Expressly Italian

A Month of Shopping and Guess What You Got?

Posted on April 23, 2014 Updated on April 23, 2014

I hope everyone will be as excited as I am about the wonders I’ve found to bring home.  Please recognize Expressly Italian  is still a work in progress.    I  need to know the things people are  most interested in, what the costs are and how to fit enough into suitcases!    Any feedback is really appreciated.  And, I will investigate any special requests to the fullest.    Every trip I find new sources and undiscovered “prodotti tipici” (typical products) from every region.   All  that said, there are some exciting and unique products for you to try right now.

The Italian honey bee is a gentler bee.  A little smaller than the western version, it is a good producer of ripened honey. All this explains why Italian honey is so famous and treasured.  Stefano, a Sardinian bee keeper says his honeys are the best in the world and he has broods that are collecting from flowers, trees and even some from the macchia (the Sardinian scrub that covers much of the island).   Stefano assures me that not only do they produce the purest honey and most flavorful you can find.  I know that his Girasole (sunflower) honey will be on my morning toast for sure.   But,  of course the bee keepers from Florence make the same claims as do the bee keepers in Umbria.  Truthfully, they are all so rich in flavor it is hard to choose.   I do know they are all harvested from the wild and they are pure and so much more flavorful than mass produced, over filtered honey.   You owe it to yourself  to taste as many as you can to find your personal favorite.  I also acquired a few propolis (bee pollen) products from Sardinia.

I have some olive oils from Umbria and Tuscany and Tivoli.  Only the freshest, purest virgin oils, of course.  There’s white truffle oil too.

Black truffles!  I found some wonderful preserved black truffle.  These special little goodies are preserved in olive oil and have good till dates that guarantee they will last into next year.  So think about a special dish and it will only improve with a bit of shaved truffle on it.  And, I also found a thinly sliced white truffle preserved in oil as well.

Then there are the condomenti (which really translates as flavors).  There is everything from the wine jellies, to preserves from frutti di bosco, and some special cherry marmellata that will make wonderful tarts.  And mostarda, the sweet spicy condiment which is great on meats, or cheese or almost anything.    These condiments  add some interesting tastes to many dishes and that extra layering of flavor that separates a good meal from a great dish.

Then there’s some fantastic agrodolce – with either raspberries or figs.    The agrodolce can be used like a hot sauce, just a little makes a big flavor difference.

From the Maremma (southern Tuscany) there is bottarga (the fish roe that is sprinkled onto pasta for a unique taste) as well as Colatura, the anchovy essence that is made only in a few places; it is impossible to find even in most of Italy.   I’m getting these products directly from the farms and families that produce them so you know the quality and flavor is unmatched.

This time I am also bringing some Tuscan beans, including cicerchia, which is the oldest cultivated legume.  I’ve been told that the traveling Roman army survived on cicerchia and grain (mostly corn and wheat).  The cicerchia provided the protein, the grains the carbohydrates.   Cicerchia is an extremely healthy food gaining in popularity here in Italy    High in protein, phosphorus, , B1 and B2 and, of course, lots of fiber it’s very healthy.  Usually it is used in soups, or in pasta dishes (Italians often use beans with pasta — garbanzo beans, or savona or other cannellini types).  The Cicerchia that I’m bringing is split, so the cooking time is much less and doesn’t require soaking.  I’ve also got lentils, some tiny white Tuscan beans that are like a small version of a cannellini bean (they also do not require soaking).  And, there’s the occhiali bean, which looks a little like (but isn’t) our black eyed pea.  Any or all of the type beans make excellent Ribollita or vegetable soup,

SThese are some of the 
dried beans and
 herbs used in Tuscan bean soup.

Or, you can try a very Tuscan way to eat the beans.  Cook them till they are creamy, mash them a little, add salt and pepper to taste,  put onto a toasted piece of bread and drizzle with a high quality olive oil.  Really yummy.   You too can become a “bean eater” as the Tuscans are called.

Chocolate was one of the most requested items and I  brought a number of artisanal chocolates made in Perugia as well as a few other small towns in Umbria.  There is a lot of chocolate and hopefully in October, when we return, we’ll be going to the international Chocolate festival in Torino and I can really overdose.   In the meantime I’ve got plenty of choices for all tastes.  Including packages of Ciobar, the hot chocolate that seems more like a pudding to me.

I’ll be sending out a newsletter with all the products available and their prices shortly.     Remember, the quantities are limited, so don’t hesitate to order if you want something. And, you can place your request for the fall shipment at any time.    If you are not already on my mailing list, please send a note to ExpresslyItalian@aol.com and I’ll be sure you receive updates and product listings.

The dried porcini are incredibly fragrant and so are the sun dried tomatoes.  Both are unlike anything I’ve found in the U.S.  They have so much flavor you use less of them, so they are quite reasonably priced.     And, I have a great new selection of herbs and spices from Mauro Berardi, from Campo dei Fiori in Rome.

Come share the journey as I explore all that Italy has to offer.