Want the very best quality Italian food to enjoy, no matter where you are in the world? Then look no further than the labels on some speciality food products straight from Italy!
In the same way that wine is labelled according to top quality ingredients and high quality production standards, the same goes for some food products here.
Learning more about the two most prestigious awards, DOP and IGP labels can help you buy and taste authentic Italian food at its best when you next go shopping. Why not plan a tasty food trail theme throughout Italy where you can savour some of these precious foods in their hometown?
Book a stilish vacation rental along the Tuscan coast or stay in a peaceful holiday rental in Latium where you will never be far from an artisan food shop selling these famous food products!
In the same way that wine is labelled according to top quality ingredients and high quality production standards, the same goes for some food products here.
Learning more about the two most prestigious awards, DOP and IGP labels can help you buy and taste authentic Italian food at its best when you next go shopping. Why not plan a tasty food trail theme throughout Italy where you can savour some of these precious foods in their hometown?
Book a stilish vacation rental along the Tuscan coast or stay in a peaceful holiday rental in Latium where you will never be far from an artisan food shop selling these famous food products!
DOP is an elite food label award that stands for ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ which means ‘Protected Designation of Origin’. This label represents a guarantee to the consumer that this product was made in a particular part of Italy famous for its production. For example, a delicious DOP product from Campania is Buffalo Mozzarella.
It is made from the milk of cows that graze freely on grass fields here and is completely free of artificial preservatives and additives. The cheese is made by local artisans who prepare each one with passion and care. It may be a higher price by the time it reaches your supermarket shelf but you are guaranteed of the very highest quality food product.
The IGP food label stands for ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ and is a slightly less difficult achievement for hard working Italian food producers to achieve. This label insists that the food product, like a certain brand of tomatoes for instance, must be grown in its Italian place of origin and a stage like cleaning and crushing be completed there also.
It is made from the milk of cows that graze freely on grass fields here and is completely free of artificial preservatives and additives. The cheese is made by local artisans who prepare each one with passion and care. It may be a higher price by the time it reaches your supermarket shelf but you are guaranteed of the very highest quality food product.
The IGP food label stands for ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ and is a slightly less difficult achievement for hard working Italian food producers to achieve. This label insists that the food product, like a certain brand of tomatoes for instance, must be grown in its Italian place of origin and a stage like cleaning and crushing be completed there also.
The crushed tomatoes could then be exported to another country to be sieved into passata and bottled ready for selling. The quality is still there of course but may allow for slightly cheaper prices on your supermarket shelves.
The delicious San Marzano tomatoes of Campania have achieved DOP status as everything is made in one go in the area to achieve the freshest and sweetest flavour. These delicious tomatoes are hand picked and checked before being transformed in rich pungent tomato sauces used all over Italy and abroad in rich pasta sauces and toppings for pizza.
Why not read our other fascinating articles on Slow Foods to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine?
The delicious San Marzano tomatoes of Campania have achieved DOP status as everything is made in one go in the area to achieve the freshest and sweetest flavour. These delicious tomatoes are hand picked and checked before being transformed in rich pungent tomato sauces used all over Italy and abroad in rich pasta sauces and toppings for pizza.
Why not read our other fascinating articles on Slow Foods to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine?
