Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
We spent a wonderful evening hosted by Chef Aldo Zilli and the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK getting a hands -on cooking experience. We learnt about the secret to sourcing authentic Italian produce in the UK and made some delicious dishes in the process.
Italian food has boomed in popularity lately. This has created a number of imitation products on the market. For gastronomic fans who want the real deal this can be confusing when buying ingredients and produce.
Thankfully there is an easy and foolproof way to identify authentic, locally sourced (and flavour packed) Italian produce – by checking labels! PDO and PGI are the key stamps of authenticity to look out for when shopping for your Italian produce.
What is PDO/PGI?
PDO designation is given to those products whose qualitative characteristics depend on the territory in which they are produced. These characteristics include climate and traditional know-how. PGI is given to those products whose qualities depend on the production / processing skills.
By checking this you ensure you are getting regional specialities that are authentic and traceable of the highest quality, whilst supporting local producers in the process.
For our cooking session we used an array of PDO/PGI approved ingredients. These included PDO Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, PDO Prosciutto di Parma, and PGI balsamic vinegar, Sicilian tomatoes and lemons, Italian charcuterie, flour, and of course, olive oil!
The dishes we made included fresh handmade pasta from scratch with a delicious tomato sauce using roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes and basil. The trick to quality pasta sauce was not to blend it after cooking as it impacts flavour. We also made a classic delicious starter of asparagus wrapped with parma ham cooked in butter and topped with parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Both courses were delicious, really fun to make and showcased the Italian produce and flavour beautifully.
You can recreate all that wonderful flavour at home by consciously checking labels before you buy. PDO/PGI is your authenticity stamp for seriously delicious, true authentic flavour in your kitchen!
East London Girl: Authentic Italian Produce in the UK
Disclaimer: This was a paid partnership to support the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UK. All views are my own.
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