Archive for 'Products & Specialities'

  

Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Baci Chocolates
For chocolate-lovers visiting Italy, there is one city that stands above all the rest as a must-see: this is the town of Perugia located at the centre of the country in the region of Umbria. Perugia is home to Perugina, the leading chocolate brand in Italy and here you won't need a gold ticket in order to step into the fantastical world of their chocolate factory. You can take tours of the factory, visit their museum, taste their wares – the most famous of their products being their chocolate and hazelnut Baci (or Kisses) – and take chocolate-making lessons. To spend a fantastic couple hours immersed in the world of Italian chocolate, just find a holiday rental in Perugia and make your way down to Via San Sisto one afternoon.     Read More
Posted in: Central Italy, Food and Wine, Products & Specialities, Umbria

  

Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Casu Marzu
It's not as though it is difficult to find reasons to go on holidays to Sardinia. The landscape, culture, history and cuisine speak for themselves. However, some dishes shout louder than others. Casu Marzu is a traditional cheese from the island which has become notorious and well-known outside of Italy in recent years. The cheese was featured on the show, “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”. Made for the American television channel, The Travel Channel, the show introduced foods from around the world that might be perceived as bizarre, exotic or disgusting to an American audience. It became known internationally for the fact that it contained live larvae and the fact that the taste is so strong, it remains for several hours. This piqued the interest of foodies and the adventurous all over the globe. If you want to brave it yourself, or merely soak up the less dramatic aspects of Sardinian culture, find a luxury villa in Sardinia and enjoy this idyllic island.     Read More
Posted in: Curiosities, Food and Wine, Main Islands, Products & Specialities, Sicily and Sardinia

  

Friday, November 13, 2015
Sfogliatelle
This article began as a recipe. However, research made it apparent that this is a dish that only the most talented of bakers should attempt, lest the be completely bested and frustrated by the undertaking at hand. It is, of course, possible to make sfogliatelle at home but your best bet to enjoy this delicious pastry is just to find a vacation rental in Naples and pop into a bakery in the morning where you'll find the Neapolitan delight fresh, perfect and probably still warm from the oven! Sounds much more enjoyable than potentially fruitless slaving away in the kitchen, right?     Read More
Posted in: Campania, Food and Wine, Products & Specialities, Recipes, Southern Italy

  

Friday, November 6, 2015
Granita and brioche
We've already featured a recipe for granita, a Sicilian semi-frozen dessert but the dish itself is so rich in history and tradition that it seemed a waste not to discuss that at all. This delicious and refreshing dish is made from sugar, water and various flavourings and, while originally from Sicily, is now available all over Italy. It is somewhat like a sorbet or snow cone but has a coarser, more crystalline texture – though the degree of this changes from place to place. There are lots of different flavours but some common and traditional ones include lemon, mandarin orange, jasmine, coffee, almond, mint, strawberry and black mulberry. Chocolate is a particular tradition of the city of Catania.     Read More
Posted in: Food and Wine, Main Islands, Products & Specialities, Sicily and Sardinia

  

Thursday, July 23, 2015
Gelato University, Anzola dell'Emilia
Every village, town and city in Italy has somewhere to buy decent gelato. It's an intrinsic part of Italian culture and life. There are almost 30,000 artisan gelaterie across the Italian territory and is a 2.5 billion Euro market. With traditional flavours, genuine ingredients and artisan production, it is set apart as something special and unique. Anzola dell'Emilia can be seen as a particular epicentre for gelato in Italy as it is home to Carpigiani, a historic ice-cream brand who established a university and museum in the town. Find a villa with pool in Emilia-Romagna and you could spend a day eating and learning about gelato in Anzola dell'Emila.     Read More
Posted in: Emilia-Romagna, Food and Wine, Northeast Italy, Products & Specialities