Think Locally, Eat Globally

For over a decade RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS has been successfully championing top-quality, regionally-inspired, Italian products in the U.S. specialty food market. Notwithstanding, we are asked if food importing to the U.S. is somehow inconsistent with the popular adage, think locally, eat locally.

Our response is that we do think locally, but at the same time we eat globally. The difference between the two adages is subtle, yet it brings an important human dimension to light.

We ourselves are members of a 'local' community. We frequent and support our local farmers' markets, and we support the work of local chefs and food artisans. This is evidenced in our food blog as well as in the contents of RITROVO®'s collaborative products. Still, as citizens of the world we take our shopping and culinary inspirations from a variety of international as well as local sources.

Take, for example, our love of pinenuts. We developed this love during the time spent living and eating in Italy, though since our return to the U.S. we have also tried pinenuts from numerous other sources, including 'local', U.S. - based sources.

Still, we are absolutely enamored of a certain type of pinenut, thanks to our good friends, Sandra Masi and Viviano Venturi of RADICI. The pinenuts they work so hard to get to us-- all the way from the natural reserve/park, San Rossore, on the Tuscan coast-- are the best we've ever had.

Why? Because RADICI, as well as RITROVO®'s other artisan producers, is passionately 'local' about the products they provide us. Their products are local in that they come from specific locales. Each locale has with its own ecosystem, agricultural traditions, and proud culinary history.

Now, back to the pinenuts. Are they expensive to us? Yes. Are they 'local'? Yes, in an international sense. Are they worth the extra expenditure for us? Yes, preciously so. Still, each time we think about importing them we ask ourselves these same questions. We ask them both as importers and consumers as they are personal and values-related questions. We ask them continually as we learn about quality as well as the price of quality. We ask them to help us think more thoroughly, select more thoughtfully, and consume more selectively as appreciative consumers and responsible global citizens. We at RITROVO® SELECTIONS™

think locally and eat globally.

Buon Appetito. Good Eating.

Ron Post and Ilyse Rathet, Founders
RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods and Wines LLC