ITALIAN TRADITIONAL FOODS - AUTHENTIC "MADE IN ITALY"

The traditional products presented by emercatino.net have been exclusively selected among those of high quality and proven to have a high level of organic and chemical-physical certification. Because of this our products are appraised examining the analyses effected by the "Associazione ALTRO CONSUMO" that, as many Italians know, effects some analyses comparing various brands of the same product and examining them at all the levels. Each product is examines and is possible to study the technical-scientific information, the judgment of the experts and the information on the producer and on the workmanship of the food.

To define a product in the agro-food industry, at times improper adjectives are used, for example the adjectives "typical", "traditional" and "local". Clearly separate, in which unfortunately confusion reigns. Which are the characteristics a product must have to be defined as "traditional?" And "traditional" is used also for "typical" or do the two terms point out different cultural and material qualities? An extra virgin olive oil of "Protected Origin Denomination" of the "Ligure Coast", for example it is a "typical" product, in how much its production follows a disciplinary that guarantees the ligure typicality of the product, with character of oneness or of rarity. The cheese Pecorino umbro, is a "traditional" product, it doesn't exist in fact a disciplinary rule that says so of this production and only time has declared a commercialized cheese is to be called so. The "local" product is marked so by a narrow margin in which it finds its origin: the violet asparagus of Albenga or the bean of Badalucco, are produced for example, "locally" and so they would assume the role of product "typical", and at that time they would need to procure a certification according to the discipline of their production.

Despite this confusion, of a thing we are certain, Italy is certainly the country that in the agro-food field possesses the greatest number of typical products, traditional and/or local. These products represent the history, the tradition, the culture and the differences of our people and our earth, they represent the different Italian ways of Italy and in the world. In Italy, legally, to be recognized as typical, the agro-food products must submit to governmental disciplines of production. To have the characteristics of typicality and tradition that only these certifications can provide and, if everything is "OK", then they are recorded into a "registry of the "Italian typical and traditional" agro-food products. To become and to be recognized as a "biological" product, the agro-food production must follow a specified, controlled and severe rules of discipline controlled by the UE and adopted in Italy where "Control Organizations" exist that certify the product after having been rigorously examined and valued.

Emercatino.net intends to allow to all those who desire to purchase these products and, because of the difficulty in finding unless they go to the place of production and or find the traditional prices way too high.

In Italy exist more than 400 different cheeses. Some of these are differentiated by small productive details, others openly are wonder in their authentic typicality. Our producers range the whole cheese variety, bovine, ovine, goat, cow cheeses. We have chosen among the very best and even if, compared to those produced by their French neighbors, Italian cheeses might be less valorized, they represents the geographical, cultural and historical differences that characterize the different areas of the country, and with a guarantee of their absolute typicality.

It is really difficult to imagine how Italy has been able to produce such a wide variety of meats and each so different one from the other. Certainly their history, divisions, and cultural differences give an inkling as to the reason this is so, but it is incredible to realize how much is produced, often with unique characteristics, they have been able to create. Unfortunately the tendency is that to standardize them on the usual (more or less) ten representative products that are, also economically, a big part of the sector. But there are a large quantity of less well known cold cuts, not less tasty, some even better than those well known. The knowledge and the consumption of those less "popular" meats and cold cuts brings to the palate new tastes and new traditions to your table.

In Italy, with a small exception of some colder areas and those above of a certain altitude, the olive tree is always well present. Departing from the olive trees set on the slopes of the hills that surround the great lakes of the north, passing to those cultivated in the hinterland ligure, continuing with the cultivated on the sweet Tuscan hills and finishing with those growing in sunny Sicily, we see them almost representing the Italian regions. Each of these areas and regions have a different climate and a different territory, equally the extra virgin oil that is produced in each region transports you to those areas when you take in the odors in odor, tastes and aspects of different oils. In these last years the quality of the extra virgin olive oil produced in Italy has enormously grown to the point that it is surely the best known in the world. As is happening with the wine, the use of the extra virgin olive oil is turning into a pleasure rather than a necessity and this in turn brings up the question of an oil of quality. We bring to you through this site several high-level quality extra virgin olive oils and each with it's own peculiar characteristics. To get to taste these brings a new world of aromas, tastes and perceptions.

You would think that after having devoted a specific section to the Italian cheeses, to the meats, (wines coming soon) and the extra virgin olive oils nothing remains to be described. In reality this represents the most numerous section of the typical Italian products. It becomes nearly impossible to list all the types of typical products, we only think about the numerous products in the world of confectionery, bakery, and "biscotteria", to the preserves of earth and sea, fruits and vegetables, honey, pasta, rice, vinegars, etc. you understand as to why this results to be the most numerous category. But this emphasis on the quantity doesn't lead us to believe we are speaking of products of a B quality. You will find among these products some true pearls rooted in their territory, history and traditions.

The Italian cuisine is rich and varied in all its aspects, but pasta has been its pride and glory through much of its history. When Italians emigrated, settling throughout the New World and Oceana, they brought their pasta with them and it found its way into everyone's life style, a worldwide comfort food that today we take for granted. The origins of pasta are as tangled, however, as spaghetti tossed in a bowl.

With literally hundreds of wines produced in Italy annually, it is no wonder that selecting Italian wines can be a bit intimidating. Deciphering Italian wine terms and names, interpreting Italian wine labels , learning Italian wine classification systems, understanding regional grape growing zones , and discerning grape varietals that do not always fall into the "familiar" category are all part of the Italian wine adventure.

Naturale - a sparkling wine, in which the bubbles are derived by "natural" methods, such as fermentation.

This classification denotes the highest quality recognition for Italian wines. It is comprised of a relatively limited number of first-class wines.

Basically the equivalent of the French wine classification, Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC). Wines that fall under the DOC category must be made in specified, government defined zones, in accordance to particular regulations that are intended to preserve the wine's character that is uniquely derived from Italy's individual regions.

These table wines are often ubiquitous wines that are grown in a specific geographical growing regions.

However, there are exceptions - some of Italy's best wines do fall under this category just to avoid more stringent regulations associated with DOC or DOCG.

This designates wines that reside firmly on the "low end" of the totem pole. Comprised of Italian table wines, whose only criteria is that they must be produced somewhere in Italy.