The key to delicious Italian cooking isn’t a generations-old family secret: It’s simply starting with the highest-quality ingredients you can find. After an informative afternoon highlighted by tastings, you’ll be ready to step away from the generic offerings on supermarket shelves and fill your basket with products that reflect the rich heritage of centuries of artisans.

The guides are a pair of experts in Italian specialty foods. Cecilia Ercolino is president of Italian Products USA, an import and distribution company located in New Jersey. Luanne Savino O’Loughlin manages Olio2go, an online (and brick-and-mortar) retailer of Italian olive oil based in Fairfax, Virginia. 

Join them to explore the history and lore behind pantry staples like balsamic vinegar, pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, cheeses, and preserves and nut butters—and the elements that distinguish merely good versions from the authentically certified best. Learn, too, how Italian producers have developed some modern twists on these traditional ingredients.

You may not have the chance to dine in Rome, Parma, or Tuscany, but with quality ingredients your home-made Italian dishes can transport you there in spirit. Buon appetito!