Throughout Southern Europe a tea culture exists which predates the import of teas from India and China by the British. In fact, if you happen to have an Italian, Greek, or Croatian Grandmother, chances are she’s got a tea recipe for your wintertime sniffles or upset stomach. While true tea (Camelia sinensis) didn’t root in Southern Europe until recently, herbal teas and tisanes have been an integral part to both folk medicine and culinary creations since time immemorial.

We’ve created three herbal tea blends that are inspired and empowered by the folk herbal traditions of Southern Europe and we’re excited to share them with you!

ITALY

If there is one herbal tea that sums up the flavors of Italy it must be Lemon Verbena! Growing across meadow-lands and in many a terracotta pot, Verbena offers the aroma and flavor of Italian countryside- lemons, bergamot, and grass. We’ve made the simple pairing of Lemon Verbena and Lemon Peel to create a deep citrus tea that’s perfect for waking up or winding down.

Lemon Verbena has been traditionally used to help with the common cold, mood, and digestive complaints. It’s the perfect aperitif tea and blends beautifully with sparkling water paired with craft chocolate.

GREECE

In ancient Greek, the name Chamomile means ‘ground apple’- a nod at how this lovely plant grows and how it smells. Chamomile is actually an ancient ground cover plant that smells like dried apples when pinched or stepped on. Greece is famous for it’s varietals of Chamomile, and we’ve paired it with the flowers of Greek Linden Trees (Tila) and Wild Lavender flowers for the perfect calming sip.

Chamomile is one of the world’s most celebrated relaxing herbs. Calming to both mind and body, our Greece blend is a fantastic night-cap or a great way to shake off the stresses of the day. Pair with fruits like apples, dates, and figs or Hazelnuts and Cheese.

CROATIA

For this tea blend we took inspiration from a city in northern Croatia- Koprivnica. Named after the wild Nettles which grow throughout the region, this area has a history of both eating Nettles as a cooked green and enjoying them as a mineral-rich, vegetal herbal tea. We’ve combined our Croatian Nettles with Lemon Balm and Country Mint to create a bright, uplifting blend.

Nettles are a powerhouse of minerals and vitamins and can be incredibly nourishing to the whole body. Enjoy this tea as a feel-good brew anytime. Pair with grounding soulful foods like bread, butter, honey, and cheese.

I’ve finally done it. I, Adri, of gifting procrastination and of slow wrapping skill, have completed my holiday shopping EARLY.

Try as I might, I have never before been able to finish my to-do list for gifts on time. December 22nd rolls around and I finally realize how behind I am. I run all over the city looking for gifts at picked-over stores and pop-up shops (arms flailing above my head the whole time), and I finally realize the perfect gifts have been right under my nose the whole time. At Caputo’s, of course.

Here’s what I know: Everyone likes to eat. Artisan food will always be in style. Why not let your friends and family eat the very best and most delicious treats available? Here’s your guide to the very best last-minute gifts. One gift for each of the 12 days of Christmas, a la Caputo’s:

1. Utah Chocolate – You can never go wrong gifting chocolate, especially in Utah. The Beehive State is internationally recognized as a well known hub for craft chocolate, in both consumption and production. Utah is home to five bean-to-bar chocolate companies that are putting themselves on the fine-chocolate map with their artisan bars and dedication to creating the best chocolate possible.  Give your pals a taste of Utah with this perfect collection of fine dark chocolate, all made in Utah.

2. Local Treasures Gift Collection – This is the ideal choice for the locavore in your life. We’ve hand selected seven items that are not only made locally, but they’re world-class artisan products. From bean-to-bar chocolate to smoky and savory chili oil, this is sure to please you local-lovin’ pals.

3. Tinned Seafood – It may sound strange to you today, but hear me out. Tinned seafood is about to experience a revival I would liken to the whiskey boom of the past decade or the fermented food craze we’re in the thick of now. Sustainable protein in beautiful packaging sounds like the perfect savory stocking stuffer to counter all the sweet things headed your belly’s way. (Psst… read more about this food revival here.)

