Last updated on August 8th, 2024
The Cinque Terre is one of many visitor bucket list stops in Italy and it should be. The Cinque Terre is idyllic, has great food and spectacular. A great way to remember your time in the Cinque Terre is to bring back one of the area’s culinary treats.
These are my top 6 food souvenirs to bring back from the Cinque Terre. No matter what you like to cook or eat, I have something for you to bring back as either a souvenir or food gift from the Cinque Terre that will speak to the culinary traditions of these beautiful coastal Italian towns.
You can find these items in each of the Cinque Terre villages. Look for them in specialty food shops and at grocery stores.
Let’s dive in!
Foodie Alert: If you would like to learn about what foods to try while visiting these towns, consider reading Traditional Food of Liguria– Insider Tips on Foods You Must Try During Your Visit.
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Taggiasche Olives
Taggiasche olives are the native olive variety from Liguria and are considered some of the best table olives in all of Italy (not to mention they make a great olive oil). These small olives have a very fruity flavor and come in a variety of colors.
Choose to bring back these little salty olives either jarred or vacuum packed. Alternatively, you can choose a fruity olive oil made locally.
Limoncino
Limoncello is a very sweet, lemon-based Italian digestivo originally from the Amalfi Coast (Campania) but enjoyed and made throughout the entire Italian peninsula, including the Cinque Terre. Here, however, they call it limoncino, not limoncello but it’s the same thing, typically served neat, extremely cold in a small glass.
Limoncello is often made in-house in the Cinque Terre as it’s very easy to make by macerating lemon peel with sugar and grain alcohol such as vodka. Look for artisan made varieties or stop in at an alimentare or small mom and pop grocery store to get your hands on the best kind.
How To Drink It: Of course you can drink it as a digestive (after dinner drink) but don’t get afraid to use it in cocktails such as this Limoncello Spritz.
Pesto
Liguria and the Cinque Terre are known for the best basil pesto in Italy, one of the most famous foods from Italy. Chances are you sampled it while visiting these five picturesque towns. So why not bring a little jar of it home with you? You can easily pick up good quality canned pesto at small grocery stores or markets making it one of the best small food souvenirs from the Cinque Terre.
How To Use It: Use pesto to dress al dente cooked pasta with your favorite pasta brand or add it to dishes like minestrone or farro salad for extra flavor.
Anchovies
Acciughe (anchovies) make a great food souvenir from the Cinque Terre because you can use it to recreate some of the classic coastal dishes you may have tried on your travels to Italy. Anchovies are used in so much of Italian cooking, including pasta dishes, chicken dishes and on crostini but the absolute best come from Monterosso, one of the small five towns of the Cinque Terre. Look for them packed in olive oil in small jars or in tins.
Trofie Dried Pasta
Trofie pasta dates back to the times of the Crusades and remains a staple for Ligurians made from durum wheat flour and water. It’s then rolled into thin, short ropes and twisted into a kind of corkscrew shape. Trofie are usually served with pesto and are a must-try first course in the Cinque Terre.
To bring it home, look for pre-packaged dried versions. Pair it with pesto, a block vacuum packed Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and you have an amazing food gift from Italy for all your foodie friends back home (or yourself!).
Local Wine
The Cinque Terre is known for their production of two specific wines: Sciacchetrà DOC and Cinque Terre DOC. Sciacchetrà is a sweet vino passito wine served after dinner with dessert or cheese. Cinque Terre DOC is a light, crisp white wine best enjoyed with seafood. If you have room in your suitcase, pick up some of these local wines produced ONLY in this area of Italy! To help you decide which wine is right for you, be sure you are tasting it and buying it from all the best places in Italy.
Check out all of my gift and souvenir guides
Food Souvenirs from Supermarkets in Italy
Italian Food Gifts to Bring Back From Italy
Handpicked Gifts for Italian Food Lovers
Handpicked Italian Cooking Gifts
Italian Cookbooks to Gift
Food Souvenirs from Italy
Food Souvenirs & Gifts from Tuscany
Food Souvenirs & Gifts from Florence
Where to Buy Specialty Food Items in Florence
Food Souvenirs from Venice
Food Souvenirs from the Cinque Terre
Best Italian Olive Oils to Bring Home
