Types of jam, Italian history
The Bel Paese produces a very high number of types of jam Italian, each region specializes in the preservation and treatment of its native fruits (from strawberries to apricots), cultivated following the strict guideline that imposes the least possible use of pesticides.
The European Community Directive 2001/113/EC establishes that to make a "jam" all types of fruit can be used, except for citrus fruits, which give the final product the name of "marmalade". Pellegrino Artusi in his treatise preferred to avoid the two terms and unify them under "different types of preserves". The first types of jam made with modern methods are traced back to the work of the 18th century French pastry chef Nicolas Appert, but Italian legends involve Maria de’ Medici and Catherine of Aragon.
Excellence, defined by a harmonious and never too intense aroma, is expressed in peculiar types of certified traditional agri-food products, such as the "quince jelly" in Abruzzo, the chestnut preserve in Lazio, the cranberry preserve in Bolzano, or rosehip preserve in Marche.
Italians love strawberry jam, spread on Tuscan bread or accompanied by various types of cheese.
