Le delizie del Cupin, the artisan flavours of the past! Le Delizie del Cupin is a family-run business located in Liguria, between the provinces of Imperia and Savona. The times we live in force us to always be on the run because of the pace that modern society imposes on us, which does not always allow us to eat in a healthy and adequate way. Often we accept the compromise of lower quality food, essential to our sustenance, just to save time, mistakenly believing we are saving money, and settling for raw materials and industrially prepared products, most of the time made with methods and ingredients that are not exactly healthy. Almost always substances such as additives, preservatives, colourings and flavour enhancers are added, since the ingredients used, often coming from intensive farming and crops, are poor in taste and nutritional properties and therefore not very appealing. Personally, I find this to be a mistake, both for ourselves and for the planet, since our choices affect both our health and the entire ecosystem. This is where the need arises, mine and certainly that of every other person mindful of their own health and that of all other living beings, to seek out products that help us in the daily preparation of our dishes, combining the protection of health and the environment with the satisfaction of the palate! A satisfaction that is achieved every time we sit down at the table enjoying simple, genuine and good food, like that prepared at home by ourselves and by the people who love us! All this is possible thanks to the precious work of small farms, almost exclusively family-run, which cultivate their land sustainably, harvest their products and make them available to small artisan workshops for processing and preservation, so that they can reach our tables, still allowing us to appreciate the authentic and natural flavours of tradition, always with an eye to our psychophysical well-being and to our Mother Earth! So, in my daily commitment to the pursuit of quality, I came to know a small Ligurian farm that has its workshop in Camporosso, in the province of Imperia, but with its own land in a small inland village near Albenga (SV), where culture and tradition have remained intact over time, in the small hamlet of the municipality of Ranzo called "Costa Bacelega". A hamlet with about 50 inhabitants, largely devoted to agriculture and, in particular, to the cultivation of the "Taggiasca" cultivar olive tree. A little village nestled on a hill in the midst of a true olive grove forest! The family-run business is called "Le Delizie del Cupin". The name "Cupin" comes from a phrase used by grandmother: «prendi il cupin» ("take the cupin"), which in Ligurian dialect means bowl, small jar. Hence "Le delizie del Cupin"! From the very beginning, its founder made it his mission to offer the end consumer healthy, genuine products, above all respectful of nature, derived from excellent, safe and controlled raw materials, selected from very small producers between Liguria and Tuscany, in addition to those produced by the company itself. Currently the company relies on a small external workshop for packaging. This partnership also allows it to offer some typical Tuscan dishes, such as the famous Pappa al Pomodoro and Ragù di Chianina Bianco. The owner, Marco, a person truly passionate about his work, is always on the lookout for good, genuine raw materials to prepare his tasty products, all without added preservatives or colourings. The products also include a Gluten-Free and Vegan Line. Le Delizie del Cupin currently produces only a few items, and having tasted practically all of them, I can say they are truly delicious, just "like homemade"! Varieties ranging from fruit preserves to ready-made game sauces, from regional specialities such as the typical "Pesto alla Genovese" (in keeping with Ligurian tradition) to Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro, in which only Italian tomatoes and homemade bread are used! Completing the basket of these delights is the extra virgin olive oil made from the fruity and sweet "taggiasca" cultivar, which doesn't mask flavours but enhances them! Truly defining Liguria's authentic "Golden Oil". As a taster and demanding gourmet myself, I can say that the products of "Le Delizie del Cupin" are not simple preserves or condiments as can easily be found on the market, but are true treasure chests of authentic, genuine, good flavours, like those of the past made with love by our mothers and grandmothers, where you can taste the true flavour of vegetables and fruit. Simple and natural products, yet rich in flavour, that will take you on a journey through time, through the land, and through genuine Italian artisan tradition!