4. Underberg Digestif – We’re in the middle of a craft cocktail and bitters revival here, people! Along with some truly fantastic locally made bitters, Underberg is another home bar necessity. These tiny bottles of German digestifs are the perfect spicy backbone for a cocktail or the perfect medicine for an over-filled belly after Christmas dinner. Shake into cocktails or sip solo, either will be a welcome treat to your palate. Stuff into stockings or stock your pals’ bars, but be sure to keep a bottle or two for yourself as well.

5. Caputo’s Cheese Cave Collection – Our market was founded on our love of cheese, and that love has only grown stronger with our burgeoning cave program. One cave just wasn’t cutting it for us. We need more room to to add additional wheels of cheese into their ideal aging environment (it makes them as absolutely delicious as possible, not to mention healthier). Affinage is happening every second.  Wanna know what the cave is all about, or want to share your knowledge? This is the perfect choice. Four of our favorite cave-aged cheeses come bundled and ready to eat. Hopefully they share with you!

6. Blue’s Chocolates – The country’s most inimitable filled chocolates live right here at Caputo’s. These little treasures are handmade in Berkeley, CA and are only available at Blue’s Chocolate stores and Caputo’s. Not only does Blue’s Chocolates use locally-made Solstice Chocolate, they make products that are utterly divine. One taste will convince anyone of their superiority. The good news for you is that there are plenty of box sizes to choose from. There’s a perfect size for each person depending on how naughty or nice they’ve been this year.

7. Luxardo Cherries – There’s something incredibly attractive about shaking a cocktail shaker around like a mad person…or like you know what you’re doing. If your loved ones are getting into the craft-cocktail movement and experimenting at home, this is the perfect gift. Luxardo cherries are steeped in history and are the original Maraschino cherry that those chemical red sugar-bombs are attempting to imitate.  Garnish classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, throw into pork pan sauces, and chop into ice cream custards and cake batters. These will be the jar that empties the fastest this season.

8. Viola Colleruita Olive Oil – An Italian condiment olive oil is the ideal gift for those taking Italian food seriously. If someone on your list is looking to unleash their inner Marcella Hazan, this will become a key finishing component for nearly every dish. Think of the brightest, greenest flavors of summer and now imagine harnessing those very flavors in the dead of winter. This is the way do it. Use this oil for finishing roasted dishes, drizzle over vegetables and protein alike, and save a few drops for your gelato (I’m serious). It doesn’t get any more flavorful, or Italian, than this.

9. Caputo’s Apparel – This is our new take on good taste. We’re not just gifting with your wonderful taste in food in mind, but we’re here to outfit you and yours in Caputo swag, too! Toddlers to adults can rep the Caputo brand all winter in cozy sweatshirts and warm beanies. One for them, and one for you!

10. Caputo’s Classic Gift Collection – If you’re fond of the good ol’ days and want to share some tasty nostalgia with your pals, this is the collection for you. It’s like a shopping spree of our award winning market bundled into a gift, and ready to be unloaded into the pantry or right on into a pot for dinner. Snacks, provisions, sweet indulgence, and the makings for a tasty weeknight meal all rolled into one. What’s not to love?

11. Fresh Truffles – For the gourmand in your life. This is it. The most luxurious and ultimately wonderful gift for your foodie friend, or you can use it as the focal point of you holiday meal. We’re air-shipping truffles into our downtown market as often as is needed to ensure a fresh, aromatic supply. This friend will have just the recipe to shave these beauties over and I sure hope you get an invitation to the meal. Just the aroma knocks you off your feet, so imagine what your finished entree will do.

12. Class Certificates – Give the gift of food (or drink!) knowledge. It’s the perfect gift for a couple or a friend who might be new to either cooking or the Salt Lake valley. Pick up a certificate for the amount of the class, plus the optional beverage pairing, and let them choose the best class for their calendar and tastes. We’ll help you give the exact dollar amount or round up so your giftee can pick up a special little treat after the class. Choose from cheese or chocolate tastings, cooking classes, or whiskey classes. You read that right: whiskey classes! Remember that bucket list from SL Mag? Send them to class!

You’re still not sure what to give, and you haven’t started shopping yet? That’s OK, we won’t tell a soul. In an effort to inspire your food gifting, here’s what some of your favorite faces from Caputo’s are giving to their friends and family this year.

