Snack Buyer July 2024

23 specialityfoodmagazine.com JUST GOURMET FOODS S nacks are an important part of the Just Gourmet Foods range, and we only work with artisanal brands which are made using traditional recipes and methods, familiar to Italian food culture for centuries. Taralli, grissini, flatbreads, biovette, focaccia, and friselle are all savoury snacks used as vehicles to enhance charcuterie and cheese boards or to bring a salty, crunchy contrast to salads and soups. They ensure that, when combined with an alcoholic drink, that it slows down the moment and makes the experience a generally more rounded social interaction – as far away from passing around a bag of crisps at the pub as you can get! Snacking in Italy can be elevated to an art form, and we see this more and more as images of beautiful sharing platters adorn social media, inspired by the Italian aperitivo style. New to the Just Gourmet Foods range this year are bruschetta Maximise the appetite for Italian-style eating with Just Gourmet Foods’ range of authentic artisanal snacks, introduced by CEO and founder Gianfranco Perri and friselle from Terre dei Trulli. Friselle are like a crunchy, half bagel shape which can be laden with all manner of toppings, particularly popular in the summertime in Italy. Bruschette are equally versatile and can be enjoyed in any possible way with endless combinations, all year-round. Friselle, are very typical in the south of Italy and, in the summer, they are served as follows: placed quickly under water for a few seconds, only on the rough side, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and rubbed with fresh garlic, then add a sprinkling of salt. Let it rest for a while, so that the frisella softens. Chop fresh tomatoes, add salt, plenty of oregano, and place on the frisella, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. You can also add cheese; a soft mozzarella is great, or some fresh ricotta! They are hard in consistency at first, but once softened with water and oil, they become soft on the top while APERITIVO TIME maintaining a hard shell to carry the toppings. They are a great lunch option on hot days, as an appetizer, and every family will have their favourite way to eat them. What may be considered a ‘snack’ in the UK, in Italy, is more defined by its ability to enhance the experience of something else, to elevate a moment with complementary flavours and textures and to add a roundness to the social experience which is so intrinsic to Italian food culture