Lindsay Marie Morris

There is much dispute over the origins of almonds. Some say the fruit tree first grew in Central Asia between Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Kurdistan or in eastern Asia between Uzbekistan and Mongolia. Others cite botanical and archaeological evidence to point to West Asia, particularly the Levant region. Wherever the almond originated, it clearly spread to the shores of the Mediterranean into northern Africa and southern Europe, including Italy. 

One almond in particular, the Avola almond of Sicily, is highly regarded for its applications in pastry-making and was traditionally sugared for use in wedding confetti. Darker, thinner, and stronger tasting than a California almond, it comes in four varieties: Pizzuta, Fascionello, and Romana or Corrente d'Avola.

 

Sally Giannetti, owner of Florence-based Giannetti Artisans, carries Pizzuta almonds, named for their pointed and sharp profile. She took time out to share more about this unique variety.

 

 

Tell us about Giannetti Artisans and how you got started.

I'm originally from Chicago, where I was born and raised. My parents are both Italian, and they were born in Italy. They emigrated to Chicago about 50 years ago.

My mom always brought me back to Italy when I was a kid because my grandparents were here. So, aside from my family in the United States, I was exposed to the country, the traditions, and the culinary "habits." I grew up speaking Italian in my house. It was my first language. 

I hated coming to Italy when I was younger, but then I started college and majored in international business and Italian. My university offered study abroad programs in Florence. It was required that I do at least one study abroad program in a four-year term. 

So, I came to Florence, fell in love, and said I'd move to Florence after I graduated college, and that's what happened.

After several years of working various sales jobs and making a lot of money for others, I wanted to start my own business and make some money for myself! After giving a business plan a lot of thought, I like the idea of somehow connecting the two countries together: my family origins and my place of birth. I thought food was a great way to do that, and I said, "You know what? In the United States, there isn't real gourmet Italian food. A lot of the products that are on the shelves out there are made in the United States with an Italian flag label on them, and they really aren't Italian." So, I said, "I want to start importing true Italian food."

I created my own label and logo. I started from zero. I was not in this business or this industry. I started online, and I created my website. Then, I was selling on Amazon, which I still do, and it grew slowly. 

I started sourcing from different regions in Italy, and I was very picky about choosing the small artisans. I don't buy any products on the grocery shelves here. I look for small- to medium-sized companies that make small-batch products, and that's what is in my product line. It's all Italian. Nothing is made elsewhere. The ingredients are all 100% Italian.

 

What are Avola almonds?

Avola is where they make wine, so it's a very arid territory. It's near Syracuse, and it's a small town located inland but close to the coastline. There is a huge concentration of almond trees. The particular characteristic of the almonds grown in this area is the fact that they blossom in January. This is because this particular area is a microclimate protected by the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea that keeps the temperature mild-mannered. The soil is extremely dry making the almond production environmentally sustainable since almonds do not need a large quantity of water. A special variety called the "Pizzuta" contains a higher quantity of healthy fat, making it an important protagonist of many nutritional values. It is also famous because years ago, it was used to make the confetti for Italian weddings due to its delicious flavor and physical traits since it has a long and thin oval shape to it. 

The Avola almond (unlike the California almond, which contains a lesser quantity of oils and tends to taste rather bland) contains a high concentration of oils. 

 

How else do Avola almonds differ from California almonds?

Obviously, the quantity makes the difference, even in price, because California almonds are easier to get and have a higher production quantity. California almonds are used more for mass production, whereas Avola varieties are used more specifically for making pastries and small-batch products.

 

The taste is very strong, whereas with a Californian almond, it is a bit more bland. It certainly doesn't leave you with that nutty flavor that the Sicilian one does. Some people don't like it because they're used to a more gentle-flavored almond. 

 

 
Sicilian almond granita

How is the Avola almond used?

In Italy, they use it to make pastries. There's a drink that is made during the summer, chilled almond milk, and it's made at the bar. Or they make a granita using Sicilian almonds and adding sugar to it. Sometimes, they toast the almonds; sometimes, they don't, depending on what it is used for. The more you toast them, the stronger the flavor is. They use it to make marzipan and gelato.

 

Fruit-shaped marzipan (frutta martorana) on display in Acireale 

What do you hope people appreciate about Avola almonds?

I think the taste—they have a very distinct flavor. Like I said, not everyone likes them if they're used to a bland-tasting almond.

This is the reason why I started this business. If you purchase chestnut flour from a grocery store anywhere in the United States, it won't have the same taste as the chestnut flour that I sell, for example.

