Wall Street Journal Staff
We asked specialty food purveyors around the U.S. to name the European products they flatly refuse to live without.
1. Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano Riserva “There is NOT a substitute for this aged cow’s milk cheese from Italy.” —Valerie Gurdal, co-owner, Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge, Mass., and Formaggio Kitchen South End, Boston ($34 for a pound, formaggiokitchen.com)
2. Espinaler Razor Clams “As fancy Galician tinned bivalves go they are reasonably priced. The flavor is like a fresh gust of sea air and the texture is so satisfying on the tooth.” —Matt Caputo, CEO, Caputo’s Market & Deli, Salt Lake City, Utah ($11 for a 4-ounce tin, caputos.com)
3. San Simón Smoked Cheese “It greets you with a deep, smoky aroma that reminds me of the tiny stone villages I’ve visited in northern Spain. The pale-yellow interior is buttery and mild, with a delicate smokiness and ochre rind provided by smoldering birch wood.” —Jonathan Harris, co-owner, La Tienda, Williamsburg, Va. ($23 for 1.1 pounds, tienda.com)
4. Ibérico de Bellota Ham “Without Ibérico de Bellota, charcuterie boards across America would look like Oscar Mayer Lunchables. These tariffs will significantly affect restaurants and our business.” —Brett Ottolenghi, owner, Artisanal Foods, Las Vegas (From $20 for 2 ounces, artisanalfoods.com)
5. Spaghettoni Faella “Why doesn’t anybody talk about the old tariffs? Do you know that we pay 23% of duties on pasta imported from Italy? That’s why Italian pasta is so expensive in the U.S. Artisanal good pasta made in Italy with 100% Italian wheats, this is the European food I would never do without, no matter its price!” —Beatrice Ughi, president, Gustiamo, Bronx, N.Y. ($8 for 1.1 pound, gustiamo.com)
