During the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy is leveraging its rich culinary heritage to promote national pride and economic growth. The prominent Italian cheese Grana Padano is featured extensively, appearing on billboards, social media, and in athletes' diets, supported by a $6.5 million marketing campaign emphasizing its high protein content and health benefits. The campaign aims to position Grana Padano as a healthy snack for sports enthusiasts, building on Italy's tradition of protected designation of origin (PDO) foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, which are regulated for quality and regional authenticity. Past Olympic associations have boosted regional food exports, such as Piedmont's Barolo wine after the 2006 Turin Games. Italian food producers see the Olympics as an opportunity to enhance international recognition and sales, with some regional producers concerned about the dominance of large brands overshadowing local varieties. Meanwhile, the Games introduced limited-edition Olympic rings-shaped pasta, designed by the IOC and served to athletes, symbolizing energy and national pride. A Russian figure skater criticized Italian cuisine as monotonous, highlighting pasta's prevalence and lack of diverse regional options, though some athletes praised the food. Overall, Italy is using the Olympics to showcase its culinary excellence and regional diversity, despite concerns about the overshadowing of smaller producers.