Holiday gifts for foodies from Italy

I first came across the Italian importer Sarafino this summer while enjoying dinner at a friend's home. Black “Homestyle Baked” olives and a fab green Nocellara olive that comes from southwestern Sicily were on the table as starter nibblies.

We’ve all had jarred olives and been underwhelmed. Eating these, I felt that I needed to try more foods from this Italian importer. They were of an uncommon quality and I ate them like peanuts. The black baked olives reminded me of those wrinkled Moroccan olives but with a more appealing cure and refined finish.

The olive oil represented by Sarafino is some of the finest in the market and the Otto in particular exceptional. It’s a cultivar exclusively grown in the province of Calabria. Buttery, subtle and with a peppery arugula finish it’s ideal for salads or for dressing baked fish or finishing a roast tomato soup.

The ideal companion is the Saturno balsamic vinegar. Like other quality foods (olive oils, honey, salmon) there can be misconceptions about what constitutes a good version. In short, when looking at balsamic vinegar your product should be free from other ingredients. Avoid balsamic vinegars that show additions of sugar or the dreaded caramel colouring. 

Check the label and you’ll see that Saturno balsamic contains only cooked wine must and organic red wine vinegar. At $15 a bottle this is an affordable and thoughtful buy. It’s also unquestionably delicious.

When it comes to chocolate products our responsibility as consumers is significant. From environmental issues, exploitation of Indigenous peoples to child slavery, there are many things to consider when making your purchase decisions.

Sarafino carries a line of chocolate products from Cacao Crudo that does that work for you. These raw, bean-to-bar chocolates are unrefined, intense in their concentration and certified organic and slavery free.

Cacao Crudo bars may seem small to some but once you’ve broken off even the smallest piece, the chocolate experience is exponentially amplified beyond what you may even think of as a fine 70 percent cocoa bar. There’s a stimulating jolt followed by a very long chocolate finish. These bars are also far less sweet than almost anything on the market.

Speaking of less sweet, try their hot chocolate mix from Organic Fair. Produced on Vancouver Island, this one is a star. It is indeed very much less sweet than any mix on the market and I’ve now found my winter beverage. The cocoa experience is intense with just a hint of Ceylon cinnamon coming at the finish. It’s a superior product and the benefit here is that if it feels too dry for you, then just add the sweetener of your choice. 

Knowing that I could safely recommend these products to Capital Eats readers, I spoke with the good people at Sarafino and they have agreed to extend an exclusive discount offer. When ordering online simply type in the 10 percent off code CAPITALEATS10 in the discount code box at checkout. This offer is valid until December 31, 2023.