GVerdi Italian Food Ambassador Food with a Story

I like a story in a food company, it makes the products more lively and generally when there is a story, the products are genuine and the producers believe in them, giving their best to obtain something excellent. It is the case of this company called GVerdi Italian Food Ambassador, met at the Bellavita Event in London few months ago. The story is about the Maestro Giuseppe Verdi who was not only a celebrated composer of many operas. He was a foodie as well and he was stocking up on food while on tour visiting small local producers all over Italy. From old documents found, you can see the love for good food Giuseppe Verdi had and from here the concept was born. To trace small producers in the same areas where the Maestro went and bring the same food enjoyed  by him to everyone. Let's see some of the products.

The best Italian Pasta, according to everyone is produced in Gragnano, a small fraction of Naples near the Amalfi Coast. GVerdi has sourced  small artisan pasta makers and under its beautiful burgundy label with the Maestro's portrait and his autograph, the best Paccheri, Neapolitan Fusilli and Cavatelli, to name just a few,  in short all the traditional Neapolitan pasta varieties have been prepared for this food concept.

Giuseppe Verdi was born in Busseto a small village near Parma so he new a good ham and he was brought up eating this delicacy, typical of this area. GVerdi with its philosophy of sourcing all DOP food products has in its catalogue this whole Prosciutto di Parma included its "shirt" to preserve it. I've tasted it and it is delicious as well as other local cured meat that GVerdi has got under its umbrella. Look for the Truffle Mortadella, it is to die for.

Giuseppe Verdi always had with him a wedge of Parmesan Cheese when travelling. It is obvious, this famous cheese is produced in Parma, from it its name of Parmesan. The offering from GVerdi is of a product that is 12 or 48 months aged, made in the Parmesan plain, near to the Po river. This product is checked thoroughly in order to ensure the best result.

Gorgonzola cheese is very popular in UK and GVerdi has got two kind of this great cheese in its catalogue. One is sweetest but both are delicious to be eaten on their own or cooked. I've used GVerdi Gorgonzola in quite a few recipes or with just a spoonful of truffle honey.

Giuseppe Verdi was a wine producer and maybe, given that no documentation about a purchase of balsamic vinegar has been found, he was producing his own vinegar. Today GVerdi is proposing this Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena that for sure it should have been approved by the Maestro. The producers have been trading since the beginning of 1900 to give an excellent product and GVerdi has enrolled them in its food concept.

Giuseppe Verdi loved Rice so much that a famous chef in Paris  has created for him in 1895 a risotto using all products from the Maestro area of birth like Parmesan Cheese, Parma Ham and Asparagus from Piacenza. The producers of this specific rice in the GVerdi catalogue comes from the only DOP rice paddy in the world that is Baraggia Biellese and Vercellese in Piedmont.

Coffee is something typical Italian, even if it is cultivated in Africa or South America. It is in Italy that the appreciators of a good cup of coffee made the espresso popular all over the world. Especially in Naples, the cult of coffee is felt very strongly. It is probably the water that gives to this brew its unmistakable flavour, maybe infused with the Vesuvio volcano influence in the water springs. Giuseppe Verdi loved his coffee very strong and he always ordered it from the famous De Amicis coffee shop. GVerdi has got coffee available in pods, beans and ground. It is very good, I've sampled it and it leaves a delicious aftertaste.

Christmas will be here quite soon. Panettone was a gift that Giuseppe Verdi received every year from his friends Ricordi, owners of the publishing house, specialised mainly in classical music. GVerdi has sourced a panettone producer in the Lombard area. I can say that I've eaten a lot of panettone from several brands but I was swept away by the GVerdi panettone. It was soft, flavoured, fragrant. A really excellent product. GVerdi has got a great catalogue of food, all coming from the specific areas they were famous for. They are not selling in UK yet even if I hope that some deli might create a GVerdi corner because the story behind the products is amazing. Contact them on their website and maybe partner with other friends in order to buy in bulk and save money on delivery. www.gverdi.it