This article is for those of you who have a loved one who is in love with Italy, or for those who are looking to share their passion for Italy with their friends. I’ve put together a list of ideas on Italy-themed gifts, both cultural and material items. These gifts from Italy are found online. They include kitchen items, accessories, and food products made in Italy, manuals and books, all kinds of gifts that bring a little piece of Italy into the lives of those who love Italy even if they are not there in the flesh. Some of these gift ideas are definitely a way to get closer to Italy and Italian culture and to better prepare for the first or next trip to Italy.
BONUS: An Italian woman recommends them to you!
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AN ITALIAN RECOMMENDS: GIFTS FROM ITALY AVAILABLE ONLINE
MOKA
There isn’t a family in Italy that doesn’t own one or more of these “coffee machines”, “macchinette del caffè” as the locals call it. The flavor and consistency of “espresso” coffee made with a Moka (Italians never call it espresso, but always just coffee) are only slightly different from what you get in the Italian coffee shop. Although there are more elaborate machines on the market for making coffee at home, Italians still prefer to use the Moka. The Moka is always a very well-appreciated souvenir from Italy.
At the beginning of the 1930s, Piedmontese salesman Alfonso Bialetti, while watching his wife doing the laundry, had the idea of creating a coffee machine that was destined to be a huge success in the country, even more so after his son opened the Bialetti factory in the 1950s, which would bring the Moka into every Italian home.
In Italy, “having coffee” is a socio-cultural fact, an excuse to meet up and there are only a minority of Italians who do not drink it. If your friends who love Italy don’t have a Moka yet, you should gift it to them! I suggest you buy a Bialetti. You can find many types on Amazon, the important thing is to choose the right size for you (for 2, 4, or more cups?).
TIP: there is a type of Moka Bialetti which is slightly different from the others, it makes coffee with cream, more like the coffee found in the Italian cafes and it’s called “Brikka“.
A cute type of Moka to gift is the one that makes coffee come out directly into the cups.
HANDMADE SET OF CAPPUCCINO OR COFFEE CUPS
Another gift idea for Italy lovers who also love to drink Italian coffee like me could also be a set of coffee or cappuccino cups.
Even Italians love to receive them, so they can change and add a different color or shape to their coffee routine. Would you prefer to give a handmade ceramic cup, a glass cup, modern cups, or vintage espresso cups like the ones you used at the cafe in Italy? On the online store Etsy on the page for handmade Italian coffee cups you will find all types
QUALITY ITALIAN PASTA
Another element that is never missing on the table of the Italians is pasta… Italians eat an average of one plate of pasta per day, usually for lunch, and they love to abound with portions. Even those who travel in Italy usually cannot resist the temptation of ordering a plate of pasta at a local trattoria. In Italy people also eat a lot of homemade pasta, which we call “pasta fresca“, but packaged pasta found in stores continues to be the most present on the table.
When it comes to pasta, which is also one of my favorite foods, I put quality first.
Chemical analysis conducted repeatedly in the last 5 years and reported by the magazine Il Salvagente and Greenme, have identified the presence of glyphosate (herbicide considered carcinogenic by IARC) and other toxic substances in levels above the norm in several brands of industrial dry pasta commonly found in the Italian stores. The report shocked me.
GOOD NEWS: among the few pasta brands that passed the quality test was the one I now use regularly, which is “La Molisana“.
This Italian pasta brand also makes:
–Wholemeal pasta, which contains more fiber and half the sugar and is therefore ideal for hypoglycemic diets
Gluten-free pasta, the only one that can be eaten by celiacs.
CREATE A GIFT BOX FULL OF ITALIAN DELICACIES
Another idea for a gift from Italy that will surely be appreciated by lovers of Italy and Italian cuisine is a package or a basket containing food products made in Italy. Your friends can use them at home experimenting with Italian cuisine to create dishes with an authentic flavor. Giving baskets full of local products is a popular custom throughout Italy during the holiday season. Choose organic products. I would put all of these in my basket:
Balsamic vinegar or cream of balsamic vinegar from Modena for dressing raw or pan-fried vegetables cooked Italian style.
Taralli Pugliesi and Grissini Torinesi breadsticks to accompany a do-it-yourself aperitif
Cantucci, the dry and crunchy cookies filled with hazelnuts or almonds, there are also with chocolate!
A tomato sauce to season pasta, lasagna, or pizza… Italians love to use Mutti.
One or more packs of Italian Pasta
Sicilian Bronte pistachio cream, for a sweet moment… To spread on bread or to fill homemade cornetti.
The hazelnut and cocoa cream (you’ll notice I’m not talking about the most famous Italian hazelnut cream here, because I’ve avoided buying Ferrero products for years as the company promotes intensive agriculture in Italy creating damage to the soil, especially in Tuscia, a region I’m particularly fond of).
Panforte, a typical traditional Christmas cake made from nuts, candied fruit, spices, honey, and flour.
Pandoro, the children’s favorite Christmas cake, which you’ll also find gluten-free and filled with Limoncello Cream.
Olives and artichokes sauces to prepare delicious bruschettas.
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese cannot miss in the basket of surprises made in Italy!
ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FROM ITALY
A typically Italian gift that Italians themselves love to receive is a bottle (or even better a 5 liters can) of organic extra virgin olive oil. Italians prefer the one produced in small farms or agriturismi such as Campo dei Lupi or Fattoria Lucciano.
