Now that everyone is putting his hampers together and thinking what to include in them, let's talk about a few items which are not the usual run off the mill choccies and wine, or choccies and whisky, or indeed, even more choccies and and a liquer or two. These days there are special food items which can be found in specialist shops, and which are nice enough to be included in hampers - but which are rather more novel than the usual fare.
Here goes ...
Aged Rice ...
Rice, like wine, gets better with age. Aged risotto rice - Canaroli rice - from Italy, as well as aged Basmati rice, can be found, but this is by no means something which one comes by easily - and neither is aged rice commonplace - as the process of aging rice is long and expensive. The reason behind aging is to render the rice grains less soluble in water (especially the protein, starch and vitamins in the grains) and give a better texture when it is cooked - as well as a better taste. Aged rice possesses less of a tendency for the grains to soften quickly and turn mushy when cooked, and the grains remain separate and distinct.
Acquerello and the Rondolini family are one of the most important producers of aged rice ... and have been doing so since 1935.
Italian Carnaroli rice is usually aged for over a year (usually for one to three years) in stainless steel silos when the grains are still unhulled. After the aging process the grains are then polished, refined and whitened by rubbing them together, finally resulting in a perfectly polished, honey-coloured rice.
Extra- special reserve rice which has been aged for seven years is also produced.
Some Very Special, Traditional Vinegars ...
Again, age is the name of the game. Aged balsamic vinegars can be something very special to give and to receive. Traditionally-made balsamic vinegars have been made in Modena and the Reggio Emilia, using the Trebbiano type of grape, since the middle ages the first mention ever being in a document from 1046. Traditionally-made balsamic vinegar (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena and its Reggio Emilia counterpart), which is totally natural with no preservatives of any kind added, is treasured by gourmets and master chefs the world over and both are protected by DOP certification.
True balsamic vinegar, known as "black gold" is made from a reduction of pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes resulting in a thick syrup, called mosto cotto in Italian. The vinegar is then aged for a minimum of 12 years, being passed over the years from one barrel to another, each barrel a smaller size than the one used before it. The casks are made of chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash, and, in the past, juniper - and the different woods contribute to the mature vinegar's final aroma and taste. True balsamic vinegar is rich, glossy, deep brown in color and has a complex flavour that balances the natural sweet and sour elements of the cooked grape juice with hints of wood from the casks.
Reggio Emilia uses label colour to designate age to its vinegars. A red label means the vinegar has been aged for at least 12 years, a silver label that the vinegar has aged for at least 18 years and a gold label means that the vinegar has been aged for 25 years or more.
Modena uses a different system to indicate the age of its balsamic vinegars (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena). A cream-coloured cap means the vinegar has aged for at least 12 years and a golden cap bearing the designation extravecchio(extra old) shows the vinegar has aged for 25 years or more - the result being definitely something extra-special as well as extra-old.
When one looks at these bottles of traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena one immediately realises that it has been aged for over 12 years...
Chocolates filled with Balsamic Vinegar Cream and Others ...
If one really must have chocolates in one's hamper, then one can even find chocolate filled with balsamic vinegar cream from Modena (Crema di Aceto Balsamico di Modena) - something to look out for. There are also jellies made with traditional Modena balsamic vinegar and other items preserved in the same - like onions and peppers.
Exquisite Pasta ...
When it comes to pasta you cannot get much better than pasta from Gragnano, the City of Pasta. The people of Gragnano have been making pasta for the past 500 years. This city situated in the south of Naples and nine factories make up the Gragnano Pasta Society. Gragnano and pasta are so inextricably linked that the pasta of Gragnano is just called that - Gragnano.
Gragnano is made in 140 different shapes, some of which are very traditional and old, so there's definitely a type of Gragnano for every type of pasta dish you or your friends might want to prepare.
One firm - Gentile - has been making this traditional past since 1876, using the best durum wheat possible.
Saffron ...
Saffron is a spice made from the stigma of the flower of the saffron plant. The word saffron is dervied from the Latin safranum, which is in turn derived from the Arabic for yellow. In Maltese saffron is known as żagħfran and in Italian as zafferano. The spice is used in cooking as a seasoning and as a food colouring. It is native to Southwest Asia and is a very precious and costly spice (at €7,500 per kilo) - in the fact it is the World's most costly spice and has been so for a very long time.
Saffron is widely used in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Turkish, Moroccan and Cornish cooking and confectioneries and liquers also often include saffron. It makes the ultimate luxury gift to someone who is keen on cooking and experimenting with exotic cuisines, and is bound to be much appreciated - even in small quantities - as part of a special hamper.
The information which went into the writing of this article was supplied by Brendon of ...
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