Don’t see your favorite monger here? Drop by before the holiday—we’re open through the afternoon of Christmas Eve—and ask them for their personal recommendations. We’re certainly not lacking in opinions around here.

So, here you have it: each of our gift picks for 2018:

Matt Caputo
President and ultimate boss-man

Crybaby Bay Leaf Bitters: These bitters are unreal, and local, to boot! Cody has created a bitters that can completely replace the musky, depth offered by a classic aromatic bitters, but does so with a unique set of flavors and ingredients. Substitute these in any classic cocktail that calls for aromatic bitters, you’ll be both completely impressed and wildly pleased.

Yelena Caputo
Vice President, and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

NEW! Caputo’s Apparel: THIS IS  NOT A PROMO. Literally every. single. person. on Yelena’s  Santa’s list is getting the newest Caputo’s swag. Available for tots, kids, and adults. Everyone deserves the gift of good taste, both on their shoulders and in their bellies.

Adri Pachelli
Director of Education (and self-proclaimed office monkey)

Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking:
(available in stores)

If you’ve been to a class, you already know. This is the absolute authority on Italian cooking in Adri’s opinion. No other Italian cookbook is as thorough in explanations of process and history, nor as widely revered as one of the best. For those people in your life that are just getting into cooking or could use a refresher on regional Italian recipes, this is it.

Alicia Konzen
Downtown General Manager

Marou Cacao Cashew Spread:  We love anything from Marou. Their attention to flavor, detail, and overall experience are second to none. This cacao cashew spread is like a silky, mellow alternative to the classic cacao and hazelnut combo without some of the oil-y finish. Alicia is certainly gifting this, but we think she deserves one for herself, too.

Antonia Horne
Affineuse AKA maker of all tasty things from our Cheese Caves

Personal Netflix & Chill Snack Pack: No one spends more time loving on our cheeses than our fearless leader, Antonia. This collection of snacks from our Cheese Caves and award winning shelves are the perfect essentials for a cozy night in. We’re thinking a craft cocktail, cheese board, chocolate bites, and an all-night binge of all the shows we missed while playing Santa’s helper this month. Add one goodnight kiss and this is the night in of our dreams.

Jamey Chelius
15th & 15th General Manager

Pump Street Father Christmas (available in stores): Craft chocolate molded into the shape of beloved St Nick?! What’s not to love? Jamey may or may not be the king of last minute gifting, but he sure knows how to make a tasty choice.

Austin Shimada
Holladay General Manager

Bitters book (available in stores): Austin is turning his entire family into a clan of cocktail aficionados. This book is full of both great information and history, but is also a one-stop resource for our favorite classic and newfound recipes.

The One & Only Tony Caputo
Owner and man behind the magic

Seasonal fresh truffles:

Tony may be sporting the last of our winter black truffles, but fear not! The long awaited white truffles are on their way to our stores, and hopefully the next stop is your dinner tables. Your favorite Caputo’s monger has the scoop on how to best use them, but if you’re lucky, you can catch Tony himself for his favorite recipes, and new fashion accessory?

Tis the season for the warmest, most comforting of cheeses.

Consider Wrångebäck your new best friend for fall’s cold nights. Hailing from a Swedish farm dating back to 1225, Wrångebäck is expertly created by fourth generation cheesemakers. Dense, ultra-creamy, with layer upon layer of browned butter flavor, this raw cows’ milk cheese tastes like sitting in front of a cozy fireplace feels. Perfect for autumn cheese plates, melty soup toppers, or whatever else needs a dose of cozy richness. It’s like browned butter in cheese form.

If you’ve been to Caputo’s Market or taken a Caputo’s class lately, you’ve probably noticed a bump in tinned seafood visibility and pairings. We love tinned seafood, the culture it represents, and just how delicious it is. In a landlocked state like Utah, we’ve found a now easily accessible, and incredibly sustainable, way to include seafood in our daily diets. Meet the newest addition to this burgeoning category: Ittica Alimentare Salerno (IASA).

