Condiments

A little goes a long way with the big, bold flavors of these condiments. From flavored salts to spreads and sauces, these savory flavor boosters are each made with love from the best Italian ingredients.

Here, you’ll find traditional condiments like mostarda, caponata, and pesto, as well as fragrant herb-studded salts and some innovative new flavors. Consisting of candied fruit simmered with white wine and mustard, mostarda is like an Italian version of a chutney and is similarly versatile. It was invented in northern Italy during the Renaissance era as a way to preserve fresh fruits, and the signature sweet-and-spicy flavor quickly caught on. Traditionally, mostarda would accompany a boiled meat dish called bollito misto or lesso, which is very simply flavored. Today, it’s beloved as a partner for aged cheeses, as well as meats of any kind, whether roasted or grilled.

Caponata is another sweet-and-savory Italian condiment with a long history­—one that also makes a great addition to a charcuterie board! Similar to ratatouille, the traditional Sicilian dish is comprised of cooked-down summer veggies to become luxuriously silky. But caponata adds big, punchy flavors like vinegar and capers, plus a sweet-and-sour note that is achieved with vinegar and sugar or extra-sweet tomatoes. It’s a bright, flavorful dish that can be used as a spread, a side, a dip, and more.

Italian innovation continues in the kitchen today, as some of our favorite producers are coming up with delicious new condiments to share their signature flavors. The Piedmont-based truffle experts at Tartuflanghe, who have specialized in the pungent, earthy fungi of their home region for nearly 50 years, are experts at infusing the luxurious aroma of truffle into new foods. They became internationally famous in 1990 when they introduced the world’s first truffle-infused dried pasta. Now, they’ve added truffle salt and truffle-infused ketchup to their repertoire.

Take a simple meal to the next level with one of these richly flavored Italian condiments.