A Taste Of Italy Luxury Hamper

Description

This deluxe hamper is jam-packed with a selection of the very best Italian food and wine from a country which prides itself on simple, quality ingredients and an incredible array of dishes from North to South. We have included the classics such as olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as some more unusual, very special which you may not have tasted before.

 What's inside

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (500ml) Giovanni Marvulli’s 'Cenzino' extra virgin olive oil from Matera, Basilicata is both healthy and full of flavour. It is a certified, multi award winning organic oil, fruity with a distinct almond after taste and an elegant aroma.
• Balsamic Vinegar from Modena (Aged 8 Years) (250ml) A rich bouquet and a perfect balance between sweet and sour make this a very versatile balsamic vinegar, made from the best musts by the Giusti family in Modena. With its wonderful perfume, it is a quality choice for salads, omelettes, meat and fish fillets and veal escalopes. Mentioned in the book ‘101 things to buy before you die’ alongside Champagne Krug and Iranian and Belluga Caviar, this vinegar is a twice Gold Medal winner.
• Organic Fairtrade Arabica Coffee (250g) Our Caffè Haiti “BIO” blend, made of 100% Arabica coffee is both 100% organic and 100% fairtrade. It is strong and full of flavour and ideal for espresso pots, caffettiere and filter coffee machines.
• Bitter orange marmalade (250g) This bitter orange marmalade has a rich flavour and delicious taste with balanced combination of sweetness and bitterness. Calabrian oranges at the height of ripeness are used to make this tart and zesty, all natural marmalade with no additives or preservatives. it is wonderful on hot buttered toast or muffins.
• Extra Fig Jam (250g) A delicious jam made from Calabrian figs grown in the Province of Cosenza, known worldwide for producing the best figs in Italy; sweet, juicy and full of flavour. This tasty jam can be used for sweet preparations, on buttered toast or in sandwiches.
• Sweet Sicilian Pistachio Spread (212ml) Heaven in a jar for pistachio lovers and all things sweet!! This rich, creamy and dense paste is made from the best Sicilian pistachios.  It’s delicious eaten alone straight from the jar or spread on a slice of bread or at Christmas time on Panettone. Packed full of nutrients, this sweet but healthy spread is also a popular filling for Sicilian cakes and desserts.
• Amalfi Coast Colatura di Alici (100ml) This is an aromatic and fragrant amber anchovy ‘sauce’ that is easy to digest, is rich in vitamin A and enhances any dish. It can be seasoned with fresh herbs such as parsley, garlic, paprika and some lemon zest and added to extra virgin olive oil to create a wonderful sauce for spaghetti or linguine. Or just simply drizzle over bruschetta or grilled vegetables. A little goes a long, long way.
• Dried Porcini Mushrooms (25g) Our Porcini are classified as 'First Extra Quality' and come from the uncontaminated Sila National Park in Calabria. They are hand picked between August and October and are then dried naturally in the sun. Just open the bag and marvel at the amazingly strong, heady aroma - this is the first sign of their quality.
• Tomato Sauce with Truffle (180g) A quick, simple and totally delicious sauce to make any type of pasta dish special. A little goes a long way so just add a small amount of it to infuse your dish with the earthy, garlicky flavour and pungent aroma that is associated with truffles. Can also be added to mashed potatoes, risotto or soup for an incredible finishing touch. Made with black summer truffle and tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, aromatic herbs, salt and natural flavours.
• Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (500g) This pasta is made using a very special durum wheat semolina – ‘Senatore Cappelli’ - grown organically in the hills of the Marche, Puglia and Basilicata regions. Senatore Cappelli is an ancient type of grain with a high protein, vitamin and mineral content and has an intense flavour and aroma.  It is also much more easily digestible than ordinary pasta.
