If you are looking for the finest ingredients for your next Mediterranean feast, you would do well to look for the little yellow label on many of the best foodstuffs imported from Italy.
The P.D.O. label stands for “Protected Designation of Origin” and is an indication that the product conforms to a strict set of criteria to ensure authenticity regarding manufacture and point of origin; the preparation, the people involved, the provenance of ingredients…all must be carefully considered in order to qualify for the designation, as set out by the European Union. The label ensures that the product hails from the correct region only, and is produced by local farmers and artisans and is manufactured using traditional methods.
Staples and must-have ingredients from Italy that have a D.O.P. label (it is D.O.P. in Italian, for Denominazione di Origine Protetta) are typically the foods like San Marzano tomatoes, the finest olive oil, Mozzarella di Buffala, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano. You can always count on products with the D.O.P. label to be the best quality available, and purchasing D.O.P. ensures that you are contributing the successful continuation of traditional farming and production methodologies and helping to preserve a way of life that has been in place for generations.
And of course, you are treating your self, your family and guests to the best. Which is always cool. Because of a higher price point, D.O.P. foods might be a bit of indulgence; if you are in a certain tax bracket that enables you to buy nothing but the best all the time, that’s great! But for the rest of us, it’s a bit of a treat and a thrill to spring for the best; an indication that we’re going all out, and you’re worth it!