Campania may be most well known for their cheese, but the miles of coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea make this region ideal for old world, inherently sustainable fishing practices. IASA (Ittica Alimentare Salerno) is at the forefront of the industry, combining tradition and attention to detail with innovative preservation techniques and high quality selection. Mediterranean branzino and dorade are line caught April through September, grilled or steamed, and hand packed to mimic the texture and flavor of freshly caught and cooked fish served by a Southern Italian Nonna. IASA has harnessed the ability to trick the mind and present a preserved fish that feels and tastes as though it’s been freshly prepared the day you open each tin. The likeness to fresh fish is uncanny and we’ve found this to be the way to enjoy a fresh tasting take on preserved seafood long after the fishing season has ended. 

Shop IASA and all our tinned seafood offerings at your local Caputo’s Market or buy online here.

If you’ve been following our Tower of Terroir series over the last week, then you know we’ve been obsessing over all things Halloween. In between the spider-webbing of our front doors, carving of crooked-teethed pumpkins, and brainstorming costume ideas (pretty sure I’m going with Disco Bunny), we’ve shared a couple pretty killer recipes. We’ve covered drinks and dinner, but now it’s time for the thing trick-or-treaters want most: chocolate!

Well, sort of. It’s actually coffee. Plus milk. And cocoa butter. With a touch of raw cane sugar thrown in. Okay okay, it’s a latte. But also a chocolate bar. Wait, what?

The good folks over at OmNom (read: highly awarded, truly delicious, beautifully packaged Icelandic chocolate Jedi masters) wanted to see what would happen if they replaced cacao beans with coffee beans, and we can say pretty much without pause that it’s one of the most delicious things on our shelves right now. OmNom worked extensively on this project with their fellow countrymen Reykjavik Roasters to develop a roasting curve that would deliver the best aromatic results and smoothest flavor. The result is, well, a deliciously edible latte. Actually it’s more like 5 lattes (eat the whole bar in one sitting and you’ll be jittering something fierce), and it’s only $9.99. Plus, the spooky bats on the package are just too perfect for Halloween.

Pick up a couple bars before the 31st, in stores or online!

For those of you participating in the annual Eat Local Week challenge, we’re rounding up our very favorite local items -at varying levels of local-ness- to make your week as local as you’d like and as delicious as possible. Browse through the list or take a stroll around your local Caputo’s. We’d be thrilled to help you load up on all things local.

THE 250 MILE LIST
If you’re sticking to the 250 mile radius challenge, these items are for you. Everything in the section has been grown and finished within 250 miles of our Downtown store:

Caputo’s Cheese Caves*
If you know us, you know that cheese is first true love. Our caves are full of locally made wheels and international treasures that get the perfect refinement at the hands of our affineuse, Antonia. Our House-Aged Cheddar and Mesa Farm cheeses fit perfectly within our ELW radius.

Mesa Farm Cheeses
There are not enough words, nor enough time, to fully describe what Randy and Mesa Farm mean to us. Mesa Farm embodies the very pinnacle of honest, artisan, sustainable food and we could not be more proud to partner with this farm in our caves and our hearts. There are plenty of options, ranging from fresh chevre to our 60 day cave aged Barely Legal to keep you week full of variety.

(P.S. – read more about Mesa Farm and our annual Goat Camp adventures here and here.)

***In 2023, Randy of Mesa Farm entered his beautifully earned retirement. The farm and its singular cheeses will live on in our hearts and stories for years to come.***

Clifford Farms Fresh Eggs and Honey
Julie Clifford is a local gem and bonafide locavore. The Clifford family has been a necessity in our kitchens for years, so this is a no-brainer  for our ELW shopping lists. Eggs* are one of our favorite proteins for every meal throughout the day and honey* is our local sweetener of choice.

Beehive Cheese
More cheese = more fun = living our best life. The end of summer would not be complete without some late season grilling. Said grilling would not be complete without Beehive Cheese*. If there are local burgers, there should be local cheddar. Melt over everything, round out your cheese board, or pack a lunch with the local staple. 

Zursun Heirlooms
Our neighbors to the North are enriching our lives with all sorts of heirloom legumes and grains. They may not be within the Utah borders, but Zursun* is  close enough that we’ll be relying on their beans and lentils this week to keep us satisfied and satiated. The evenings are now just cool enough for the first stews of the season. Spicy chickpeas, anyone?

