Our 8 Favourite Gifts for Italian Food Lovers

We absolutely love Italy — its culture, its people, and most of all, its incredible food. We visit often, always eager to explore new flavours and rediscover our favourites.

Every trip turns into a delicious mission: hunting down the best Italian foodie products to bring home.

From artisanal pasta and fragrant pestos to salami, cheeses, homemade jams, pistachios, panettone, and cookies like cantucci and brutti ma buoni, the list of tempting Italian treats is endless.

To help fellow food lovers and Italy enthusiasts, we’ve curated a list of our favourite gifts for Italian food lovers. Plus, we share where to find them, so you can easily bring Italy home with you.

Here are our 8 favourite Italian food gifts — delicious, beautifully made, and perfect for sharing a little taste of la dolce vita.

1. A pack of artisanal pasta + pesto sauce

A pasta and pesto combo sounds like a perfect gift for the Italian foodie lover. Whether you choose buccattini, spaghetti or tonnarelli, each one will go perfect with basil or sun-dried tomato pesto. Buy these from various shops around Italian cities.

We recommend Eataly shops, offering a range of these products. If visiting Florence, find Eataly just a few steps from the Duomo (in Via dei Martelli 22R). Another great place in Rome is Castroni (on several locations in the city), where you can find a good choice of dry pasta and pesto jars.

Read also: Best Food Tours in Italy


2. Assorted Italian chocolate box or chocolate bar

The Italy is home to famous chocolate makes and you'll find chocolate goods in many shops. A box of chocolate truffles or a chocolate bar, makes a perfect gift to the dear ones. The only problem is that there are too many flavours to choose from. 

We love Venchi chocolates (from Turin) and their clean and modern shops, you can find in larger Italian cities. They sell chocolate bars as well as chocolate truffles by weight. Why not to try Perugina chocolates - a bite-sized hazelnut chocolate topped with a whole hazelnut and covered in dark chocolate.

3. A beautifully wrapped package of Tuscan cantucci cookies

When it comes to cantucci, we’ve tried them all - but nothing beats the ones with dark chocolate from Leonardo Firenze on Via Porta Rossa. These little biscotti are the perfect balance of crunchy and rich, with just the right hint of bitterness from the dark chocolate. It’s our go-to stop for a sweet treat in the heart of Florence - and yes, we always grab an extra bag for the trip home (if they last that long!).

For a nice food gift, consider pairing them with Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine that is meant to be enjoyed with these cookies. 

Read also: How Many Days to Spend in Florence


4. Sweet Italian breads: panettone, pandoro and colomba

One of Italian sweet breads would be a perfect gift to the dear ones. Choose from panettone and pandoro (usually sold for Christmas) or colomba (an Easter treat). Soft and delicious, these treats pair great with a cup of coffee or tea. Buy these sweet breads from the local pasticcerias or bakeries. We love panettone from Leonardo Firenze!

We’re big fans of the panettone from Tre Marie Caffetteria and Store (Corso Venezia 2) - they offer a great variety of flavors at reasonable prices.

Worth a read: One Day in Milan


5. A bottle of Italian extra-virgin olive oil

gifts italian food lovers olive oil

Almost every region in Italy has their version of olive oils. Your friends or family members will appreciate a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Seek out small producers, which can be found at small grocery stores, delis or even enoeche.

We found some on Mercato Centrale in Florence. If you don't like taking it with you, most of sellers offer worldwide delivery. When exploring Tuscan countryside, find small family farms and buy directly from them.

Read also: Maritozzi - Roman Sweet Buns


6. A generous wedge of artisanal cheese and a whole cured salami

Head to the local market and check out the tasty hard cheeses and cured meats made by local producers. The sellers are always happy to vacuum-pack your cheese for you. We think Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano make awesome foodie gifts! They go great with all kinds of pasta and other dishes. Don't forget to grab a cured salami too – it's perfect with cheese.

Our favourite places to buy cheese and salami are the Trionfale Market in Rome and Mercato Centrale in Florence. You'll love them!

7. Tarallini or taralli - tasty snack from Apuglia

Crunchy taralli from Puglia, Italy – classic Italian savoury snack often enjoyed with wine or cured meats

Taralli (or tarallini, the smaller version) are little ring-shaped savoury snacks that you’ll find all across the Puglia region in southern Italy.

They come in a wide variety of flavours such as fennel seed, olive, onion, black pepper, and peperoncino — and so many more delicious combinations!

When we’re in Italy, we usually enjoy them with salami or prosciutto, or simply on their own. On our last visit to Monopoli this October, we bought a few packs of Zio Pasquale taralli from the cute souvenir shop Apuglia – La Finestra sul Mare.

Both the potato & oregano and tomato & basil flavours are so delicious (about €4 per pack). They make a great little gift — light, easy to pack, and affordable — perfect for anyone who loves Italian food!

8. A bag of Italian chestnut flour

gifts italian food lovers chestnut flour

If you love to bake, a pack of chestnut flour makes a wonderful gift. Naturally sweet with a subtle smoky flavour, it’s a perfect addition to cookie or brownie dough, bringing a rich, aromatic depth to baked goods.

Just a couple of spoonfuls added to pancake batter will turn it into a truly delicious treat. We especially love using it for cookies and castagnaccio, a traditional Tuscan dessert.

In Rome, Castroni shops are our go-to for chestnut flour - it’s always freshly ground. And if you’re not in Italy, no worries - they ship worldwide, so you can still enjoy a taste of Tuscany at home.


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