Vima Narrainen: A magical journey in Italy

After migrating to Italy, Vima Narrainen is making thousands of people discover Mauritian cuisine while promoting the island’s image. Passion and perseverance are her two main traits of character. She makes us discover her culinary adventure in Italy.

Shortly after finishing college, Vima Narrainen flew to Milan where her elder brother was living. The young lady was searching for a new venture. Little did she realise that she was making a life-changing decision. “I was only 19 when I went to Italy. It was not easy to start a new life in a foreign country, as there were not so many foreigners in Italy at that time. The least we can say is it was not a very warm welcome. Luckily, it did not take me long to adapt to the new lifestyle. My first job was as a babysitter,” she reveals. 

The language barrier is another obstacle she had to overcome. “I joined a private school to learn Italian. I learned the language quite easily, as working with children helps to grasp the language more quickly,” she says. With time, Vima joined a local TV production working on cookery shows and this where her life changed. 

“The passion for food was always present in my life, as my father was a reputed chef. So I grew up in an atmosphere where food was always present. In Milan, Mauritian food is not common. I decided to bring Mauritian cuisine there. I started with small events which I organised myself and invited friends. People really appreciated the food. This gave my ambitions a boost,” she says.

With time, Vima also launched her blog and presented typically made Mauritian food. “Vima’s Food started to gain fame in Milan. I started to do catering for Air Mauritius and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority office in Milan. I was promoting Mauritian food and culture. However, I had to review the ingredients, as people in Milan do not like spicy food. My blog has around 25 000 views and highly visited by Italians.”

Cooking shows 

Vima is also famous for her cooking shows. When she joined television, she did not know that she will gain such fame. This motivated her and she joined the Barilla Academy for further courses. “I had the knowledge but did not have the certificates. But being determined, I started various courses on sanitation and food regulations. This helped me a lot,” she says.

Like a true chef, she started to experiment with food and was successful in each of her attempt. “Innovation has been always in my blood. The outcome of each experiment has been rewarding and fruitful. The television world has really brought fantastic changes in my life. This is where I met my husband who works as a producer.”

Italy: A place to be

For Vima, Italy is a place to be and she does not regret having chosen this country. “Italy is a superb place where freedom prevails, where there is less violence, where you feel safer. Earlier, there were a few Mauritians expatriates living here. But with time, as frontiers were being opened, more Mauritians came to Milan. Today we have a created a small Mauritius hub for us. We are always together. We celebrate every festival together. There is an everlasting bond among us,” she narrates.

Vima wishes to open a restaurant while continuing with her event management business. “I will surely continue to organise my events but at the same time, I will try to bring new concepts like team building and children shows. I really desire to open a small restaurant specialised in Mauritian food from starters to deserts,” she wishes. A recipe book is in the making, she adds.