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January 19, 2006

Imitation Italian in an American supermarket

Over the holidays my 100-percent-Italian boyfriend came to visit the USA for the first time.

This alone can be pretty overwhelming for someone unaccustomed to Maine's daily snowfall and American coffee, but he found it to be a pleasant experience, overall.

One thing he did find terribly amusing, however, was the use of the "100% Italian" (or its equivalent) label on the supermarket shelves.

As we moseyed down the aisles, we became suddenly aware of the number of pasta sauces, olive oils, spaghetti boxes and sliced meats bearing Italian names. At one point he picked up a jar of Prego tomato sauce and asked me why it was called "you're welcome."

I was relieved when he did finally come across familiar brands. Colavita olive oil, for instance, is the same that sits on his kitchen table. Brands for pasta and pasta sauces that are popular among Italians are Barilla and De Cecco.

I personally found it alarming to compare the ingredients of the real Italian products against those merely bearing the names. Pick up a jar of Barilla tomato sauce and the contents are tomatoes, water, basil, salt, garlic, oregano and olive oil. Pick up a jar of other seemingly Italian sauces and your list may include high fructose corn syrup and more unpronounceable ingredients.

Posted by Kelsea  at 2:54 PM | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: JKW at January 20, 2006 1:11 PM