Ferrero invests in hazelnut sourcing as it grows US production
Ferrero is making efforts to diversify its hazelnut sourcing in North America, where the nuts are in high demand during seasonal celebrations like the upcoming winter holidays. “Our mission is to master the hazelnut value chain from end-to-end to create and deliver value in service of customers, brands, and products,” Tommaso de Gregorio, head of F...
Italy’s beautiful island with a rare ‘blue zone’ where loads of locals live past 100
Sardinia is home to one of the world's rare "blue zones" where a greater number of people live to 100 or more. The zone consists of a cluster of villages on the Italian island, which bluezones.com says are inhabited by locals with a rare genetic "quirk" linked to exceptional longevity. The blue zone areas of Ogliastra, Barbagia di Ollolai and Barba...
When Michelangelo's 'Pietà' Came to New York
Growing up in the New York metro area in the 1970s and early 1980s, the work of art I heard my parents discuss most often was Michelangelo’s Pietà. The famous sculpture, which resides inside St. Peter’s in Rome, features a beatific and serene Mary seated with the body of the crucified Jesus sprawled across her lap, evoking the great suffering of hi...
The 10 best Italian restaurants in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix has become known as a go-to destination for pizza. And we certainly do have a wonderful selection of spots to grab a slice or share a pie. But Italian food is filled with riches. And, lucky for us, Phoenix is filled with exceptional Italian restaurants churning out everything from pizza and pasta to delectable seafood, bread dipped in the b...
“Tu scendi dalle stelle”, Italy’s Beloved Christmas Carol and How It Was Born
I grew up in New York City. I joined my parish choir in the 4th grade and in high school sang in three services on Sunday: Sunday School’s at 9:30 AM, at 11:00 AM for parents and parishioners, and Vespers at 8 PM. When I moved to Rome after my college graduation, what I missed most besides my family and friends, was the inky smell and world-wide co...
Italian PDO Economy Worth €20B
Italy’s PDO economy demonstrates resilience, weathering agricultural and market pressures to post solid growth. The 22nd Ismea-Qualivita report reveals that the PDO economy reached €20.2 billion in production value in 2023, up slightly (+0.2%) on the year and 52% higher than a decade ago. The sector now contributes 19% to Italy’s agri-food revenue,...
A very Italian suburb
As I grew up in Highwood, visiting my friends was like being in my own home: the same foods were served, I sat on the same style furniture, and I saw pictures of relatives on their walls posted in a fashion similar to mine at home. The promotional calendars of the local Italian insurance firm hung right next to the pictures of the pope in all our k...
A snapshot of Italy’s growing defence industry
A pillar of European security. Italy remains a cornerstone of Europe’s defence industrial base, excelling in sectors such as aerospace, electronics, and shipbuilding, according to Area Studi Mediobanca’s latest analysis of the industry. The report highlights the country’s highly diversified defence sector, structured as a pyramid with two state-con...
Re-creating a family tradition, one walnut at a time
Fifty years ago my great-grandfather Carlo Portolan hauled down from the roof of his Lincoln Heights home a glass jug full of fragrant black booze, warm from 40 days in the sun. He decanted it into smaller bottles, affixed to each a masking tape label inscribed with the year — 1974 — and passed them around to friends and family. He died four years...
Camp Hereford: Italian POW camp located near Hereford
After the United States entered World War II, prisoner-of-war camps were established to hold those who were captured fighting Allied forces. Here on the High Plains, we had two POW camps: Camp McLean and Camp Hereford. According to the Texas State Historical Association, the War Department authorized the building of Camp Hereford in June 1942, and...
Sagre, How To Celebrate A Community
Manifestos printed on fluorescent-colored paper with large black letters: you don’t need to read them to know it’s an announcement for a sagra. In Italy, there are about 20,000 of these small-town fairs—some massive and tourist attractions, others so modest they gather only the locals, but always centered around food. Truffles, wine, fish, mussels,...
Ari's Pantry, a Beloved Italian Market, Opens Second Location in Trinity Groves
While most visit Italy and think, I should move here, Ari and Amy Lowenstein thought to bring Italy's renowned culinary scene to Dallas when he first opened Ari's Pantry in December 2023. The dream was just a seed decades ago. After spending 10 years in Rome, Ari discovered his passion for food among the aisles of his neighborhood market, Mercato R...