Food trends

Fall is foodies’ paradise. While the days growing shorter and the air turning colder call for longer, cozy indoor meals, this season is filled with so many sensational products that every food lover is truly spoilt for choice. The Autumn’s harvest in Italy is a real bounty: pumpkins, chestnuts, pomegranates, cabbages, beetroots…the list is almost endless and it strongly influences our eating habits during this time of the year. Cold pasta salads make room for earthy soups; new ruby wine and fresh extra virgin olive oil become the perfect pairing for casseroles and stews. If we were to crown a…

If you add Italy and food the result is always pasta. Easy-to-prepare, delicious and so versatile that it can be combined with a plethora of other ingredients to create some of the world’s favorite dishes. Funnily enough though, the most famous pasta recipe in the world is not one of those that a visitor would find featured on a menu in any restaurant in Italy: probably because of its history, linked to somebody feeling unwell, or maybe for the abundance of butter which is not very popular in the Mediterranean diet.  Created in 1914 by Alfredo Di Lelio, the owner…

If Fall is the season for harvest, October is its richest month when it comes to fresh fruit. Chestnuts, apples, pomegranates, pears and grapes: in Italy we have such a variety and abundance to suit every taste. Not many people know, though, that this autumnal month is the one that sees also a couple of dried fruits, considered as national excellences, getting ready for consumption: the hazelnut from Piedmont e the pistachio from Sicily. Recognized as the best in the world for its balanced flavor and a good production yield, the Tonda Gentile Trilobata (also known as PGI Piedmont Hazelnut)…

Prosciutto (ham), salame, pancetta: some of the most famous Italian cured meats are made with pork. Real top-quality food, prepared according to ancient methods rooted in our gastronomic tradition. The recent outspread of the African swine fever virus (ASFV), that is causing a severe disease in pigs and wild boars, is significantly impacting their sales. Furthermore, there are numerous countries in the world where the consumption of pork meat is not allowed for religious reasons. When it comes to keep enjoying food excellences though, Italy provides an alternative solution: it is called Bresaola and it is a cured beef from…

After the doom and gloom of the last few months, the deal recently signed by Ukraine and Russia is a beacon of hope for grain exports. The agreement, that allows the resumption of vital grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, is an important diplomatic breakthrough aimed at alleviating the global food crisis sparked by the war. As a matter of fact, so far Russia had blocked maritime access to those ports thus impeding the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to the numerous countries that rely on it. Considering that in normal times Ukraine would export around…

Alternative proteins is a general name used to indicate all those ingredients, foods and beverages that contain proteins derived from non-animal sources. Considered crucial to nourish the world’s growing population while mitigating the effects of the climate crisis, alternative proteins also entail a range of processes that can replace animal protein production, including the three main ones: plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated food. If traditional fermentation processes have already been used to improve plant-based products (for example, to add taste and nutrition to plant-based steaks), foods produced with precision fermentation made their debut on the market last year: among them, ice…

Although the global ice cream industry suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply chain disruptions, sales now seem to be on the rise again. In Italy and in the rest of Europe, the supply chain already bounced back in 2021 with a 25% upturn; now recent figures report that the global market - valued at USD113.82 billion in 2021 - is projected to register a CAGR of 6.47% during the next five years (2022 - 2027). If the current scenario in EMEA shows a per capita consumption of around 4.6kg yearly, the increased demand for quality convenience food among…

Every year on 18th June, the world celebrates Sustainable Gastronomy Day. Observed for the first time in 2017, this celebration is led by the UN General Assembly, UNESCO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The correct explanation of what sustainable gastronomy really is comes from FAO: “Gastronomy is sometimes called the art of food. It can also refer to a style of cooking from a particular region. In other words, gastronomy often refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability is the idea that something (e.g. agriculture, fishing or even preparation of food) is done in a way that is…

Although the concept of functional foods originated in Japan back in the 1980s - when government agencies started approving foods with verified benefits, in an effort to improve the health of the general population – the topic is becoming more and more popular now that consumers all over the world are more conscious than ever about the food they purchase and eat. In a few words, functional foods are ingredients that offer health benefits which extend beyond their nutritional value: some are naturally healthier than others, some may contain supplements or other additional ingredients designed to improve health. The most…

For as much as it used to be a local delicacy, these days Buffalo mozzarella (PDO) - aka mozzarella di bufala DOP, in Italian - is one of the foods that people order automatically whenever they see it on a menu. Never mind if the restaurant is in Rome, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai or New York City. Creamy, flavorful and incredibly soft, it is the ultimate mouth-watering experience for dairy lovers all over the world. Mozzarella di Bufala DOP is a fresh cheese made with the milk of the domestic buffalo, typical of southern Italy. Buffalo’s milk is higher in calcium,…

Last month all the major newspapers reported the presentation of NutrInform Battery, the Italian proposal for the adoption of a common food labeling system at European level. Conceived and created by a working group made up of experts from four ministries (Health, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and Economic Development), food scientists and representatives of the agricultural world and industry, the Nutrinform Battery aims at providing a fairer alternative to the Nutri-Score, the front-labelling system selected by the French government in March 2017. Following France - which selected Nutri-Score after a randomized control trial comparing four labels, conducted in real-world conditions -…

Stracciatella is becoming more and more popular everywhere as chefs all over the world, who appreciate its taste and versatility, are featuring it on their menus. Despite the confusion that may be generated by its name - which defines also an egg-enriched soup and a chocolate-flecked ice-cream - Stracciatella is the trendiest of all the Italian fresh cheeses: a luscious, creamy cow's milk cheese made of shreds of mozzarella (to shred is stracciare, in Italian) mixed with cream. Possibly the best by-product made with mozzarella leftovers, Stracciatella originated in Puglia at the beginning of the last century; just like Burrata,…