True As Stainless Steel

If you walk into an Italian store or restaurant, don't be surprised if you happen to see something similar to the picture above. In fact, you may see it at a friend's house for dispensing water or even distilling some alcohol. Just know that you have witnessed the growing popularity of the Italian stainless steel container known as the "fusti". And thanks to the top fusti producer called La Nuova Sansone, these are readily available for customers outside of its homeland in Italy. Read on as we discuss who Sansone is, what NSF Certification is, the differences between seam folding and welding, the steel types used in the fustis and what pickling metal is all about.

What In Glazes?

If you ever happened to watch a show about cooking or hear conversations about cooking, you may have likely heard "being cooked with a reduction" thrown around here and there. Listening to that conversation without having any food knowledge, a person may think that it sounds like they took something away in order to make it. Interpreting that phrase, literally word for word, doesn't reflect its true meaning. Just as the title of this post states, so what in glazes does it mean? Join us as we go over the basics of what a balsamic reduction is, one of the top producers in the world for balsamic named Mussini, how reductions are made, how to make your own, and usage of this excellent condiment.

Aged Before Beauty

In the world of gourmet foods, there is one particular factor that most food enthusiasts look at (depending on the item), and that is how much it has aged. The most well known and popular ones that would come to mind for most people are cheeses and wine. To some people the stinkier the cheese is, the better it tastes. When wine is aged considerably, changes in their aroma, taste, and color take place surpassing even its original incarnation. Balsamic vinegar can also be aged, and it's a bigger deal than you probably even realize. Just like with aged wine, getting a product to achieve the status as a true, aged balsamic vinegar has strict processes and requirements set by European standards. We at the Gourmet Import Shop have been importing such products from our Italian supplier, Mussini, who are experts in this field and have great knowledge in this industry.

In this post, we will go over a brief summary of who Mussini is, some Balsamic Vinegar 101, the meaning of IGP/DOP, Mussini's Coin System, and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale versus Condimento. Grab some cheese & wine and head past the break to read more about aged Italian balsamic vinegar.

Walk To The Beat Of Your Own Drum

Minox Stainless Steel Fusti

As the gourmet food scene continues to grow in the United States, you will most likely see a lot of unfamiliar and peculiar items that are not normally found in the local grocery store. This is not limited to just food products however. In this post we will be covering one of the hottest trends that's been gaining popularity this year, the Italian fusti (pictured above). We are in a partnership with our Italian producer,  Minox, to bring these beautiful stainless steel containers to the American market. The response by our customers has been outstanding. Read more after the break for details about Minox, the definition of NSF, the significance of welding, stainless steel types, and a few more other related tidbits.

Don't forget to also check out our other post titled True As Stainless Steel for more up to date fusti information!