At Summer in Italy we do care about our guests, and this is why, in order to help you making your food shopping in Italy just perfect, we would like to share a few tips about high-quality local products.
The brands of quality (DOP, IGP, STG) are collective brands that permit to identify a typical product obtained by the companies that have precise productive and environmental characteristics and that take take port to a control system. The products with collective brands are controlled and certified by an Organism of control that guarantees the conformity. The Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) is the name of a Region, a specific place or, in exceptional cases, of a Country, that designates the agricultural and food-products, with exclusion of those made with liqueur original of such area, whose qualities are tied to the geographical environment, comprehensive of natural and human factors and whose transformation and elaboration take place within that specific area.
Geographical protected and identified (IGP) is the name of a Region, a specific place or, in exceptional cases, of a Country that designates original products of such area in which a determined quality, the reputation rather than other characteristics can be attributed to the geographical origin and/or transformation and/or elaboration take place in that area. The IGP products are different from the DOP because at least one the whole stages of the production or transformation cycle has to occur into that local region.
The Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (SGT) or Attestation Of Guaranteed Specificity (AS) is a collective brand that designate an agricultural and food product that has some characteristics (specificities) that clearly distinguished from other products or analogous aliments pertaining to the same category. An STG product is not linked just to a specific territory but you can refer it to a more wide area that shares culture, tradition and a common way to transform products into specialities. The famous Mozzarella – for instance – has been awarded with the STG brand by the Political Agricultural and Forest Ministry (MiPAF) with decree 28th June 2001.
The Biological products come from a special agricultural method that excludes the use of synthesis chemical herbicidal. Precise parameters indicate that for the fertilization, the defence of the plants and a control of infesting can be used exclusively techniques approved by the communitarian norm.
All the biological products are marked by an appropriate code of acknowledgement through which you can go back to the producer or transformation company as well as to the company that has carried out the controls. With the EEC Reg. n 331/2000 the European Community has adopted a unique logo for all the EEC countries that can be optionally affixed on the label in order to facilitate the acknowledgement of the biological product.
The villages scattered all around the Cilento coast maintain a very ancient fishing technique, but non so closely tied to it than the pretty town of Pisciotta.
If you have searched the web looking for activities to do while vacationing on the Amalfi Coast, there is no doubt that you have already read about Mamma Agata and her incredible cooking school in Ravello.
Once you have peeled your eyes away from the stupendous scenery of the Amalfi Coast, one of the first things you’re bound to notice is the large lemons hanging from the trees.
The hills that surround the city of Salerno and stretch from the Amalfi Coast to the Cilento National Park give an extra-virgin olive oil with an intense colour and a unique fruity taste.
Agerola is known as "Città del Pane" - city of bread – nationwide popular brand that recognizes some Italian towns where this product assumes a special value due to the peculiar characteristics.
Its unique and special characteristics, very much appreciated even abroad, gives the name to "Fico Bianco del Cilento": once dried, the sweet peel gets light yellow coloured rather than chestnut brown if oven-cooked.