In preparation for their April issue on “Made in Italy”, the Wine Spectator team paid us a visit in the Bronx. We had a very inspiring conversation on what’s special about Italian products and what’s the common denominator of the authentic foods selected by Gustiamo.
Italian products have a particular lure that can be attributed to the beautiful landscape where they come from and the great people who dedicate their lives to their making. And when it comes to the artisanal creations of Italy, shopping can become a chance for impacting significantly and directly the well being of their crafters. In Beatrice’s words:
Italy is a beautiful country and what we are trying to do is defend this country and keep the producers of these beautiful ingredients working. Our farmers, as they grow older, they cannot pass on their farm to their children, because they are not compensated enough.
Walking around the Gustiamo warehouse we took a look at what Owen Dugan, food editor of Wine Spectator, defined “a collection of the finest authentic Italian pantry staples, from pastas to olive oil to chocolate and so many more chef-approved products.” Among them, Gazzani Rice from Veneto was chosen to be featured in a story of the April issue of the magazine. But what makes a product good enough to be imported by Gustiamo? Oh, one of our all time favorite questions:
It must represent the real thing, it has to be an honest product. We import certain foods without thinking about what the American market might like. What we think we do is representing the good farmers, good producers of Italy.
Watch the video for the full interview, and make sure not to miss the uncut parts at the end!