A good resolution for 2018: be more of a "gastronaut."

2018 has begun and there are many good resolutions that people typically make, but we recommend one with style that will allow you to live with more quality: to become a little more "gastronaut". We borrow a word that has become an icon of everything that means traveling and discovering new local flavors of our beautiful country. It was coined by a great gourmet traveler, as well as an ambassador for typical Italian products and culinary traditions, even the most remote ones, from the Alps to the Madonie and beyond: Davide Paolini, host of large radio series where he tells of the delights he encounters during his travels. 

Becoming a little “gastronaut” for us means starting to value typical local, territorial productions. It means choosing and knowing the origin of a product, preferring what comes directly from the farmer, the zero-kilometer produce, packaged just for you. 

We of Spaghetti e Mandolino have traveled every corner of Italy to select the best seasonal products from breeders, farmers, fruit growers, artisan pasta makers, bakers, fishermen, butchers, and more. What we ask of you now is to travel with us through the Italy of taste that you can find among the shelves of the portal.

It is January and the extraordinary Arance di Ribera DOP are arriving, the second production, those late ones, very tasty and sweet. They are produced and packaged by Vito Perricone in Villafranca Sicula, in the province of Agrigento. They are hand-picked only when the orders come in, so they are extremely fresh, just harvested. In short, when they arrive at your home, only a couple of days have passed since their journey.

What do you say to a little trip among the flavors of Molise? From the last edition of the Salone del Gusto in Turin, we have chosen a beautiful bakery located in Molise, in Cercepiccola, in an enchanting village made of stone and rich history: Panificio Rosa Maria Vittoria. The breads are leavened according to the ancient tradition of the place, with a sourdough that is over 50 years old. It's a success that continues and has expanded to include products from the ancient pastry tradition of the area.

A good resolution would also be to make it down to Portopalo, at the southernmost tip of Sicily, a stretch of land that divides the two seas, Tyrrhenian and Ionian. Here, a group of fishermen has come together in a cooperative and has revived the ancient tuna trap and the tradition of hand-processing tuna. Mare dell’Etna is a high-quality challenge, where the tuna, caught only in the Ionian Sea, is then processed into fillets, chunks, and the traditional “buzonaglia”.

Have you ever been to Vicenza? Under the arcades of the Palladio Tribunal? Well, let's go there together and stop right in front, at the ancient Pasticceria Venezia. An artisanal reality of high quality that works only with selected ingredients and offers the flavors of the past, with recipes that have not changed for decades. 

We can’t miss a stop in the lower Parmense. Also because here we find two of our high-quality suppliers for unique products, strongly marked by the local cured meat tradition. Salumificio Squisito with its brand Angelico and Del Sante. Two prestigious realities for Culatelli, Culatte, Prosciutti, Coppe and other ancient traditional cured meats “with the soft R”.

We leave other trips to you. Search among the various regions and you will always find rare, local, territorial, artisanal products, produced in small quantities and often coming directly from the producer who ships it to you. Traveling through taste is the best way to know Italy. Therefore, don’t miss the chance to make a gourmet resolution this year.

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M