The challenge and mission of ‘Le Tamerici’, a company of San Biagio di Bagnolo San Vito (MN), consist in rediscovering raw materials typical of the land of Mantua, now forgotten, and enrich them with unusual and refined matchings, by using uncommon fruit and vegetables to be candied and recreating a place of flavour where gastronomic tradition, research, and experiments meet, in a microcosm that bases itself on the close tie with its land and culture of food. ‘Le Tamerici’ was born from Paola Calciolari’s passion and has produced since 1991 quality alimentary preserves, especially jams and mustards of Mantua, in three lines: ‘Classica (Classic)’, ‘Biologica (Organic)’, ‘Da Meditazione (For Meditation)’. More than 100 products are worked and every raw material is selected and treated when fresh, respecting their times and specific methodologies that allow to preserve both colours and flavours by using the most advanced production technologies as well as a high standard of production processes, confirmed by the achievement of the three most important international quality certifications, ISO 22000, IFS, and BRC, in addition to the certification granted by ICEA and JAS for the organic line.
A real country tradition
Paola Calciolari, owner of Le Tamerici
‘Le Tamerici’, either directly or with the help of its distributors, brings the flavours it proposes in the shops all over the world. Its most popular product abroad - and the one that best represents the company - is ‘Mostarda Mantovana’ (Mustard of Mantua), a typical product linked to the country tradition of this land that offers itself in thin slices of candied fruit and vegetables, immersed in a thick and sweet syrup aromatized with white mustard, that lends its spicy flavour. This Mustard, that has always been eaten as a side dish for both boiled meats and roasts, thanks to the changes introduced in its recipe by Le Tamerici, today is also combined with tasty and ripe cheeses, salami and cold pork meats, raw fish and even desserts and cocktails. Its reference markets are shops of alimentary specialities, such as cheese shops, wine shops, and delicatessen stores, quality distributions with gourmet lines, luxury stores with specific corners, or Made in Italy and specialized Horeca.
Paola Calciolari, owner of Le Tamerici, explains: «Our Mustard is requested abroad mainly by buyers who are in search of unique and luxury products with traditional connotations, made in Italy characterized by an artisan and not industrial quality, produced with skilful workings, specific and additive free. Our percentage of export is 30%, 14% of which is devoted to USA, while the rest is shared among Arabia, Dubai, Japan, Australia, and Europe, mainly Germany, Sweden, and United Kingdom».
IGP Strawberry Compote at aromatic Vinegar
Strawberry compote with aromatic vinegar and wine jellies
Besides mustard, that is a ‘forerunner’ on foreign markets, two other products proposed by ‘Le Tamerici’ are
especially appreciated beyond national boundaries: IGP strawberry compote with aromatic vinegar, and wine jelly, that are distributed with the same channels as mustard and complete the line. The owner explains: «Our strawberry compote is absolutely unique thanks to the matching with another typical and valuable made in Italy product, IGP aromatic vinegar of Modena, while wine jellies, leading products in the specialized wine shops, because it is possible to find there both flavours and scents of Italian wines, give structure to a product that is usually known and tasted only in its liquid version. It is therefore a fresh and light product that, unlike wine, is far more versatile.
Wine Jelly
Both of them were born in the ‘sweet’ domain of preserves and consist in new versions of classic jams, revised and restyled in order to create two not spicy products, alternative to the flavour of mustard for a matching with creamy and fresh cheeses, less structured and spicy than the ones that are usually combined with our Mustard».
A Precious Mustard!
The study that was carried out in order to revise some classical mustards, so making possible some new and varied gastronomic matchings, concerns the updating of its packaging, too. As a matter of fact, ‘Mostarda’ produced by ‘Le Tamerici’ became a luxury product in its gift line ‘Riserva’. For this reason, a special jar was chosen, with a different shape, important as for both weight and dimension, almost for reminding the preciousness of a bottle of refined perfume. In addition, a new label was studied. It communicates the idea of luxury and elegance. It is not paper-based, but woven with silver texture, that reminds the elegance of textile world and fashion. As for gift wrappings, too, the company did not spare its energies, because some Swarovski were applied, in order to present the jar as a true jewel.