What is done in processed foods with these large mass-production companies is that they don't dry or roast the fruits on wood embers but rather in huge industrial ovens. Nuts are dried in these ovens for 8 or 10 hours rather than on wood embers for 40-plus days. The processing method makes the difference. Large multinational companies need to cut their costs and produce high quantities. It makes the product cheaper and perhaps of lesser quality, but it also takes away the authentic taste of that nut or fruit.

 

If you taste some of my chestnut flour, it has a strong smoky taste as opposed to flour purchased off the grocery store shelf that tastes just like plain flour! A lot of people's palates are not accustomed to such a different flavor because most food in the United States has a standardized production method, making everything taste just about the same. 

 

The same rule applies to almonds. If you're used to eating processed foods, your palate becomes accustomed to those limited flavors; when you taste a Sicilian almond, it's strong, nutty, and just delicious. 

 

Hopefully, people will appreciate something different from their palate's "comfort zone." Those who have been exposed to authentic Italian goods will know what they're looking for, which is exactly what my business is all about.

 

 

 

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Driven by a goal of bringing Sicily's flavors and traditions to every table, Salvatore Pluchino left a career in aerospace to launch Seligo, a Brooklyn-based Sicilian food brand. Specializing in Sicilian-crafted extra virgin olive oil and unrefined pasta and chocolate, he also collaborates with gourmet shops across the U.S. to organize what he calls "pasta-making parties." The majority of these are held in New York's Catskills region. Also in the works: food and wine tours in Sicily.

"Seligo was the answer to my need to stay connected with Sicily and to share the incredible richness of Sicilian culture with others," says Salvatore.

Salvatore shared how he got started, what inspired his unrefined, traditional approach, what goes into product selection, his focus on sustainable sourcing, his plans for the future, and more.

 

 

What is your connection to Sicily?

Sicily is home and family. I am Sicilian. I was born there and spent most of my life there, and I go back whenever possible, always trying to savor different seasons. At some point, I quit my career in aerospace engineering to build a brand that would talk about Sicily and my roots. Everything I do in my life ultimately brings me back to Sicily. It's a bond so strong that it's difficult to explain in a few words, even though I now have a second home and life in New York. I always like to compare Sicily to a benevolent mermaid that attracts me, and I reject it once I get too close. When people ask about my origin, I reply that I'm Sicilian, and people often point out that I say this instead of simply saying I'm Italian. Their curiosity about the clear distinction I always point out has made me reflect deeply on my identity.

 

What inspired you to start Seligo and focus on unrefined, traditional Sicilian foods?

At a certain point in my life, I realized that food was the most effective way to share my vision of Sicily beyond its borders. Starting a brand like Seligo also made me extremely happy and helped me stay loyal to my principles. Culinary traditions are the pillars of the Sicilian lifestyle, and every aspect of life revolves around the family table.

 

The concept of unrefined food emerged when I was immersed in New York's innovative food culture. I was surrounded by many food entrepreneurs who wanted to create something new and revolutionary because there was a sense of betrayal in the food industry in general. My intuition was suggesting that I had to walk on a different path, almost opposite. In that context, I began by looking back on Sicilian gastronomic history and traditional products. 

Unrefined food sounds like an innovation, but in reality, it's just a treasure from our past. At that time, I was lucky enough to find amazing people in Sicily who were already pointing in that direction, making artisanal food products that I started to call "unrefined" because they respect certain criteria. They are not processed but rather gently transformed or minimally processed.

 

 Seligo's unrefined pasta

How do you select the specific ingredients and products featured on Seligo?

Everything starts with meeting the right people—producers committed to their work and prioritizing quality above all else. The meaning of quality is often confusing, but it becomes clear when producers eagerly show the origin of their raw ingredients, especially when they're involved in producing those ingredients themselves. Another key indicator is their knowledge of how their products will affect consumers' health. In that context, it's easy to team up with them and change some details to make a product even more unique and palatable, but always unrefined and traditional. For example, the choice of making the unrefined heirloom Sicilian chocolate in cubes instead of bars was a winning one. The grainy texture and roughness of the bar were making people skeptical. The cube, instead, made the product easier to approach, appreciate, and fun to eat.

 

 

Seligo chocolate cubes

What are the sustainable practices you employ in sourcing and producing products?