Bee’s Brothers
We are unwilling to forego dessert during Eat Local Week, and you shouldn’t give it up, either! Bee’s Brothers* to the rescue. Honey and butter from Logan are combined for the perfect nightcap, caramels! We won’t ask how many you have each night if you don’t ask us.

MADE IN UTAH
Some of the ingredients used by these brands fall outside of the 250 mile radius, but we’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t be sneaking in some chocolate and cocktails this week, so here are our local pals that’ll be saving our sanity this week:

The Craft Chocolate Capital, as dubbed by Saveur
It’s true. There is no better place in the country for craft chocolate than right here in Utah. Take your pick from these phenomenal, award winning brands, all in our backyard. Utah chocolate is our favorite chocolate.

Lindon – Crio Bru*
Orem – Amano Chocolate*
Park City – Ritual Chocolate*
Sandy – The Cacao Bean Project*
Salt Lake City – Chocolate Conspiracy*
Salt Lake City – Solstice Chocolate*
Salt Lake City – Millcreek Cacao*

All Things Bitters
Sure, cocktail bitters can make or break a cocktail, but have you started cooking and baking with them? Substitute your favorite bitters in any recipe that call for vanilla extract and add a few dashes to dressings, marinades, and pan sauces for depth, complexity, and a lovely extra punch of flavor.

Roy – Beehive Bitters*
Salt Lake City – Bitters Lab*

Creminelli Fine Meats
They did get their start in our basement, after all. Life would not be complete without a healthy dose of salumi. Throw into a local egg frittata, chop into salads, or dress up your cheese board with all things Creminelli*.

Hot Stuff
The spice of life lies in a few bottles and jar that make life just that. Choose from two of our favorites, both made here in SLC:

Chili Beak*
Mama Africa*

EVEN MORE LOCAL STUFF
We love Utah because of the artisans, makers, and the movers and shakers who make this city what it is today. We couldn’t do it and Salt Lake would be lost without the fine folks behind these brands:

Normal Ice Cream*
Laziz Foods
Amour Spreads*
Garwood’s*
Mamachari*
Pop Art*

* Available at your local Caputo’s

I love a good food trend as much as the next person. But what I love more is a bonafide food revival. Here’s the difference:

A food trend starts with an innovative hack or recipe twist and makes waves on social media in mere days. Your favorite food bloggers offer up their takes on it, then said trend is murdered by big chains trying to get in on the action. It’s a windfall experience, left to die a lonely death with only faint memories of their once viral hashtags and millenial social love.

The story of a  food revival started centuries ago, back when food was a means of survival. Food was fuel then, made delicious by generations of tweaks and passed down techniques. Sure, they may have faded to make way for said trends above, but they’ve never fully disappeared. The revival begins quietly on the shelves of your favorite stores. It gains traction slowly after one recommendation to take it home and try it for yourself, one Google session to figure out what to do with it, one bottle of wine to pair it with. Small articles in Bon Appetit or Food and Wine will mention it, your friends will say they’ve tried it. Your mom might even send you a newspaper clipping about it. Before you know it, you’ve changed your eating habits to incorporate it, developed a tiered list of favorite brands, traditional preparations, and recipes using it at home, and now you’re sending clippings back to your mom about even better options than she’d originally recommended.

That’s the food revival. Unassuming at first, but impactful. Think of the difference between $100 gourmet burgers and Greek yogurt, artisan cupcakes and fermented foods…you get the idea. Spendy burgers and all things cupcake came and went. Yes, they’re still around, but you may not feel as inclined to keep ingredients on hand to prepare on a whim or boast their consumption on your Insta stories. Greek yogurt and fermented items found their way into our hearts and refrigerators and will remain. Whether it’s for solo snacking or adding to recipes, the health benefits and lingering flavor keeps us all coming back for more.

So, I’m here to tell you what’s next. Now remember, enter with an open mind. It’s time to get reacquainted with tinned seafood, my friends.

This is not the mass-produced ‘Chicken of the Sea’ cans of tuna that ensnare dolphins and tuna alike. It is not flash-cooked and preserved in weird faux-brine water. It is not tasteless slop. Revival-worthy tinned seafood is the stuff of legend. Think small boats with three generations aboard—working together, catching together, selecting the very best to bring back to shore. Grandmothers oversee the preparation and preservation with strong opinions, heavy-handed seasoning, and a forever-furrowed brow.

