach.

From today, with GialloZafferano, Italian food brands will have a veritable food content factory of authentic and engaging content designed for an American audience at their disposal to promote their products.

And that’s not all: the project will also count on the involvement and passion for cooking of Cooker Girl, Aurora Cavallo, the food creator with over 2 million followers and the new brand ambassador for GialloZafferano in the United States, who in the coming months will be the star of GialloZafferano Loves Italy, the new English-language miniseries dedicated to the history and quality of Italy’s most iconic products.

THE CHEFS ON THE NEW GIALLOZAFFERANO ROSTER

Silvia Barban is the Executive Chef and co-owner of Larina Pastificio e Vino in Brooklyn (NYC). Her cuisine revisits local tradition with her energy, using seasonal and even unusual products from all over the world, which she combines with fresh handmade pasta. In the past, she has participated in several talent shows and TV programmes in the States.

Nicola Fedeli, with a series of experiences in the Tuscan region behind him, is Executive Chef at the Hotel Fasano in New York, now a standard for those who love classic Italian cuisine with a contemporary touch.

Alberto Marcolongo is the Executive Chef at Alain Ducasse’s Benoit in New York. After working at Davide Oldani’s D’O, and gaining experience in Paris, he landed in the US as sous-chef at Alain’s renowned bistro in Midtown (NYC). Alberto is considered one of the most promising Italian chefs, thanks to his ability to combine the use of excellent raw materials with international cuisine recipes.

Riccardo Orfino is the Executive Chef and partner of Osteria 57 and Alice in New York. After heading the first Bistrot di Aimo e Nadia in Milan – under the guidance of Chefs Fabio Pisani and Alessandro Negrini –, he moved to New York, bringing his experience with a new idea of contemporary, pescetarian and sustainable Italian cuisine.

GialloZafferano‘s new roster of chefs in the United States will be managed by Zenzero, Mondadori Media’s vertical food talent agency.

GialloZafferano is Italy’s leading food media brand on the Internet: every month 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano for a total of 19 million people (Audicom Nov 2023 – Jan 2024). It is the fourth largest food media brand in the world on social media, with a fanbase of 69 million followers (source: Internal Analyses and Shareableand Comscore Data 2024). Thanks to recipes within everyone’s grasp, it is available to people 24/7 on all channels: from the Internet to social media, from apps to smart devices, as well as magazines, books and local area events nationwide.

Zenzero exclusively manages the best food creators on the Italian digital scene. Created at the end of 2022 from the collaboration between GialloZafferano, One Shot Agency and 6 of the top food creators on the Italian digital scene, it has over 38 million followers and over 50 million video views. Zenzero Talent Agency represents a new point of contact between an extraordinary hub of creators and brand partners with the aim of setting up effective communication pathways that respond to the increasingly strong need of brands to tap into the passions, values and new languages of Generation Z as well.