And yet, just 20 years ago, like everywhere in the world, what was on offer for gluten-free people was uninspiring. Without the gluten-shield, leavened goods such as pastries and breads tend to be less tasty, and texturally drier. However, Italian food technology has gone into overdrive to solve this issue, and it’s now one of the biggest exporters of gluten-free items in Europe. Italy’s gluten-free export market grew by 7.1% last year: one of the reasons for this is that recipes are often enriched with buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, or legumes, which transform what would have been typically gluten-free items into more desirable products.
A growing trend is how legacy baked-good brands that have operated in Italy for years, are investing in R&D in the gluten-free space. One such brand, Elisa Food, has tried to create items that still “preserve the flavour and textures of the original recipes from our culinary heritage, faithfully preserving them in our range to cater to coeliac customers.” Elisa’s products are created using a zero-kilometer method, which means they select flour from local growers. “We produce our pizza in the region which is devoted to growing corn, rice and buckwheat.”
By using innovative food technology and local ingredients, Italian bakers are creating baked items that bear remarkable similarities to the famous originals.
Italy is well-positioned not only to produce durum wheat, which is a key ingredient in regular, gluten-free baked goods and pastas, but sorghum, millet and corn, too. Sorghum is grown across the Emilia Romagna region, also known as Italy’s breadbasket.