What To Bring From Italy: 5 Products That Must Be "exported" (and This Is Not Pasta)

2023 Author: Amber Richards | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 00:24

With the introduction of sanctions, we began to travel to Italy not only for things, but also for food. True, many have not yet taken gastronomic shopping courses and do not know what to take from there and how. We asked Julia Dyachenko, a culinary blogger and organizer of Italian culinary tours Dicini Tours, to fix the situation.

“Italians are very patriotic: everyone considers their little village to be the best place on earth and is proud of the products that are naturally the best there,” says Julia. ─ There are many manufacturers, the competition is high, and the quality of the products is excellent. First of all, look at the label and look for the letters dop (denominazione di origine protetta) ─ this means that the product is under the protection of a consortium of manufacturers of this product in this region, and you will have an additional guarantee."

So, what kind of Italian products can you not be afraid to transport, and which ones are better to enjoy on the spot?

Cheese

There are no comments here, but there are still a couple of remarks. You should definitely bring hard cheeses (parmesan, pecorino), aged and vacuum packed. Soft cheeses like mozzarella, burrata, ricotta, squaquerone in Italy, of course, are great, but you need to eat them fresh (ideally, within two to three days from the date of production). You should not torment either the products or yourself: believe me, Russian counterparts are perfect for pizza or cheesecake.

Ham

Cured ham, legendary prosciutto ─ the second must have from Italy. The product is best transported by vacuum packaging. Bringing home not slicing, but a piece (or a whole pork leg ─ its weight can reach up to 10 kg) is recommended only for those who have a slicer, for cutting thin slices ─ thick "self-tapping" pieces of prosciutto have a completely different taste. It is best to look for meat that has already been cut, but only packed in such a way that each layer of ham is covered with special paper (otherwise, the meat will simply stick together).

Olive oil

Yes, real Italian olive oil can also be bought in Russia: it was not subject to sanctions. But really good high quality oil is not easy to recognize by the label (and it is not found here as often as we would like). The solution may be as follows: a preliminary oil sample on site, in Italy. Living in Bologna, I still order olive oil from Tuscany from the Pruneti factory, as you can't find that in a supermarket. Don't be afraid of transportation: a tin can weighs less than a glass bottle and is less likely to get damaged on the road.

Balsamic vinegar can also be bought on the road if you have been to a factory tasting and you liked the taste: a small bottle of thirty, fifty, or even a hundred years old will give your home kitchen a special flavor.

Truffle sauce

Ideal accompaniment for bruschetta (in Russian conditions - for toasts). Truffle sauce is a great accompaniment to bread, pasta, and salad. Information for gourmets: transport the truffle itself, especially the white one, very carefully ─ first pack in paper, then ─ in cotton weave, then ─ in a glass jar. You can store the truffle in the refrigerator (a couple of weeks is allowed), but it is best to eat it right away, so do not take too much.

National snacks like dried tomatoes in oil or good quality artichokes can also be found in Russia, but you can buy onion jam stewed in red wine.

Wine

Biggest disappointment! Surely, you have noticed more than once that in Europe you try an almost divine drink, and bring home something different from the initial delight? There is no secret here: it turns out that wine, when transported by air under atmospheric pressure, significantly loses its taste. Is it worth it to suffer? Good Italian wines can be found at home. Of course, you will have to overpay, but it will be delivered by land ─ by road, and will retain all its magic bouquet.