On a serious note, I have seen a few questions concerning bringing wine back to the USA, how about olive oils and balsamic vinegars?

Is it worth shopping around for it?

Do any of you "find" some that you really like and then bring a bottle or two back from your trip to Europe?

VS

We brought back both. It weighed a lot and we had to be extra careful with our luggage. I wouldn't do it again. It was good, but not worth the effort. Maybe if we had purchased some really, really good stuff, I would think differently. Barb

I've brought back wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar that all were the best I had ever tasted or at least I thought at the time. They never taste as good here as they did in Italy.

PBH - I have had that experience with other foods. I will have to try to keep my head and remember that I can get stuff in the USA that is adequate for the day.

Thanks Babs.

VS

Hi Viaggio,

while I enjoy all of that while in Italy, there are so many places you can buy wonderful olive oil, balsamic vinegar that I don't bring them back.

I DID lug back 3 bottles of limoncello though!

Melodie

Hi viaggio, I have never purchased any olive oils or balsamic vinegars because it is possible to buy excellent ones in my area and of course in SF also. Limincello also.

But I have been give various bottles of the listed items by friends in Italy. I always put them in my carryon case when I fly home. I truly enjoy them but it does make the carryon case rather heavy. I have always been afraid if I put them in my checked luggage I will find a mess when I get home.

Melodie, we have been able to get some rather good varieties even in the small town that we live in, but we question how they will compare to what we will find in Italy. We even went to an olive oil tasting in Seattle once. Do you think there really won't be much difference between what we have here and what we have there, except for the atmosphere?

And, LoveItaly, I am sure that you can find excellent varieties in SF - does the same hold true? Are they the same in flavor except in Italy you have the atmosphere?

VS

Hi viaggio, I understand your question because for me everything taste better in Italy! But I just recently purchased in my city in the southern end of the Sacramento Valley a bottle of Licini Gran Reserva Balsamico vinegar. Aged 10 years. It is fantastic! I find balsamico vinegar easy to find here..always am trying different brands from Italy, always from Modena.

Regarding olive oils. I always buy olive oils produced in Italy and from olives of Italy. Some brands say produced in Italy but the olives are from other countries. I have a bottle of olive oil that was produced by a friends aunt in Regello (they own a company) with olives from their orchards and yes it is very good but for "some" reason when I had her olive oil in Italy it seemed to taste better, probably all mental.

I am not a very good native daughter of California I am afraid as I never purchase olive oil etc. made here in CA..I prefer the Italian olive oil made from Italian olives. Must branch out more and try some California brands one of these days as when I have had them in restaurants I have enjoyed them.

We have so many brands of Olive Oil here in L.A. it's not even funny. And I've probably bought them all. On the other hand, bringing back Amora mustard from France (which you can't get here) has become a passion, if not an obsession.

I guess it's a personal idea of which country one thinks is best...(OR if there truly is a big difference) Some really like olive oils from Greece, or Turkey, ...others say Spain has the best, others like Italian,or French. California has wonderful olive oils....Texas is growing some great olives now..and on and on!

It's easy to buy imported excellent balsamic vinegar here in the States, from Modena and others.
Although it is "fun" to bring back things like from your travels, I personally don't think it is worth it to haul back something that one has to be concerned about breakage...AND/OR the added WEIGHT to luggage.
But , "to each his own".!

We'll see, thanks all!

VS