Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Something new...Italian Mostarda for Meats and Cheese!

While it may seem to many of us that just about every Italian food tradition has made its way, in one shape or form, here to the States there are still many wonderful food stuffs waiting to be discovered from this beautiful country. “Mostarda” is an example of a condiment widely used in Italy, especially in the North, but not as well-known here. Mostarda is a traditional accompaniment to boiled meats and, more recently, hard cheeses. It could be considered a cross between a jam or jelly and chutney and is most commonly made of candied fruit, mustard essence, wine must and honey or sugar. This combination of flavors (sweet, spicy) makes it the perfect accompaniment to salty and savory dishes.

Lazzaris, established in the early 1900’s and family run ever since, is an excellent example of a producer of traditional mostardas from the Veneto region of Italy. Famous for their Fruit Mostarda, slices of candied fruit in syrup and mustard oil, they have expanded their line to include three additional types of mostarda, quince jelly, and jams. Lazzaris Mostarda would be a new and welcome addition to any cheese platter or to serve along side lamb, duck or beef! They can also be incorporated into your favorite marinade for a tasty change of pace.

Visit: http://www.lazzaris.com/en/ for more information

1 comment:

Kelly said...

Try using the Italian Mostarda with Volpi's Italian meats. I work for Volpi and I can attest for their excellent variety of all kinds of Italian meat including salami, prosciutto, rotola and many others!