• Gragnano Linguine Pasta (500g) Bronze die cut, dried at low temperatures and made in Gragnano the birthplace of dry pasta, our Pasta Gragnanese linguine not only taste better and retain all of their goodness when cooked, they also have plenty of surface area to absorb the flavour and liquid of the sauce with which it is served. The name Linguine refers to the flattened shape similar to a little tongue (lingua).
• Basil, Walnut & Green Pepper Pesto (212ml) If you are looking for a pesto sauce with a difference, you will love this nutty, slightly spicy pesto made with basil, walnuts and green peppers. It's delicious stirred into pasta or rice and also makes a great bruschetta topping.
• Tomato Pasta Sauce with Chilli (330ml) This tomato-based sauce is made from sweet Italian San Marzano tomatoes and spicy chilli pepper – it’s perfect if you like your pasta just a little ‘arrabiata’ or ‘angry’ – it has a kick (it will make your lips tingle a little..) but is not too fiery! For a quick and easy meal just heat gently and add to some nice quality pasta cooked ‘al dente’, stir and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
• Arborio Rice (500g) This rice takes its name from a village in the countryside near Vercelli in northern Italy, one of the best rice growing areas in the world. This short, fat and slightly oval shaped rice is perfect for risotto thanks to its high starch content. Cooking releases this starch and gives any risotto its lovely creamy consistency.
• Ready Made Risotto Mix with Four Cheeses (250g) Our risotto mixes are prepared by our partner Tenuta Margherita based in Vercelli, Northern Italy. Only their own superfine Carnaroli rice is used in our mixes which are made to a traditional family recipe.  Easy to prepare with all natural ingredients, this tasty four cheese risotto makes for a quick and gourmet main or side dish.
• Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (175ml) Pressed olives and lemons – what a heavenly combination! This refreshing lemon oil is delicious in summer salads, on spaghetti or pasta dishes with fish, as a marinade, drizzled over steamed or grilled fish and even in desserts and cakes!
• Garlic and Chilli Pepper Oil (175ml). The perfect oil for adding to spaghetti to make garlic, oil and chilli pasta. We love it too in salad dressings and drizzled on a bruschetta.
• Borlotti Beans (300g) The hearty and nutritious Borlotti bean is widely used in Italian cooking. The beans are large and plump and when raw, ivory in colour with reddish-brown streaks. They take on a darker colour when cooked and the interior becomes floury. Borlotti beans are free from cholesterol and particularly rich in protein. They are perfect in soups, stews, pasta dishes and risottos. 
• Organic Cannellini (300g) Cannellini beans are a staple of central and southern Italian cooking and are particluarly popular in Tuscany. When cooked they become creamy and fluffy and are perfect in pasta dishes (pasta e fagioli), soups (minestrone), purées, broths, salads and dips. This type of bean is an excellent inexpensive source of protein which is also high in fibre, low in fat and free from cholesterol. 
• Sardinian Carasau Flat Bread (250g) This wafer-thin traditonal Sardinian flat bread is light and crispy. Also known as Music Paper bread or Pane Carasatu, it was originally produced for shepherds to take with them when they stayed away from home for months at a time. It can last up to a year if kept dry.
• Slow Food San Marzano Passata (380ml) Passata is a form of tomato purée that has been passed through a sieve to remove the seeds and skins. It is therefore very smooth, and suitable for a number of uses where a finer purée is required.
• San Marzano Tomatoes PDO (400g) Said to be the best canned tomatoes money can buy, San Marzano tomatoes are fantastic for cooking as they have fewer seeds and firmer, meatier flesh. These tomatoes cook down faster and retain a richer and sweeter flavour, making them perfect for pasta and pizza sauces. The Italians love them so much they conferred a “protected designation of origin” (PDO) status, such as is also enjoyed by Stilton cheese and the sparkling wines of the Champagne region.
• Organic Capers in Sea Salt (250g) The Aeolian Island of Salina, one and a half hours north of Sicily produces the finest capers in the world. The capers grow naturally and are of course organic, they are also a Slow Food product. Capers will add a natural richness and depth of flavour to all your favourite sauces, soups, salads, stews, rice and pasta dishes.
