Last week I announced that I’ll be going on an Italian-themed staycation for the rest of the month just to switch up my quarantine routine a little bit and add a sense of much-needed adventure to my life. In this post, I’m sharing a gift guide comprised of all the souvenirs I would get if I were to visit Italy, and it should come as no surprise that all these items are food-related.
When I go on trips, I love getting sauces, spreads, spices, and other non-perishable specialty food products that represent the place I visited, which would typically be hard to come across at home. This type of gift is great to give to your foodie friends or family members… unless you decide to keep it all for yourself. đ
I’ve verified that all gourmet gifts on this list are products of Italy, so you truly can bring Italy to your doorstep. The items below are sorted from least to most expensive items. Happy shopping!
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you purchase any gourmet gifts from Italy through the links provided. I only recommend products that I would also buy as a paying customer.
Organic Hazelnut Spread ($12)
Nutella lovers, rejoice! You can take your love of cocoa/hazelnut spread to the next level with this organic spread that’s similar in taste to Nutella, but has a cleaner ingredient list and supposedly a much better texture. This product by Nocciolata is gluten-free and would go great on a banana, toasted bread, or just a spoon.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($19)
Since 1916, the Asaro family has been producing Partanna olive oil out of Partanna, Sicily. It is only produced in October and made with âNocellara del Beliceâ olives, which gives it a very rich flavor profile. It can be used for finishing, dipping and cooking, and when you taste it you may pick up notes of artichokes, almonds, and a pepper.
Cream of Pistachio Nut Spread
This spread is made with pistachios sourced from Bronte, a region in Sicily. Many people were raving over the sweet pistachio taste and creaminess on Amazon, which sounds like it would be great on toast or a biscotti. What would you put it on?
Limoncello dark chocolate ($19)
Italy is known for their tart Limoncello and creamy chocolates, so I feel like this encompasses the best of Italy all in one tiny package. I’ve never seen limoncello chocolate before, but now that I know it exists, I want some. Perugina has represented excellence in Italian chocolate-making for more than a century, so I’m sure this is good. This would be fun to try in recipes or just to enjoy on its own!
Truffle salt ($21)
Transform an everyday meal into something special with Casina Rossa’s Sicilian sea salt includes black truffles from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Sprinkle this stuff over scrambled eggs, popcorn, fish, cooked vegetables, or pasta to transform an everyday meal into something special. This product is has been featured in NY Times, Gourmet, Food and Wine Magazine, O Magazine, and many others!
Cocktail Maraschino Cherries ($22)
These cherries are the real deal–it’s not every day you see a product on Amazon that has over 1,150 reviews and 92% of the reviews were 5 stars. Now I think I need to get these and make myself a Shirley Temple for old times sake… except I’ll probably add vodka.
Instant Cappuccino ($34)
When I get this I’m going to pretend I’m sipping it outside of a small cafe on a nice sunny day in Italy. Isn’t that what you would do too? Nescafe is a popular brand throughout Europe, and this instant cappuccino apparently tastes like it was made by a barista. It’s worth giving this a shot if you like cappuccino!
Aged Artisan Italian Balsamic Wine Vinegar ($39)
For generations, the Giusti family has aged this balsamic wine vinegar in barrels made from different types of wood for different steps of the process, so the vinegar will take on the complex flavors of each cask. After a minimum of 12 years, the vinegar can be considered ready for consumption. Pair this balsamic with fresh pasta, beef, soft cheese, or fruit.
If you get any of these gourmet gifts from Italy, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below. I absolutely love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to get more inspiration for how to eat like you’re on vacation.
Wondering what other Italian activities you can participate in from home?
CHECK OUT MY ULTIMATE ITALIAN-THEMED STAYCATION BUCKETLIST FOR FOODIES! THE BUCKETLIST INCLUDES:
1. LEARN TO COOK LIKE AN ITALIAN, WITH AN ITALIANâVIRTUALLY
2. LEARN THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF ITALIAN DINING ETIQUETTE AND CULTURAL NORMS
3. LEARN ABOUT REGIONAL ITALIAN FOOD
4. PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL WINE TASTING
5. TRANSFORM YOUR DINING SPACE’S AMBIANCE
6. MAKE AN ICONIC ITALIAN APĂRITIF
7. MASTER HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN ANTIPASTO PLATTER
8. MAKE AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISH YOU’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE
9. MAKE YOUR OWN GELATO
10. MAKE LIMONCELLO FROM SCRATCH
11. EMBRACE AL FRESCO ITALIAN DINING MADE SIMPLE. GO ON A PICNIC!12. GO SOUVENIR SHOPPING FROM AFAR