Since our inception, I've focused on sustainable practices, beginning by observing and learning from farmers, artisanal cheesemakers, and fishermen who consistently prioritize local, seasonal, and eco-friendly practices. They are the pillars of the Sicilian local food culture, and in some cases, they don't even realize they're following sustainable practices; they're simply following traditional methods in which the customer's appreciation and well-being take precedence over profit.

 

Sicilian food culture helps preserve the region's natural resources and distinctive culinary identity. With Seligo, I'm just following a path that started hundreds of years ago, and I'm learning to preserve more than innovate. Of course, there are products like extra virgin olive oil, whose quality has increased dramatically in the last decade thanks to technological innovations. In that case, brave producers have made huge investments, which has been a game-changer for the small artisanal productions, especially in the southeastern part of Sicily, where Seligo's extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is made.

 

Seligo 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What distinguishes your unrefined chocolate, pasta, and extra virgin olive oil from similar products on the market?

The answer lies in the word "unrefined." This explanation may be somewhat technical, but understanding these details is crucial for making informed choices about the food we decide to eat. 

As I mentioned, in New York, I was surrounded by numerous new food brands whose common priority was manipulating and mixing ingredients, mostly plant extracts, to create something new when, in most cases, nature has already created everything we need. 

For our heirloom pasta, the innovation was actually returning to the time when flour was simply made with ground wheat kernels, and nothing was removed. There was no bleaching and no GMO manipulation of the plants to change the gluten composition. Similarly, with our chocolate, there's no need for refining processes like tempering or additions to stabilize the product. Actually, what the industry has done was to deprive chocolate of an incredible quantity of nutrients that made cacao in the past a superfood. So, I'm giving back to Seligo's heirloom pasta and the unrefined chocolate the name they deserve. They are natural superfoods.

EVOO is somehow a special case. Because it is the ultimate unrefined product: juice extracted from olives at a very low temperature, in which the water has been removed. It's essentially a healthy potion with powerful nutrients concentrated in just a few tablespoons per day. EVOO must be protected from UV light and oxygen, so technological advancement and investment are very important.

 

How do the products offered by Seligo reflect Sicily's cultural and culinary traditions?

Sicilian cuisine is, above all, simple but the result of a complex and long evolution. Few people know Sicily's history as part of powerful kingdoms and empires that shaped the incredible depth of Sicilian culinary culture. Kings demanded that sophisticated cuisine be made with refined ingredients. From there, the common people developed their own humble recipes, often substituting meat with fried vegetables. It's a mixture of recipes originally created for royalty but perfected by the people for the people. In a way, Sicilian people have always found their freedom through food.

 

Salvatore Pluchino prepares pasta for Seligo event guests.
Photo by Joann Arruda.

How do you engage with local communities?

In the past 5 years, I've collaborated on events with wonderful gourmet shops that carry my products. They are scattered all over the U.S., but the majority of them are in New York State, mostly in the Catskills region. There's a strong sense of community there, and these establishments are becoming nodes in a larger network. People rely on them to find local products and trustworthy producers. I've started organizing intimate culinary events to demonstrate simplicity is key to a healthy lifestyle.

 

What are your future plans?

First, we're expanding our product selection. While this could be done quickly, we're taking our time to maintain quality standards. Second, we're developing food and wine tours in Sicily for small groups to showcase aspects that others haven't been able to reveal. I admire people from around the world who show interest in Sicily; we need this attention to promote our resources and boost our small economy. However, it takes a lifetime to understand Sicily and its people, and even then, one might fail to fully recognize the beauty and richness of the culture. I've taken the risk of failing, but I'm committed to this journey of living Sicilian authenticity and sharing it with others. A big help in this direction will come from my brother, who has been successfully promoting a slower way to visit and experience Sicily through bike tourism. In collaboration with his business, Sicily Bike Routes, we will start offering tours in 2025.

 

Seligo hosts food events in New York's Catskills region and beyond.

What experience do you hope customers and event attendees will take away?

I hope people will understand that daily cooking isn't something to delegate to others. It's the first act of self-love, beginning with the knowledge of proper ingredients. We can't rely solely on

the food industry, as it's primarily driven by profit. I know that may offend someone, but in the majority of cases, that is the truth. We must learn to connect with local farmers and artisanal makers, ask them questions, and learn from their perseverance and honesty, especially when the food industry pushes them toward different practices for profit's sake. As we say in Italy, "We have to put our hands in the dough" and make our own food. Through all of Seligo's initiatives, I'm humbly showing people that cooking can be fun and a great way to build new, long-lasting memories, which may be the most important in our lives.

 

 

 

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