• Lemon Flavoured Gourmet Salt (200g) A completely natural blend of Sicilian sea salt and Pink Himalayan salt flavoured with mediterranean lemons and spices. Excellent for just sprinkling on your salads, pasta dishes or vegetables to add flavour and aroma. Great for cooking with, especially for seasoning and flavouring fish, shell fish, red and white meat. 
• Hot Calabrian Chilli Powder (100g) If there is one thing that makes Calabrian food Calabrian, it is spicy red peppers, and this chilli powder is super-hot! While many varieties of hot pepper are grown in the region, most are referred to as Calabrian peperoncino, and used in regional dishes. Like all capsicum plants, Calabrian peppers require hot weather to flourish and develop the oils that give them their spiciness.
• Spicy Chillies with Anchovies and Capers (290g) If there is one thing that makes Calabrian food Calabrian, it is spicy red peppers, and these are hot!  These whole cherry chillies are stuffed with anchovies and capers giving wonderful Mediterranean flavour. They are preserved in extra virgin olive oil to preserve their freshness and make the perfect addition to your antipasto platter. Great too as a spicy side dish!
• Olive, Anchovy & Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta Topping (180ml) This simple, healthy and tasty topping has been hand made with all of the best quality southern Italian ingredients including olives, anchovies and sun dried tomatoes. It’s perfect served as suggested on a bruschetta or any toasted bread or can be used to give an extra Mediterranean kick to any sandwich, delicious too spread on a pizza.
• Sun Dried Tomatoes (250g) Bring some Italian sunshine to your dishes with our sun dried tomatoes from Calabria. They can be used straight from the packet or rehydrated. To rehydrate them place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water and leave until the tomatoes are plump and juicy once more (reserve the liquid to add flavour to stocks and sauces).
• Pear Mostarda (120g) This unique Italian condiment from northern Italy is prepared with freshly picked, finely sliced pears which are left to caramelize for four days. A few drops of mustard seed oil are added to give the mostarda a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, the syrup is dense and the fruit crunchy. The sweet yet 'piccante' mustard taste is very versatile and goes perfectly with mature cheeses, cold cuts, mixed boiled meats and sausages. 
• Chianti Wine Jelly (120g) You can really savour the fragrance and taste the wine in our jellies! Made with the best quality Chianti, a small measure of sugar and natural fruit pectin, this Chianti wine jelly with it’s distinctive aroma of red fruits and spices is ideal as an accompaniment to sheeps cheeses or soft salamis.
• Sardinian Carasau Flat Bread (250g) This wafer-thin traditonal Sardinian flat bread is light and crispy. Also known as Music Paper bread or Pane Carasatu, it was originally produced for shepherds to take with them when they stayed away from home for months at a time. It can last up to a year if kept dry.
• Sicilian Shredded Aubergines (314ml). These slightly spicy crunchy Sicilian aubergines have a bold flavour making them ideal for an aperitivo or a snack in their own right.
• Dark Chocolate filled with Espresso Coffee Cream (100g) Luxurious Grand Cru dark chocolate (min 75% cocoa) from the Dominican Republic filled with a burst of Italian flavour! This gorgeous gift box contains individually wrapped chocolates filled with a delicious espresso coffee cream
• Dairy free Modican chocolate with chilli pepper (70g) From the ancient Aztec tradition comes this unique crumbly chocolate bar. A must for chocolate lovers, Donna Elvira Modica chocolate is a chocolate full of history made following ancient manual Aztec methods. Cold pressed and stone ground, this chocolate is never heated above 45 degrees, resulting in an intense chilli flavour and incredible texture.

We carefully wrap all breakable items and present in them in a beautiful wicker hamper tied with a ribbon.  A gift message option is available at the checkout. Please note that if we are out of stock of any item we reserve the right to substitute it with the most similar available item. Italian flag is not included.

Allergens

Sulphites, pistachio, anchovies, wheat, celery, walnuts, milk, cheese, mustard, soybeans, hazelnut, whey, sesame, eggs.