Gluten Free in Italy

Here's a shot of a free-from section in a small provincial Italian supermarket in the corner of north western Italy my folks call home.

No, even when ostensibly on holiday and visiting relatives, I still can't escape the temptation of allergen-friendly foods ...

There was a nice selection of gluten-free products, but what really struck me was its location: at the entrance, by the baskets, opposite the fruit and veg (which were on the right hand side, out of shot).

Anyone come across similar in the UK?

Curiously, the dairy free milks were stocked separately, at the other end of the store. The section at the entrance held biscuits, crackers, pastas, flours, cereals and GF grains. Many contained other allergens, so the emphasis was very much on products for those with coeliac disease - awareness of which in Italy is very high. One exception was this piadina flatbread above - which was confirmed free from gluten, wheat, milk, lactose, egg, nuts, soya, sesame and peanuts. It is by Free G. (Here's a GF piadina recipe, should your appetite be whetted.)

The other thing that I found noteworthy about the section was that it was unsignposted. No consipicuous Senza Glutine sign was to be seen anywhere, nor indeed 'Free From' - which, I discovered, is becoming a more commonly used expression in Italy.

I'm not quite sure how to interpret this. Might the placement reflect an attempt to warmly welcome free-from shoppers from the word go, and allow them a shopping experience where the gluten-y bread (at the far end) could be easily avoided? Does the absence of any obvious signage 'normalise' the food, removing any perceived stigma of shopping in the 'special' section of the supermarket?

Who knows ...

In other news, Lucca - an ancient picturesque town in which I spent an enjoyable day with my cousin Romina - has a tower with trees growing out of the top.


I climbed it. You may be wanting proof ...


To drag this post back vaguely back on topic, Lucca did seem to offer a wide selection of GF and indeed vegan options, judging by the prominent menus I caught sight of that were doing their hardest to lure tourists (among them many north Americans and Spaniards), but I spent very little time exploring the matter further. I'm afraid learning of a small wood floating up high against a springtime Tuscan skyline rather distracts you from matters gluten-free ...

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