Gourmet Food Guide

Rich, diverse and full of surprises, the world of specialty foods has no shortage of new things to discover. Need some guidance on a particular ingredient? Turn to our Gourmet Food Guide.

Guide to Cheese Types

Find over 800 Gourmet CheesesFrom 36 Countries at igourmet.com! Cheese is the most important subcategory within the overall category of Gourmet Food. Gourmet cheeses come in many varieties and flavors, but the most important factor to consider when shopping this intriguing category is quality. igourmet is the number one retailer of specialty--

Edam - Gourmet Guide

After Gouda, Edam is Holland's second-most produced cheese. This semi-hard cheese is typically served at breakfast, but we love it as a snack at any time of the day. Edam has a spherical shape and was reportedly used as a cannon ball during a war in ancient times. Edam Cheese--

Whole Bean Coffee - Gourmet Guide

Whole Bean Coffee is sold as a vacuum-sealed bag of non-ground roasted coffee, ready to be ground at home using a personal coffee grinder. While ground coffee may be more convenient to the consumer, Whole Bean Coffee is much more flavorful because the interior of the bean is not exposed--

Walnut Oil - Gourmet Guide

Walnut Oil is oil extracted from pressed roasted walnuts and has a light, delicate, nutty flavor. Walnut Oil HistoryHistorical evidence shows that Walnuts have been in existence for thousands of years. It is believed that the Greeks were the first to cultivate the Walnut, although the Persians were the first--

Unique Gift Baskets - Gourmet Guide

Many of our customers call or email to inquire about Unique Gift Baskets, in search of that special gift that will get noticed and be remembered. Whether it is for him (men) or her (women), we deliver the most unique gift baskets in the industry. All of the items in--

Turkey - Gourmet Guide

The Turkey is a large bird native to North America. The domesticated Turkey, a popular, healthy form of poultry when offered as a Free Range Organic Turkey, is a descendant of the Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo), one of two species of Turkey. The other species of Turkey is the Ocellated--

Tupelo Honey - Gourmet Guide

Rare Tupelo Honey only comes from Georgia, where it is harvest in a fleeting two-week period of spring. Exceptionally buttery, subtle, and fruity, Tupelo Honey will conjure up summer in Savannah every time you drizzle some in tea, on toast, or over goat cheese. Tupelo Honey is a variety of--

Tuna - Gourmet Guide

A tremendous leap in quality from the regular Tuna you get at the supermarket, once you taste European Gourmet Tuna, your opinion of popular canned fish will change forever. Our brands include Ortiz from Spain and Flott from Italy. Tuna is a salt water fish that is a member of--

Truffles - Gourmet Guide

Please visit our Chocolate Truffles page for more information about those sweet delights. Considered diamonds of the culinary world, Truffles are earthy delights that are renowned throughout the world for their unique and exquisite flavors and aromas. Truffles are the fruit of subterranean fungi which grow between two and fifteen inches--

Truffle Oil - Gourmet Guide

Truffle Oil is an amazing condiment made by infusing essence of truffle into a base oil, usually olive oil. Truffle Oil comes in especially handy if you are unable to source fresh truffles for your culinary dishes. Truffle Oil imparts the exquisite flavor of Truffles into your favorite meals at--

Tomato Jam - Gourmet Guide

Sweet Tomato Jam is a wonderful sweet and sour condiment for cheeses, meats and fish. Made from seasonal, vine-ripened tomatoes plus mouth-watering sugar, cinnamon and lemon rind, our Tomato Jam is carefully cultivated in the ecologically pure farmland of Alentejo, Portugal. Tomatoes have been used since the 1700s as condiments--

Tazo Tea - Gourmet Guide

One of the most popular specialty brands of tea, Tazo Tea is an American tea company that established in Portland, Oregon in 1994. Tazo Tea recipes originated through a mix of historical recipes and long-held traditions. The word Tazo has many meanings in different languages. While Tazo means "river of--

Stilton - Gourmet Guide

Known as the "King of English Cheeses", Stilton is a creamy pungent English cheese that is made in two varieties: the famous blue-veined Blue Stilton and the less common White Stilton. Blue StiltonBlue Stilton was first sold at a coach stop in the village of the same name in the--

Steak Sauce - Gourmet Guide

Steak Sauce is a brown sauce that is used as a condiment for meats, most notably steak and other cuts of beef. Steak Sauce may be sweet, tart, spicy or peppery depending on the ingredients. Typically Steak Sauce is made with ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar, spices and even anchovies.--

Steak - Gourmet Guide

From tender Sirloin Steaks to thick Porterhouse Steaks, at igourmet.com we have a wide selection of steaks for you to choose from. Steak is a cut of beef that is cut across the grain of muscle fibers, improving the apparent tenderness of the meat. Tenderness and flavor are main considerations--

Spanish Olive Oil - Gourmet Guide

By many connoisseurs, Spanish Olive Oil is considered to be the finest olive oil in the world. Spanish Olive Oil HistorySpain is the largest producer of olive oil, or "liquid gold", in the world. The history Spanish Olive Oil is deeply linked to the history of Spain. While the cultivation--

