Rinascente – if you’re familiar with Italy and you love shopping, then you’ve likely heard of it. This Italian shopping center is more than a mall; it’s more like a luxury New York Macy’s dedicated to the finest in men’s and women’s fashion, household items, wellness products, and more. Just last year, Roman residents flooded […]
Rome is known for having rather heavy cuisine, with dishes such as pasta alla carbonara, alla gricia, and all ‘amatriciana; all of which feature guanciale (pork cheek) and plenty of the pungent and unmistakable pecorino romano; being among the most common and popular in restaurants. And justifiably so. Not only are they delicious but they are intrinsically […]
Grappa is a brandy made from the pomace of grapes that are produced, vinified, and distilled exclusively in Italy. The production of grappa is a meticulous art, and discovering it is truly a full immersion experience into the fascinating methods used to produce the highest quality grappa. In particular this is done by a dedicated […]
Cheese lovers know of mozzarella, gorgonzola, and parmigiano, but have you heard of Montasio? If not, it’s time to get familiar with it! Produced from June to September according to traditional, antique methods in Montasio, the highest pastures in the spectacular Alps, this prized cheese is one of the most popular within Italy. The flavorful […]
The beautiful Albani Hills, located just outside Rome, have been a destination of wealthy and important families, not to mention the permanent residence of many monasteries, for millennia. Here in the charming town of Ariccia, where the lip smacking delicious roasted pork known as porchetta became so famous, thanks to the sagra first held in […]
Think meatballs and the image likely comes to mind of a plate of spaghetti slathered in tomato sauce and three heaping meatballs. But did you know that in Italy, meatballs (known as polpette), are not consumed with pasta; but rather as a second dish after the pasta along with a side of vegetables? Italian Americans […]
Only in Italy…. Precious jewels, gold, and items of priceless value – most people store such items in a bank’s vault. But come to Italy, and you’ll find banks that store something even more valuable: Parmigiano-Reggiano. Yes, cheese. And a lot of it. Two armored banks, located in the heart of Parmigiano-Reggiano country, […]
While supermarkets stocked with pre-made products have become common and widely used in Italy for the past 20 years, certain antique culinary traditions remain sacred to the average Italian family, especially in the central and southern regions of the country. And now is the time, with tomatoes reaching their peak ripeness, that one of […]
And now it’s time for the sagra of Bresaola in northern Italy’s valley town of Chiavenna, where this prized raw salumi is produced! Bresaola is one of the most renowned salumi in Italy. The first literary testimonies related to the production of bresaola date back to the fifteenth century; however, its origin goes back much […]
Think of happy hour in Italy and the image that likely comes to mind is of sitting lazily at an Italian bar in front of a beautiful historic square with a glass of wine. Think of the fall harvest in Italy, and you’ll probably imagine the grape harvest to start the year’s wine production. While […]