Italian Grandmother preparing a pasta dish.
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With UNESCO recently recognizing Italian food as the world’s first intangible cultural heritage, it’s the perfect time to consider the country’s diverse regional foods as gifts.
Each region of Italy takes great pride in its regional foods and culinary heritage. This sample of regional foods may spark gift ideas for a friend or colleague with Italian roots, or a food enthusiast who loves traveling to Italy.
In addition to online options, many products are available in gourmet specialty shops. (If you are shopping online, be sure to check shipping costs and holiday deadlines.)
Giusti Balsamic Vinegar (Emilia Romagna)
Giusti Olive Oil
Giuseppe Giusti
Modena (Emilia Romagna) is home to the venerable automaker Ferrari and the 3-Michelin-Star restaurant Francescana, but its balsamic vinegar has an even longer history.
Founded in Modena in 1605, Giusti is the world’s oldest balsamic vinegar producer, a symbol of Emilia-Romagna’s mastery in aging and blending. Balsamic vinegar stands out among other vinegars because it’s aged in wooden barrels from unfermented grape juice, resulting in a high-quality condiment.
The Giusti Gift Collection features a curated selection of the brand’s balsamic vinegars, elegantly presented in refined packaging that highlights its heritage. Ideal for collectors or as a gourmet holiday gift, each bottle represents centuries of craftsmanship, patience, and the perfect balance between sweet and sour.
Giusti 1605 – USGIFT GUIDERoma Assorted Puff Pastries & Shortbreads Tin (Veneto)
Matilde Vicenze Puff Pastries Tin
Matilde Vicenze.
You can find a wide selection of regional foods at any Eataly store in the U.S. or online. One of their online offerings is this Roma Assorted Puff Pastries & Shortbreads Tin from Matilde Vicenze. For more than a century, this artisanal bakery, headquartered in Verona, has been making oven-baked products based on traditional recipes that the founder wrote in small notebooks.
Each sweet in the gift-worthy tin is made using only the finest natural ingredients. They are a perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea.
EatalyRoma assorted puff pastries & shortbreads tin 32 oz 32 Oz VicenziTartuflanghe Truffle Essentials Gift Set (Piedmont)
TartufLanghe Ultimate White Truffle Gourmet Kit
TartufLanghe
From the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe region, Tartuflanghe has been exporting fresh Alba truffles and pioneering the production of innovative truffle-based delicacies for over 40 years.
This elegant Ultimate White Truffle Gourmet Kit brings together four signature products—white truffle oil, white truffle powder, white truffle acacia honey, and gray salt from Guerande with white truffle. All the products are produced with free-dried white truffles. Capturing Piedmont’s deep-rooted truffle heritage, this beautifully packaged gift crate is an ideal way to elevate any home chef’s cooking.
Tartuflanghe USAThe Ultimate White Truffle Gourmet KitChristmas at Casa Marrazzo Christmas Box (Campania)
Christmas at Casa Marrazzo Christmas Box
Casa Marrazzo
Epicurious, a publication for home cooks, blind-tested canned San Marzano peeled red tomatoes and rated Casa Marrazzo at the top. This family-run company, based in Campania, also produces tomatoes that carefully preserve the flavors of the volcanic soils around the Bay of Naples near Mount Vesuvius.
The Casa Marrazzo Christmas box includes San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes, Whole Grilled Peppers, Corbarini Tomatoes In Juice, Broccoli Friarielle, Pellechiella Apricot, San Marzano Tomato Sauce and Piennolo Cherry Tomatoes. Great for soups, sauces, or garnish, these versatile ingredients will become staples in any home cook’s pantry.
Casa MarrazzoCasa Marrazzo Christmas box – Casa MarrazzoBarbera Olive Oil Gift Set (Sicily)
Barbera Olive Oil Gift Set
Barbera
Based in Palermo, Sicily, Barbera has been a family-owned artisanal Italian olive oil maker since 1894. This Barbera Olive Oil Gift Set pairs two of the company’s products: Barbera Sicilian PGI and Organic EVO.
The PGI oil is made entirely from local Sicilian olives, offering a bright, well-balanced flavor that pairs well with pasta, salads, and grilled vegetables. The EVOO is Barbera’s certified organic extra virgin olive oil, known for its smooth, versatile flavor that works well in everyday cooking. Both oils come in decorative metal tins inspired by traditional Sicilian patterns and are packed in a colorful gift box, making this set an excellent choice for thoughtful holiday giving or elevating a home pantry.
