Davide Oldani – 20 Years of Caramelized Onion

A special episode by Italia Squisita in collaboration with Carpigiani

An iconic dish.
A visionary chef.
Twenty years of evolution.

Davide Oldani’s caramelized onion is one of the symbols of contemporary Italian haute cuisine. Created in 2001 for the opening of D’O in Cornaredo (MI), the dish has become a milestone of “pop cuisine” — a philosophy that combines accessibility and refinement, simplicity and technical precision.

At the two Michelin stars restaurant, this signature creation has remained on the menu for over twenty years, continuously evolving through new interpretations of the same central idea: the essential nature of ingredients, expressed through contrasts of temperature, texture, and flavor.

In this special episode, Chef Davide Oldani shares the story behind this iconic dish and the philosophy that shaped it.

For the preparation of gelato and frozen elements used in his cuisine, Oldani relies on Carpigiani Synthesis — a complete system that integrates pasteurization, freezing, and storage in a single solution, ensuring precision, consistency, and full control over the creative process.

A story of vision, technique, and continuity — where innovation serves simplicity, and technology supports haute cuisine at the highest level.