Once preserved, seafood does a magical thing and becomes even more delicious with time. The oil, sauce, or brine permeate the fibers and flesh and textures become soft and supple. Flavors commingle and rest until each tin is chosen for consumption. What was once a way to preserve precious proteins for the off-season is now a stalwart of tapas fare and ultra-sustainable because of its inherent nature, not because of a trend.

You’ll find one of the best in Jose Gourmet. Fish, bivalves, and mollusks are prepared traditionally with classic sauces and oils. There’s an option for every eater: mild and delicate or toothsome and full of flavor. Each tin is prepared with exceptional attention to detail, down to how each piece is artfully preserved in the tin, sealed for optimal preservation and flavor, and bound with eye-catching art and enchanting stories. For those of us residing in landlocked locales, this is the perfect way to start introducing seafood into our diets without breaking the bank. Roll back the lid on a tin, toss together a salad, and pour yourself a glass of wine. You’ll be transported to another place and time for as long as the tin takes to consume. You’ll begin craving the experience and the flavors and come back for more as often as I have this year. I’ll see you in the tinned seafood aisle.

It’s here! Finally! GREEK WEEK!

But, why?

Well,  I’m half Greek. My grandmother (yiayia) arrived in SLC in 1948 and never learned to speak English. Out of necessity, she planted a diverse urban farm, often with seeds and starts she brought from Greece. To this day, it is the flavors and aromas of her recipes that inform which products adorn Caputo’s shelves. Recently, our whole Caputo clan embarked on a trip to various parts of Greece, including our ancestral home on the island of Crete. This trip and yiayia’s memory are the inspiration for the creation of our Greek Catalog, highlighting foods and traditions of this ancient and beautiful culture.

Take a look at our inspiring travel for yourself:

Greece 2018 family vaca starts now! Wish we could bottle their excitement.

My big fat Greek wedding, Athenian style.

First beach day in Crete! Obsessed with Elafonisi’s crystal waters.

Stomping around Old Town Chania. Χανιά – Παλιό Λιμάνι

Dining at Dounias in the mountains high above Chania, Crete where the Slow Food movement is nothing new to the region but instead a continuation of the traditional Greek lifestyle and cuisine.

Nestled in the mountains an hour outside of Chania, this taverna went so far and beyond rustic cuisine. The owners’ (husband and wife duo) little 2 yo boy sat at our table and ate snails from our plates. Kitchen tour, wood fire cooking only, cheese making before our eyes. And that bread. Highlight of the trip

Chania Old Town Port

Throwing it back to Athens. Acropolis | Lycabettus Hill | Plaka

Visited Yiayia’s mother’s birthplace in the village of Atsipopoulo, just outside of Rethymno. Met with neighbors who knew Polymnia and welcomed us with gifts and sweets. ❤️

Rockin’ Rethymno. Réthymno, Rethimni, Greece

For the last leg of our trip, we picked a place we’ve never been, mostly because of the beach pics. Island in the Ionian, famous for the Shipwreck Navagio beach and blue caves. Evening views from top were way more impressive than daytime with the crowds.

We stayed in a remote area up north (apparently, the south is a bit of a party town). Loved the water, the countryside and the people here. They don’t get American tourists often and were so kind.

Chocophiles, meet Luisa Abram, one of the newest chocolate brands added to our burgeoning selection of craft chocolate. Luisa Abram is a family owned Brazilian chocolate company using beans only from Amazon rainforest. The focus is on chocolate from remote, nearly untouched areas of the Amazon.

Some of you die hard chocolate fans and Chocolate Society members may know about Luisa Abram by now, and maybe have even heard the story about the extremes we went through to import this chocolate. But it was an ordinary email exchange with Luisa’s father, Andre, that really stood out to me that I wanted to share. This snip-it provides invaluable insight into Luisa Abram’s brand and ethos as chocolate makers.

“We just came back from a visit to the families that ferment the cocoa for our red bars. They are located on the Lower Amazon Basin close to the Atlantic. We saw and heard their enthusiasm with our presence and more important, our commitment to buy the cocoa they collect in the Forest near by. The impact of this relation in their lives is palpable, meaningful. We went there to help them produce more beans and give feedback about the beans we buy and how to improve them. Their main source of income comes from the açaí trade, which is also found in the forest close by. Açai is the main crop in the region and very few families ferment cocoa, actually only 6 families, the ones we deal with.

