Tasty souvenirs to bring for friends from Italy

Probably every traveler who comes to Italy has a question: what to bring back to friends to make them feel the special spirit of the country.

The huge range of culinary delights and unique products speaks for itself. So, instead of a banal fridge magnet, we recommend choosing a delicious souvenir that will allow you to feel the taste of the colorful land even thousands of kilometers away.

Cheese

It is impossible to imagine Italian cuisine without parmesan or mozzarella. When choosing cheese, pay attention to the appearance and packaging to ensure that you get a quality product. It is also advisable to buy it in the last days of your trip so that it does not spoil.

We advise you to give preference to the varieties that have become the country's trademark:

• Parmigiano Reggiano (Emilia-Romagna region);
• Pecorino Romano sheep cheese (Rome);
• Gorgonzola (Lombardy, blue cheese);
• Mozzarella di Bufala is an original cheese made from buffalo milk from Campania;
• Provolone cheese - comes from Campania, but you can also buy it in Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto.

Pasta

This true symbol of Italy can also be a great souvenir, as it is stored for a long time without changing its flavor. Souvenir shops or regular supermarkets offer a wide range of products in various shapes, colors, and flavors. There are also legume pastas on sale that can be eaten by diabetics, athletes, and vegetarians. We recommend choosing pasta from the most famous manufacturers: Barilla, Molto Bene, Ledi, Divella, Felicetti, Agnesi, Garofalo, La Molisana - and this is not a complete list of companies with a long history.

What is pasta without sauce? Here you'll find a wide variety of flavors: tomato, cheese, meat, basil, nuts, seafood, and more. Choose the one your friends will like and feel free to bring them delicious gifts. But don't forget that you can't take jars of liquids with a volume of more than 100 milliliters on the plane. So, be very careful not to throw away expensive products at the airport.

Olives and olive oil

The Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing these trees, so it's no surprise that olive oil is more common in Italy than the sunflower oil we're used to.

In local stores, you'll find a variety of olives: canned, dried, stuffed with anchovies or lemon, with almonds or herbs, and even grilled - there's plenty to choose from.

And, of course, olive oil. We advise you to buy it from local owners or small farms in 5-liter jars. This is the best offer in terms of price and taste. Choose Extra Vergine olive oil. It is obtained by pressing olives exclusively mechanically and without the use of chemical additives.

Coffee

A great souvenir, and even more so a gift. The taste of the famous Italian coffee from Lavazza, Kimbo, Sao, Illy, Pellini brands will be appreciated by every drink connoisseur. You can buy coffee in beans, ground, or even in the form of capsules for special coffee machines. There is also a huge variety of varieties with different flavors and roasting methods. So, whatever you are looking for, it is definitely on the shelves of Italian stores.

Sweets

In fact, we could write a whole article about this item because Italians love to eat sweets. We tried to choose the most famous delicacies that will be convenient to bring to your friends.

• Panforte pie is a traditional pastry that is especially popular during the Christmas holidays. The dessert includes nuts, dried fruits, and candied fruit, which are poured with a special syrup, after which the mass is baked and decorated with powdered sugar. You can store such a delicacy for up to six months, and this does not affect its taste.
• Famous Baci Perugina candies - each piece of chocolate is wrapped in silver foil with stars, and inside there is a piece of paper with a "love message." These notes are incredibly popular, they are even collected, and the candy itself is a typical Italian Valentine's Day gift.
• Gianduiotti chocolate from Turin was invented thanks to Napoleon, who declared a trade blockade of Italy. Local confectioners got out of the crisis by mixing scarce cocoa with available hazelnuts. This is how the unique Turin chocolate was accidentally invented.
• Amaretti cookies are made according to an original recipe from sweet and bitter almonds or apricot kernels, so make sure they do not contain flour.
• Cantucci cookies from Tuscany with whole almonds. They taste best when paired with Vin Santo del Chianti or il Santo Chiappini dessert wine.

Wine

Liqueurs

The country produces incredibly tasty and unique drinks that cannot be faked in other parts of the world. We advise you to pay attention to the following liqueurs: lemon Limoncello, Amaretto on almonds, mandarin Mandarinetto, and sweet Liquore di liquirizia.

We hope we've convinced you that instead of buying banal souvenirs, it's better to please your loved ones with something tasty. Regardless of which item from this list you choose, your family and friends will definitely be satisfied and will be able to feel the real taste of sunny Italy without leaving home.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you about the best cities in Italy for an autumn trip.

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