We’ve already established that Mediterranean cuisine is incredibly healthy, easy-to-cook, and innovate with, and wildly popular. In the first part of this culinary journey, we took a close look at absolute essentials like olive oil, tomato pastes, sauces, and purees, quinoa, tuna, and feta cheese. Now, as we conclude our list of the Top 10 Mediterranean Cuisine Must-Haves, this part of our culinary exploration takes us across the Mediterranean through Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and other states, highlighting the most sought-after ingredients.
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Sherry Vinegar
Starting with Sherry Vinegar, created from the must of Sherry grapes, it’s a key element in the Top 10 Mediterranean Cuisine Must-Haves. Learn more about its production process here. The must is the freshly crushed grape that contains skins, stems and seeds of the fruit. Capirete Sherry Vinegar is called Vinaigre De Jerez, or a quality Vinegar of Jerez. In order to qualify for this moniker, the product is fermented for more than six months and then aged for up to 4 years in barrels. Unlike Balsamic Vinegar, Sherry Vinegar is less sweet, has a stronger taste, deep amber colour, and the characteristic aroma and taste of dried fruits. Capirete Sherry Vinegar works well in salad dressings, as the base of sauces, in meat, vegan protein and seafood marinades.
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Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar is known for its distinctive, bold, complex flavours and tart aftertaste. This kind of vinegar is specially native to the Italian region of Modena, where it is made with great care, and is a mixture of selected grape musts and precious wine vinegars. This is followed by a certified maturation period in different wooden core casks. Ponti Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is one of the finest Balsamic Vinegars in the world. Its signature sweet and sour taste makes it perfect for dressing salads, on grilled or sauteed veggies, and as a marinade or glaze on meats and seafood.
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Apple Cider Vinegar
In recent years, Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV has become somewhat of a rage in the health food / superfood category. Apple Cider Vinegar does have several reported health benefits in the realms of gut health, weight loss, lowering cholesterol, and many others. Apple Cider Vinegar is made from selected varieties of the best apples. These apples are allowed to ferment naturally, without the addition of any alcohol. Dolce Vita ACV is a quality product of Spain and is perfect for use in salad dressings, marinades, vinaigrettes, food preservatives, and chutneys.
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Wine Vinegars
Wine Vinegars as the name suggests are vinegars that have wine as their base. They are made by fermenting different types of wine with a starter culture and letting them sour. The main ingredient in most wine vinegars is acetic acid. They are an excellent way of adding flair to Mediterranean or any other type of cuisine. Just like Sherry and Balsamic Vinegars, these wine vinegars are also excellent for use in salad dressings, meat, seafood and veggie marinades, chutneys, sauces and even in fruit salads. Dolce Vita’s range of Wine Vinegars is the best starting point for your exploration of this rich and varied ingredient.
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Pasta
Lastly, Pasta is one of the most important components of Italian cuisine and a staple in the Top 10 Mediterranean Cuisine Must-Haves. There exist hundreds of varieties of pasta, each one of them is created with certain sauces, cooking techniques and dishes in mind. Whether it is spaghetti bolognese you crave, or you have fettuccine alfredo on your mind, you cannot go wrong with the Riscossa brand of pasta. A product of Italy, Riscossa is one of the world’s most sought after brands in Europe and indeed the world.
There you have it, the complete list of the Top 10 must-haves for Mediterranean cooking. We invite you to begin your journey of exploration at our online store. We assure you that you will be surprised and delighted with our selection. Until next time, may your taste buds be curious, and your palate always inquisitive.