Remember to order it in due advance!
LEATHER BAGS AND ACCESSORIES MADE IN ITALY
In Italy, there is the tradition of leather craftsmanship. Italian leather bags and shoes, belts, and wallets are exported all over the world for their quality and softness. A genuine leather gift from Italy can make both a man and a woman happy (unless they are vegan or strongly animalistic…)
Instead of buying a handmade product on Amazon, which everyone can access, try contacting a local company, like the Artigianino. L’Artigianino handcrafts leather sourced from tanneries in the Marche, Tuscany, and Veneto regions of Italy.
Via their Facebook page, you’ll find a phone/WA contact to communicate with them in English and find out everything about the products and shipping.
ARTISTIC PHOTO ALBUM OF ITALY
A photo book can inspire your next trip to Italy and is also a beautiful art object to keep in your home, especially if the photos are of great quality.
Photographer Gray Malin has photographed the coastline, beaches, and other breathtaking landscapes from the Amalfi Coast to the Cinque Terre. His photos immediately catapult you into the place and you’ll have melancholy even putting the book down.
Another photography book to gift that you can easily find online is Great Escapes Italy by Angelika Taschen. The photographer focuses on well-known coastal landscapes but also areas off the beaten path, noble villas, and historic homes.
MANUAL FOR MAKING HOMEMADE PASTA, PIZZA, AND BREAD
Lovers of Italian cuisine will certainly appreciate a manual to accompany them in learning the art of Italian pasta, pizza, or homemade bread.
THE NO. 1 TRADITIONAL ITALIAN COOKBOOK
The book “La Scienza in Cucina. L’Arte del Mangiar Bene” – Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, also known in Italy as “L’Artusi” can’t miss from the bookshelves of those truly passionate about Italian cuisine.
Pellegrino Artusi, the author of what is the most famous Italian cookbook, was born in 1820 in Emilia Romagna from a family of merchants. Passionate about the classics of Italian literature, he retired from the business once he passed the age of 50 and devoted himself to writing, also producing the cookbook that all Italian cooking lovers should read. The book was printed in 1891.
HOMEMADE PASTA TOOLS
For the less experienced and for everyone who needs to speed up the process of creating dough, this tool can come in very handy:
GIFT A PIZZA COURSE WITH AN ITALIAN EXPERT
Italian pizza is one of those dishes that require a lot of practice and manual dexterity to be successful. Before making a decent pizza, expect to fail at least a few times. All of your efforts will pay off when you can make pizzas for a dinner with friends that are as good as the ones you have tasted in an Italian pizzeria. Think it’s impossible?
Try your hand at it, or challenge someone else by treating them to an Italian pizza video course with an Italian teacher, like this:
FABIOULOS PIZZA MAKING COURSE BY FABIO ERRANTE
ITALIAN LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK | GIFTS FROM ITALY ONLINE
Anyone who has visited Italy at least once has thought about how useful it would be, in order to deepen their knowledge of the culture of this country, to learn the Italian language. Italian is a complex language with a lot of verb tenses and many exceptions to the rules. In order to learn it in the most effective way, it would be good to take a study trip to Italy, but even before that, to start studying it at home.
The language manuals in the “Teach Yourself” series are among the best for those who want to undertake the study of a foreign language independently.
This is the text of the Complete Italian Course. The listening exercises can be found on the Teach Yourself app.
ONLINE ITALIAN COURSE WITH A QUALIFIED ITALIAN TEACHER
A much more stimulating way to learn the language is to take Italian lessons online. There are many platforms around the web where you will find Italian teachers. Verbling’s teachers are selected based on the possession of valid certifications for teaching Italian, so they are an extra guarantee that your time will be used effectively.
If you gift a lover of Italy a package of 5 or 10 Italian lessons you will give him or her the opportunity to improve listening and speaking skills, essential in face-to-face communication while traveling. Gift a language course on Verbling.
VINTAGE ITALIAN DESIGN MODELS
Italy has been awarded a leading role in design history thanks to cars and scooters that have become true icons and symbols of Italy, such as the Vespa. If you can’t give a full-size Vespa as a gift, give a model or print that will match perfectly with vintage or industrial decor.
BOOK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ITALIAN CINEMA
Italian cinema, especially from the 1950s onwards, has contributed a great deal to the spread of Italian culture.
In order to get closer to Italy while sitting comfortably at home, the right thing to do is to watch an Italian movie. If the Italian lover in your life loves cinema but has not yet explored Italian cinema enough, you can give him or her a guidebook such as “A History of Italian Cinema“, or a collection of essays on Italian cinema such as “A Companion to Italian Cinema“.
A VERY GOOD ITALIAN NOVEL WRITTEN BY AN ITALIAN AUTHOR
Many Italian authors, both classic and contemporary, have been translated into English. A novel has many advantages: it is the ideal gift for someone who loves reading, it is inexpensive, and it is a gift from Italy that is easily available online.
In my article about Italian books, I have collected several that are among the most famous Italian novels of all times, written by both female and male Italian authors. Everyone who wants to study Italian culture in more depth should read at least a few of them.
I’d love to know if any Italy-themed gift ideas came to mind while you were reading this post. Share with us your thoughts on gifts from Italy online!
