“True Italian Taste”: this is the name of the survey carried out by Assocamerestero, the Association of the 78 Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad, as part of a project promoted and financed by the Ministry of Economic Development to analyze the consumption trends of made in Italy agri-food in United States, Canada and Mexico, with the aim of enhancing the real Italian Food and eradicating the phenomenon of Italia Sounding. The most appreciated Italian product in the North American world turned out to be buffalo mozzarella, selected by the 47,5 % of the total sample: the specialty from Campania was the food most chosen by the Canadians (57,3%) and come on Mexicans (48,4%), ranking second in the United States (42,5%).
Among the cheese are also very popular results gorgonzola (39,3 % of the total sample), theAsiago (33,8%) and mascarpone (27,4%). In general, dairy products are confirmed to be highly appreciated, not surprisingly those most at risk of Italian Sounding and therefore of forgery. In second place among the products most chosen by the interviewees (with 38,5%) was the fresh pasta, which ranked first in the United States (46,4%), second in Mexico (45,2%), while in Canada the product ranked 17th (22,7%), a against a marked preference for pickled olives (41,8%).
The survey, which is based on the purchasing habits and trends of food & wine influencers in the three countries of the American continent, also found that over 87% of the sample has been to Italy at least once and then became an “Italian food lover”. In fact, almost 70% of influencers prepare traditional Italian recipes more than 3 times a week. In first place, we find Canadians: 35,5% of them cook Italian more than five times a week, therefore almost daily. Americans follow with 20,9% and Mexicans with 18,3%.
The analysis focused on the age group of millennials (18 34-years): Influencers confirm the preferences of the general sample they see fresh pasta (41,7%), mozzarella di bufala (41,7%) and gorgonzola (39,3%) ai first three places in the ranking of the most popular products. The young people reveal themselves “connoisseurs of made in Italy” selecting in the basket of their top 20 favorite foods also sweets typical of the holidays such as Panettone (20,2%) and wines like lo High Langhe sparkling wine of Piedmont (22,6%).
