Stefano Giovannoni - Ginger set - Ginger grater - ''Boga'' - steel AISI 430 mat

Inspired by a trip to the East, Valerio Sommella designed “Boga” for Alessi in 2017, a ginger grater. The namesake fish, with its tapered body and large ‘bug’ eyes, is the inspiration for this simple yet concurrently functionally sophisticated object. Enigmatic and appealing, “Boga” accommodates the rise in the use of herbs and spices: it is the perfect item of tableware and a useful tool to keep handy in the kitchen.

Fitted with hard-wearing, sharp stainless steel grater teeth. Ideal for grating ginger roots, even the stringy kind. Practical and simple to use thanks to its evocative shape: the part that resembles the fish tail provides a convenient handle for your hand, while the head is slightly concave to collect and pour the grated contents. Light-weight and compact in size, it is easy to handle. Perfect in the kitchen, but also suitable for use directly at the table, thanks to its sophisticated and fun design. Easy to clean, rinse under running water or pop into the dishwasher making sure you dry it thoroughly afterwards.

This ‘’Boga’’ ginger grater is in a new and unused condition delivered with original packaging.

Valerio Sommella about the inspiration for the ‘’Boga’’ grater:
“During my last trip to Japan, I often found myself wandering around Kappabashi-dori, a street in Tokyo lined with stores that deal exclusively in kitchen utensils. Obviously, I spent quite a few hours there, and among everything I brought back to Italy there were all kinds of graters for ginger, wasabi, daikon, different in size, material and price. Simple objects, made of a single material, very specific in their function and, for me, extremely fascinating. When I returned to Milan, I could not help but design one. “Boga” is like the fish I caught as a child, silver-bodied with a big eye and never any longer than a hand’s width.”

About Alessi:
Alessi, a renowned Italian design brand founded in 1921, has become a symbol of cutting-edge design and innovative craftsmanship, especially in Postmodernism and Contemporary design as well as some Bauhaus objects.

About Valerio Sommella:
Valerio Sommella, born in 1980 and graduated cum laude from the Politecnico of Milan in 2004, began his design career working with Stefano Giovannoni. In 2007 he moved to Amsterdam where he joined Marcel Wanders’ team. Since 2009, when he settled down in Milan and opened his design studio, he designs products in different fields, from furniture to consumer electronic goods and lighting both for Italian and international clients. He alternates this activity teaching at some Italian universities and design schools.