Yummy BazaarBarbera Sicilian PGI & Organic EVOO Gift Set, 33.8 fl oz (1000 ml)Laudemia Frescobaldi Olive Oil (Tuscany)
Laudemia Frescobaldi Olive Oil
Frescobaldi
The Frescobaldi name is legendary for its wines, but the family-owned agricultural company also produces award-winning extra virgin olive oils (EVOO).
Olive oil is fundamental to Italian culture and cuisine. Everyone has a favorite: If you ask an Italian about their favorite olive oil, they’ll probably mention the one produced in their own region. While Tuscany accounts for only a small share of Italy’s oil production, gourmands appreciate the pungent, peppery taste of Tuscan oils. Along with its spiciness, the aromas of Laudemio Frescobaldi are classic to Tuscany: freshly mown grass, artichoke hearts and green olive notes.
It’s delicious on fresh pasta or salads and comes packaged in a gift-worthy bottle.
AmazonFRESCOBALDI Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16.9 FL Oz, 500ml, Premium, Award Winning Product of Tuscany, Italy, Fruity & Peppery Flavor, Smooth & Robust Low Acidity, Rich in Polyphenols (Pack of 2)Tommaso Muzzi Classic Pandoro from Eataly (Umbria)
Tommaso Muzzi Classic Pandoro
Tommaso Muzzi
A star-shaped Pandoro is the quintessential holiday gift, a sweet sibling of Panettone but without the candied fruits. Its peaked shape is said to be modeled after the Alps near Verona. The Tommaso Muzzi Classic Pandoro comes with a packet of powdered sugar for sprinkling on top to resemble snow.
Muzzi opened his small pastry shop in Foligno, central Umbria, in 1795 and now distributes its products to gourmet food shops worldwide. It is golden and fluffy, perfect for breakfast or after dinner.
EatalyClassic pandoro 35.2 Oz Tommaso MuzziVenchi Christmas Chocolate Assortment Box (Piedmont)
Christmas Chocolate Assortment Box
Tasty Ribbon
Venchi, a venerable Italian gourmet chocolate company dates back more than 140 years with roots in Turin (Piedmont), one of Italy’s chocolate capitals. Tasty Ribbon is a bespoke gift service that imports authentic artisanal products and wraps and delivers them with a personal touch.
This festive Christmas Chocolate Assortment of Venchi chocolates wrapped in colorful foils depicts a winter village scene. It is filled with a variety of flavors and textures ranging from creamy milk to very dark chocolates.
Tasty RibbonChristmas Chocolate Assortment BoxPugliese Taralli (Puglia)
Pugliese Taralli
Dolceterra
Dolceterra is an importer of Italian products, primarily from small Italian producers. Their Pugliese Taralli are flavorful, ring-shaped crackers popular for snacking or as an accompaniment to a pre-dinner aperitivo. Crunchier than breadsticks, they make a great addition to a charcuterie board.
These taralli are made from durum wheat flour, which is then boiled and baked. Many producers offer them in various flavors, including fennel, roasted tomato, and pepper.
Dolceterra Italian Within US StoreTaralli of Pugliese TraditionBuona Fortuna Sicilian Summer Gift Box (Sicily)
Bona Furtuna Sicilian Summer Gift Box
Bona Furtuna
This curated Bona Furtuna Sicilian Summer Gift Box includes all the ingredients to prepare a light Sicilian dinner. An excellent choice for pasta lovers, it includes Ancient Grain Fusilli Pasta, Basil Marinara Sauce, Mamma Rose’s Herb Blend, and Sicilian Sea Salt with Oregano.
Based in Corleone, Sicily, this company operates a 300-acre organic farm. It is committed to enriching biodiversity, promoting sustainable farming practices, and preserving heritage foods through its organic offerings. Recipients will enjoy the attractive, recyclable gift box with a watercolor hand-painted by an in-house artist.
Bona FurtunaItalian Gift SetsAmaretto di Saronno Gift Tin (Lombardy)
Amaretto di Saronno Gift Tin
Lazzaroni
This iconic Amaretto di Saronno Gift Tin is filled with Lazzaroni’s original amaretti cookies. The recipe for this sweet treat originated in the town of Saronno, where it is said that a couple created it to honor a bishop who was coming to town. When he blessed the couple for a long and happy life, the recipe got passed down from generation to generation.
The individually wrapped cookies are soft and crunchy like macaroons, and have a coffee flavor. They are excellent with espresso, fine wine, liqueurs or as a snack, and long after they are gone, your gift recipients will enjoy the reusable tin.
AmazonLazzaroni Amaretti, 16-Ounce Tin
Dining and Cooking