As for the Jari bars, they come from a community that collect Brazil nuts. On their way to the trees, as a side note, they are majestic ones really tall and beautiful, they found cocoa trees as well. The trip to this origin is a tough one. The Jari river has a lot of waterfalls that make the way up very difficult. The situation of this origin is very similar to the one I described above. The more the locals can get from what the forest has to offer, the better off they become and the more protected the Forest will be!!

Next week, we are off to the Amazon again. This time we will go to the Juruá river near the border with Peru. Dan O’Doherty will join us there.” – Feb 3, 2018

There is quite frankly nothing better than this going on in the world of cacao and chocolate right now. Pure gold.

Find Luisa Abram’s chocolate here.

You’re still not sure what to give, and you haven’t started shopping yet? That’s OK, we won’t tell a soul. In an effort to inspire your food gifting, here’s what some of your favorite faces from Caputo’s are giving to their friends and family this year.

Don’t see your favorite monger here? Drop by before the holiday—we’re open through the afternoon of Christmas Eve—and ask them for their personal recommendations. We’re certainly not lacking in opinions around here.

So, here you have it: each of our gift picks for 2017:

Matt Caputo
President and ultimate boss-man

Dok Dall’ Ava Prosciutto: “One bite will tell a story of why Italy gained a reputation for culinary greatness in the first place. Time, quality, skill, and a love for tradition are clearly ingredients. The taste is unrivaled by any other ham. Yeah I’m looking at you Iberico!”

Yelena Caputo
Vice President, and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

Caputo’s Cheese Cave Collection: Struggling to find a gift for the one who has everything? I know I always do. And the struggle is real. I am ashamed to admit that I’ve always hesitated to give the gift of cheese; it’s awkward to wrap and present (don’t tell my husband). Enter Caputo’s Cheese Cave Sampler. Unique? Check. Specialty? Check. Local? Check. Delicious? Double check. Aged in our Cheese Caves and wrapped in the most gorgeous new threads. Accompany the cheese sampler with a couple of our matching custom posters and voila! Hard to top!

Adri Pachelli
Director of Education (and self-proclaimed office monkey)

Panettone: “There is nothing more iconic than panettone when the holidays roll around. I’ve been plenty noisy about my love for panettone before, and I don’t plan on stopping. Pro-tip; those leftover slices after dinner make an amazing french toast the next morning.”

Noel Watson
Downtown General Manager

Luxardo Cherries:  “These are such a special, out of the ordinary addition to any cocktail, cheese plate, or for use in baking. Dating back to 1821- these are a fantastic example of all we stand for in protecting classic traditionalism.”

Antonia Horne
Affineuse AKA maker of all tasty things from our cave cheeses

Trio of unusual vinegar:

“This year I’m expanding my loved ones’ vinegar libraries beyond the Balsamic I usually give. The Acetum Mellis Mead vinegar is as bright and crisp as a ray of sunshine, which is perfect for the cold winter months. The Arvum Moscatel Sherry vinegar is sweet and luxurious, but still delicate. It’s an amazing alternative to Balsamic. And Leonardi Saba is rich and unctuous, perfect for dessert or savory dishes.”

Jamey Chelius
15th & 15th General Manager

Dick Taylor Drinking Chocolate: “I can stuff kid and adult stockings alike with this drinking chocolate. The package doesn’t even need wrapping. Kids can stir into warm milk and enjoy, adults simply need to add a dram of their favorite spirit for the perfect grown up hot beverage.”

Austin Shimada
Holladay General Manager

Blue’s Chocolates seasonal flavors: “I walked in as Sondra was unpacking the first seasonal flavors this month. Hard cider, spiked eggnog, marzipan, and cardamom are just a few of the available and seasonally perfect options to choose from. I’m buying a range of box size for a range of friends and family. I know every single one of them will enjoy them as much as I do. ”

Sean Rorke
University General Manager

Mister Bitters Fig & Cardamom: “Because whiskey cocktails.”

