Italian summer: flavours and traditions that taste like home

There are those who feel summer when the clock changes, those who feel it when they feel the sand under their feet... and those who feel it when they take out the extra virgin olive oil to dress the friselle! Because yes: in Italy, summer is above all a matter of taste.

If you live abroad and miss that typical Italian atmosphere made of full tables, blazing sun, and the scent of freshly picked basil, then you are in the right place. In this article, we take you on a journey through the most authentic destinations and the products that taste like summer, from Salento to Sicily. Here, cooking is not just about nourishment: it is about celebrating a tradition.

And don’t worry: even if you’re in Germany, the Netherlands, or Sweden, with Vico Food Box you can recreate Italian summer… delivered to your door.

1. Southern Italy: where food is tradition

When we think of the Italian summer, we immediately think of the South and the Islands, where every dish tells a story and every flavor has its own dialect. Here, cuisine is a cultural heritage. What to eat?

First and foremost, dinner always includes friselle topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and a generous drizzle of Cirio extra virgin olive oil.

For lunch, pasta with sardines can’t be missed, a great Sicilian classic with an intense flavor, prepared with bucatini and sauce.

For appetizers or snacks, we suggest Sicilian arancini and crispy panelle made with chickpea flour for farinata.

Every bite is a childhood memory, a dinner on the terrace, a lunch under the sun. Discover other seasonal dishes not to miss in our dedicated article.

2. How to recreate an Italian summer abroad

Even if you live outside Italy, you can enjoy a table that smells of the South. It takes little to feel at home: prepare friselle like in the old days, organize an Italian aperitivo, choose DOP and IGP products, and create a small "Italy corner" on your terrace with some aromatic plants, a colorful tablecloth, and the right flavors. Italian summer is a matter of atmosphere... and ingredients.

3. Flavors that tell stories of places

One of the most fascinating aspects of Italian cuisine is its ability to transport you to places, even just through a scent or a taste.

Here are some regions where the dishes that smell most of summer come from:

Campania: piennolo tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, limoncello
Sicily: caponata, arancini, Bronte pistachio
Apulia: orecchiette with turnip tops, taralli, friselle
Basilicata: Matera bread, cruschi peppers
Calabria: nduja, Tropea onions, dried figs
Sardinia: pecorino cheese, carasau bread, seadas

Each territory has its own voice, its own scent, its own recipe to treasure.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you live in a city without a sea or under a gray Northern European sky: the right ingredient is enough to bring Italian summer there too.
A bite of crunchy frisella, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sip of artisan limoncello... and suddenly you find yourself in Italy, among laughter, chatter, and the scent of basil.

Vico Food Box is here for exactly this: to bring Italy to your home, wherever you are.

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