Sopressata - Gourmet Guide

Sopressata is an Italian dry cured pork salami. Pork has been preserved since ancient times when the Greeks colonized areas of Southern Italy, particularly the Calabria region. Romans wrote of "minced meat, preserved in pork guts", and of using salt and pepper to aid in preservation. Residents of southern Italy--

Smoked Salmon - Gourmet Guide

Smoked Salmon is Salmon that has been cured and smoked, either through the cold-smoking or hot-smoking processes. Considered a delicacy in many countries, Salmon has been smoked for centuries as a way to preserve the fish for a short period of time. Since Greek and Roman times, smoking Salmon and--

Smoked Ham - Gourmet Guide

Smoked Ham is a pork product that is the cooked or cured, then smoked, hind leg of a pig. Smoked Ham may either be a dry cured ham or a cooked dinner ham. A Smoked Ham is smoked after the curing process. The curing process preserves the ham and usually--

Smoked Fish - Gourmet Guide

Fish and other meats have been preserved for thousands of years by using a combination of salt and smoke in order to prevent fish from spoiling. Due to the advent of refrigeration and freezing, Smoked Fish is popular today more for flavor rather than preservation obtained by the smoking process.--

Shortbread - Gourmet Guide

Characterized by a generous use of butter, Scottish Shortbread gets its name from the butter, or "shortening", that produces its crumbly texture and rich body. Shortbread is made with three basic ingredients, flour, sugar and butter. While produced as early as the 1100s, Shortbread achieved popularity thanks to Mary, Queen--

Sherry Vinegar - Gourmet Guide

Sherry Vinegar is vinegar made from Sherry wine, a wine made from Spanish Palomino white grapes produced in the province of Cadiz, Spain. Known by many as the "King of Vinegars", Sherry Vinegar, or Vinagre de Jerez, was first discovered by accident, when Sherry wines underwent acetic fermentation and turned--

Sesame Seed Oil - Gourmet Guide

Sesame Seed Oil is oil derived from the sesame seed. Sesame seeds are believed to be one of the first crops used to make oil. With one of the highest oil contents of any seed, sesame seeds are very drought tolerant and are cultivated in tropical climates such as Central--

Serrano Ham - Gourmet Guide

Serrano Ham, an indispensible part of any Spanish Tapas course, is locally known as Jamon Serrano or Mountain Ham. This dry cured gourmet Spanish Ham, similar to Italian Prosciutto di Parma, comes from the mountainous interior of Spain. It is available in pre-sliced retail packs or as a 13 pound--

Sea Salt - Gourmet Guide

Basket Boutique Sea Salt, the most basic of seasonings, can also be one of the most exotic. Experience the difference that artisan Sea Salt can make as the final touch on an elegant dish. Hand-harvested Sea Salt from the Brittany coast adds a delicate mineral quality to grilled sole or--

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Hot Sauce - Gourmet Guide

Trinidad Scorpion Hot Sauce is a hot sauce made from the world's hottest chili pepper, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chili pepper. About the size of a golf ball, this unique chili pepper has a fruity flavor in addition to its extreme spicy heat. In February 2012, the New Mexico State--

Sausage - Gourmet Guide

Sausage HistorySausage is traditionally made of ground meat that is flavored with fat, seasonings, spices and preservatives and stuffed into a casing which may or may not be removed prior to consumption. Sausages have been made for thousands of years. Many believe that Sausages were first made by Sumerians in--

Sardines - Gourmet Guide

Sardines encompass several varieties of small oily fish that are members of the herring family. Fishing for Sardines can be traced back thousands of years. In the early 1400s, Sardines were named for the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, where schools of Sardines were once abundant. It is said that French--

Salsa - Gourmet Guide

Salsa, simply meaning "sauce" in Spanish, is a condiment that is used to accompany a wide variety of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Salsa, a spicy Mexican tomato and chili based sauce, is equally preferred as a condiment or as a dip for chips in the US. In Mexico this product--

Salami - Gourmet Guide

Salami is a type of Italian cured sausage, generally dry and hard compared to other types of sausage. Italian Salami is made from ground meat mixed with seasonings and stuffed into a casing, then dry cured until a desired hardness is achieved. The word salami is derived from the singular--

Risotto - Gourmet Guide

Risotto is an Italian rice dish, made with meat, vegetable or fish stock and commonly additional ingredients such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, butter, saffron or onion. Arabs introduced rice to Spain prior to the 10th century and it was found that Italy had the best humid climate and flat topography--

Ricotta - Gourmet Guide

Ricotta Cheese is a creamy, spoonable fresh curd made from the leftover whey from the Mozzarella and Provolone cheesemaking processes. The word Ricotta means "re-cooked" in Italian, a reference to the way the cheese is produced. Ricotta Cheese is can be made from the whey of buffalo, sheep, cow or--

Raclette Cheese - Cheese Guide

Raclette is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the French and Swiss Alps that is commonly used to make a dish called Raclette. Raclette (the meal) is made by heating the cheese and scraping the melted portion onto boiled potatoes, sliced charcuterie, cornichons and other treats. The word Raclette is--

