Italian Producer Visits
WOW! What a great time our Specialty Buyer and Marketing Coordinator had in Italy with Rogers Eats, Savor Piemonte, UNISG, and many other food professionals from around the United States. They were fully submerged in Piedmontese food, history, culture, farmers, producers, and more. Stay tuned for more Piedmontese influence in our offerings and check out some details from their trip in the comments!
We can’t thank our amazing partners enough for this opportunity and educational experience for these two team members who are eager to share their newfound experiences with you!
The first day they visited Cascina Fiume, a preserved fruits and vegetable producer where they learned about the farming, harvest, production, and application of local vegetables including the importance of bell pepper, tinned fish, and fruits. Later that same day, they visited Caseificio Rabbio Francesco, a cheese producer making delicious cow’s milk cheeses. They even visited the dairy they get all their milk from and tasted fresh cheese made from the morning’s milk.
The second day they met Alice from Cascina Oschiena who’s carrying on traditional rice production on land dating back to the 16th century. Added to this is the desire to pursue sustainable agriculture and recreate natural habitats for native plant and animal species. Later that day, they visited Calcango 1946, a historic Torino chocolate factory that's one of the only producers using original machinery from the early 1900s. They tasted a variety of chocolates that prioritize another historical product, hazelnuts.
On the third day, they visited Azienda Agricola Ronco Luignia a hazelnut farmer where they learned the importance of hazelnuts to Piedmontese cuisine and saw first-hand the direct impact global warming is having on this precious product. At their small, family-run facility they produce raw hazelnuts for bakers and chocolate producers (like Calcango 1946), roasted nuts, flour, oil, hazelnut spread, cakes, creams, and more! Next, they toured a charcuterie facility that has an impressive production line with even more outstanding tasting salamis. We are eagerly awaiting them to become USDA-certified so we can share their amazing products with you. Finally, they visited the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Polenzo for the honorary degree ceremony for Sarah Weiner. Sarah is the founder of the Good Food Foundation and an “American brilliant young activist for sustainable food, food sovereignty, and the transition for the food system.”
The next day, they attended the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto fair and participated in a round table with students of the University of Gastronomic Sciences advising them on the ins and outs of the American food system from a distributor's perspective.
Finally, on their last day, they went off-roading to San Bernardo’s water springs in the Alps where they tasted fresh water, soft drinks, and mental drinks all made from the same water source. Their last producer visit was to Azienda Agricola Marco Bozzolo, a chestnut producer located in a town of 46 people who all participate in the harvesting, traditional production, and education for visiting buyers and local schools.