Posted: June 12, 2016   |   Updated: June 22, 2016

Looking for authentic Italian bites and a sip of Italy? Join food and wine aficionado this June 23rd for Flavours of Italy at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

In Italy, eating is a family affair. Italians take their food seriously. Did you know that Italian cuisine is region-focused? Flavours vary from north to south, each offering their own specialties.

What is Italian Food?

Unlike French cuisine, Italian food tastes lighter with more emphases placed on the ingredients rather than the cooking technique. They emulate the Mediterranean style diet using simple, natural ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, herbs, artichokes, dark greens and generous use of olive oil.

Direct from Italy

Learn more about Italian food at Flavours of Italy: food fair, food and wine tasting. Members of the Italian Farmers Confederation (CIA) from eight Italian regions will be showcasing their specialty foods – both sweet and savoury as well as delicious wines to tempt your taste buds.

What’s Delicious?

All products showcased are DOP certified, that means, they have a guaranteed, controlled designation of origin. Below are some featured products.

Calabria: Wines (featured for the first time in Vancouver), cheeses, tasty dried tomatoes and legumes. Taste the delicious wine and pepper infused cheeses.

Campania and Toscana: Wines and olive oil.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Saffron and spices like cinnamon as well as wines and olive oil.

Veneto: Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine from the Prosecco in northeast Italy.

Liguria: Prized jams made from walnuts, lemon, peaches and different types of fruits grown along the Mediterranean coast. A must try is the Seborga Farm jams, in particular, the strawberry mint jam.

Puglia: The addictive Taralli, a popular sweet, savoury southern Italian pretzel-like breadstick. Tasty and hardy Altumura bread, a time-honoured Apulian artisan bread made with durum flour and baked in wood-fired oven. Fig (fioroni) preserves and jam made with prized railway cherries (l’oro rosso – red gold variety) from Conversano.

Of course, no Italian event is complete without entertainment. The event will also feature an Italian pop and folk musical concert. Admission is free. Bring your family and friends along for an evening of fun and learning.