The One & Only Tony Caputo
Owner and man behind the magic

“Something that’s about to expire from the half off rack”

He’s not wrong though, friends. Each location has a unique and delicious selection of items on the half-off shelves that are more than worthy of a good belly and happy home. Plus, what’s not to love at half off?

One of my favorite customer questions is always accompanied by a finger pointing timidly to the cheese counter glass. “What’s that thing wrapped in leaves? A cheese?” Every time I hear it, a smile springs to my face. Thanks for noticing, I want to say. And then, are you ready for a story?

This week, we are dedicating the Caputo’s blog to our favorite summer cheese and in-house specialty, and we are kicking it off with a little history lesson.

That mysterious cheese behind the counter and our favorite summer treat is an Italian beauty called burrata. Unlike other cheeses we import and then sell at Caputo’s, it is made at the end of the cheese counter, where you can catch Antonia (our full-time affineuse), Christian, or Fiona in the act of cheese-making. Plunging gloved hands into steaming water, you’ll see them stretch the softened mozzarella to a soft and shiny shell. Then, they pull apart strands of mozzarella curd, soak the strands in fresh cream, and stuff the mixture inside the waiting shell, twisting the top together to keep the creamy goodness inside. After a few hours of this process, they are ready to place the half- pound balls in plastic bags and then wrap them in thick, green leaves, tying them together with twine. This leaf-tying practice pays homage to the original burrata makers, who wrapped the fresh balls in the locally abundant asphodel leaves as an indicator of freshness; bright, fresh leaves indicated a bright, fresh cheese, whereas wilted leaves meant the cheese was more than a few days old.

But burrata is more than just a palate-pleaser and the perfect summer cheese. Like everything we carry at Caputo’s, it tells the story of its birthplace, and burrata was born on a snowy winter’s day in a small town in Southern Italy. The town is Andria, the year is 1920(-ish), and the maker is a poor farmer left with the byproducts of a mozzarella that would not be sold in the valley that day, as the layers of snow made travel impossible. Faced with the discomfort of wasting the precious mozzarella scraps, stretched curd, and cream, he could have dried the cheese curd to use in pasta, or perhaps drunk the cream like thick milk. Instead, Lorenzo Bianchino gave credence to the cliche that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and he invented. Making art from waste,  he recycled the byproducts of mozzarella to make something (arguably) more beautiful than the product itself: burrata, a delicate queen of Italian cheese. True to the day on which it was born, burrata is a milky-white orb of creamy decadence, as fresh-tasting as a winter morning, as buttery and rich as it’s Italian name implies (burrata means “buttered”).

Lorenzo Bianchino was perhaps the first maker of burrata, but he was not the last. His creation was such a hit that it became a practical and delectable treat for neighboring cow-keepers in Andria. Many poor farmers were selling their fior di latte, or cow’s milk mozzarella, to the rich who now sneered at the traditional buffalo milk mozzarella of the masses. But after selling their mozzarella, the farmers had no cheese left for themselves or their families. Making burrata was the solution that gave the poor their mozzarella with a heart of cream, and it was (accidentally) even more decadent than the cheese of the decadents. In the 1950’s, local cheese factories began producing it, and it slowly began to spread across Italy and the United States.

Every time I hand over a leaf-wrapped burrata to a customer who moments before was pointing with puzzlement into the glass case, I wish I could be there to witness the magic of that first bite- cutting through the shell to scoop, spoon, and slurp out the creamy center. Burrata isn’t just a testament to the Italian spirit and a gift to American palates. Like every cheese we sell at Caputo’s, it comes wrapped up in a story of the hands who crafted it, the animals that provided the milk, the lands from which they grazed, and ultimately, the culture that gave the cheese its style, form, and life. This lovely Italian invention is just one more example of the Caputo’s mission: honoring and preserving the past, sharing our expertise in the present, and trailblazing into the future. 

We are proud of our house-made burrata because we are proud of the original methods and ingenuity of the people who produced it. And we’re proud of our house-made burrata because we are proud of our cheese-makers who produce it today, with the same care and intention as those who first saw the spark of a new cheese in the scraps of an old classic. 

Bite into some burrata and I think you’ll be singing the praises of Italian ingenuity, too.