The talented writer and Gustiamo’s carissimo friend Paul Greenberg just wrote an article for the December issue of Food and Wine to tell the story of “how Beatrice Ughi became America’s most influential importer of the rarest, purest foods Italy has to offer.” Well, that’s a bold statement!
We are very honored by the beautiful portrait of Gustiamo that Paul depicted for the Food and Wine section called ‘obsessions’. “For the last twenty years [the] Bronx-based company Gustiamo has, product-by-product, accumulated a library of the rarest and purest foods Italy has to offer. By building careful and respectful relationships with farmers and distillers, bakers and confectioners [they have] preserved in the amber of [their] catalogue the endangered elegance that made Italian food world famous in the first place. […] Since 1999, Gustiamo has been importing the most authentic food from Italian farmers and artisans who are dedicated to their land and traditions.”
The article is not only a flattering description of Gustiamo’s mission, it is mainly a storytelling of all the little Italian adventures we’ve been to with Paul throughout the years. And we loved reliving them through his blissful words. “I first came to know the Italian specialty food importer Beatrice Ughi fishing for anchovies under a dome of stars somewhere off the Amalfi Coast. I’d come on Beatrice’s invitation to meet the manufacturers of a rare Mediterranean sauce called ‘colatura.'”
Keep reading and you’ll stumble upon many other Gusti favorites that Paul fell in love with after meeting their skilled crafters, either in Italy or here in our warehouse in the Bronx. That’s how the idea came around of partnering with Food and Wine and pulling together a gift box featuring the flavors from the article. Take a look at the gift basket!
Read the full article about Gustiamo in the December issue of Food and Wine here.