Quinoa - Gourmet Guide

Quinoa, once considered the "Gold of the Incas" is the grain-like seed that is related to leafy green vegetables such as spinach and Swiss chard. Considered the “mother of all grains” by the Incas, Quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah"), was first cultivated as many as 9,000 years ago in the Andean regions--

Pumpkin Seed Oil - Gourmet Guide

Pumpkin Seed Oil is oil derived from cold-pressing roasted, hulled seeds of the certain varieties of pumpkins, most commonly the Styrian pumpkin. Pumpkin Seed Oil is a specialty of Styria, a region that encompasses southeast Austria and nearby regions of Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. Cultivation of the Styrian pumpkin began--

Provolone - Gourmet Guide

Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cow's milk cheese that has a smooth texture and a mild smoky flavor. Provolone Cheese is made in two distinct varieties: Provolone Dolce and Provolone Piccante. Provolone Dolce is made using calf's rennet, aged approximately two to three months, and has a mild creamy and--

Prosciutto Di Parma - Gourmet Guide

Prosciutto, or specifically Prosciutto Crudo, is an Italian air-dried ham. Always served thinly sliced, this uncooked dry-cured ham is famous all over the world. In Italian, the word Prosciutto simply means Ham, so when in Italy it is important to ask for Prosciutto Crudo when ordering this air-dried specialty. Prosciutto--

Pine Nuts - Gourmet Guide

Pine Nuts, also known as Pignoli, are the edible seeds of the pine tree. Although considered a culinary nut, in botanical terms they are gymnosperms, meaning that they do not have fruit on the outside of the nut. Pine Nuts are an ancient food, eaten by man on the European--

Pickles - Gourmet Guide

Not just for pregnant ladies anymore, Pickles are considered by many to be a delicious, healthy snack. They make a great side dish as well, and can also be sliced for use in a sandwich. Dill Pickles are the most popular type, many of them made using the Kosher Dill--

Pesto Sauce - Gourmet Guide

Pesto Sauce HistoryPesto is a word whose meaning traces back to the Italian verb Pesta, meaning to pound or crush. In fact, a pestle (think mortar and pestle) shares the same latin root. Thus, it should be no surprise that Pesto can refer to any product that was pounded or--

Pecorino - Gourmet Guide

  Pecorino is the family of Italian sheep's milk cheeses that includes Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Toscano, Pecorino Sardo, and Pecorino Siciliano. The word Pecorino is derived from the word "pecora", meaning sheep in Italian. Pecorino is a firm, salty cheese, made from sheep's milk and occasionally a mixture of sheep's--

Pate - Gourmet Guide

Pate is an hors d'oeuvre made of seasoned ground meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables, mixed with fat and other base ingredients, such as herbs, spices or alcohol. Pate can have a smooth or coarse texture. Pate is often served baked in a crust (en croute) or molded in a terrine.--

Pasta Sauce - Gourmet Guide

Pasta Sauce HistoryIn the 1500s, the Spanish introduced tomatoes to pasta, inventing the modern day Pasta Sauce and subsequently changing the course of history. Prior to this time, pasta was eaten dry with the fingers, but many believe that once Pasta Sauce was created, forks became necessary, hence changing the--

Parmigiano Reggiano - Gourmet Guide

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard Italian Cheese made from partly skimmed, unpasteurized milk. It is only allowed to be produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, as well as parts of Emilia-Romagna. It has a minimum aging period of 12 months, but all Parmigiano Reggiano marked "EXPORT" requires a--

Parmesan Cheese - Cheese Guide

In the US, the phrase Parmesan Cheese can be used a generic label for any hard Italian-style grating cheese made from cow's milk. Parmigiano Reggiano, or authentic Parmesan Cheese, is a naturaly hard cheese with a granular texture. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese gets its name from the Italian regions of production:--

Panettone - Gourmet Guide

Panettone is a traditional northern Italian sweet yeast bread made with candied fruit that is popular in Italy and abroad during Christmas and New Year's holidays. It is popular both as a gourmet gift or for personal consumption. The word Panettone is derived from the Italian word “panetto” meaning a--

Organic Tea - Gourmet Guide

Organic Tea is tea produced in a manner that follows the guidelines set by the National Organic Program of USDA. Certified Organic Tea must not be grown using any artificial pesticides or fertilizers. The land on which the Organic Tea is grown also must not have been treated with chemicals--

Organic Nuts - Gourmet Guide

Certified Organic Nuts must meet the certification requirements of the National Organic Program of the USDA. Organic Nuts are grown in crops that have not been sprayed with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, which have been shown to be toxic to the human body. Organic Nuts must originate from crops that--

Organic Meat - Gourmet Guide

Organic Meat comes from animals that were raised in conditions that resembled their natural environments. In order for a meat to be considered organic in the US, it must be certified by an accredited certifying agency of the USDA. The National Organic Program of the USDA oversees organic practices and--

Organic Food - Gourmet Guide

Organic Food is a term that refers to foods that are certified organic (free of chemical additives or altered natural ingredients) by a recognized body. In the US, it is the responsibility of the USDA to certify a food product as being an Organic Food. All ingredients must be certified--