Esposito and Lin Yilun, singer and founder of sauce brand Fanye, joined chefs from the hotel for an onstage presentation on how to cook each pasta dish. "I want to show you that pasta can be easily cooked at home," says Lin.

Thirty minutes after I finished my pasta, Brittany Dunn returned to the stage an

d announced that three people had been disqualified for not finishing their pasta.

"I can confirm that today you have 348 people who successfully tasted the pasta, and that makes a new Guinness World Records achievement," says Dunn.

People around me started to celebrate before Dunn could finish speaking.

Just as one Italian cuisine event drew to a close in China, another had just begun: Nov 20 to 26 marked the second round of the Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign.

This year's Italian food week in China was celebrated in 14 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen, with more than 100 events ranging from seminars and tastings, to culinary courses and dinners.

Italian ambassador to China Ettore Francesco Sequi says: "This year, we are focusing on the Mediterranean diet and food safety, and we are bringing Italian chef Massimo Spigaroli to China to share his culinary skills."

Many Italian business executives also visited China with their products, Sequi said at the news conference promoting the Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign.

Amedeo Scarpa, director of the Italian Trade Commission in China, says China is one of the most promising markets for Italian exports.

"We want to draw Chinese customers' attention to the fact that the quality and safety of authentic Italian products are strictly controlled by our use of digital technology."