If you're reading this, as someone in the UK interested in food and drink, it probably goes without saying that the impact of Italian food in this country has been enormous – arguably bigger than that of any other country. Walk any high street in the smallest British town and you'll likely find a restaurant serving pizza, pasta and antipasti, from small, family-owned independent businesses to some of the biggest names in the hospitality industry.

With its proximity to these shores and centuries of immigration by enterprising, entrepreneurial Italians to the UK, that probably comes as no surprise. But look under the skin of this most harmonious of alliances and you'll see that, aside from the skill and creativity of the people preparing the food, the thing most responsible for the saturation of Italian food and drink culture to the UK is the country's hero products – the food and drink items that have become hallmarks of the cuisine at home and abroad. From cured meats and aged cheeses to fresh vegetables and big-hitting wines, these products have been the driving force in everything the world loves about Italian food, and transcended the individual producers who make them to become instantly recognisable items on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, alike – and, in many cases, truly iconic names known to food lovers the world over.

Tomatoes from Pachino

The process of making ricotta

A mark of quality

The reason that the names of these products are so well known around the world is largely due to one thing: the age-old PDO system. If you're unfamiliar with the specifics, it's deceptively simple: a product made in a particular region will often have earned one of these certifications – known as a protected designation of origin, with some products having certifications marked alternatively as a PGI product, or protected geographical indicator.

At their heart, these certifications are a way of ensuring anyone buying a traditional food product that it was indeed made in the region, and that its production adhered to strict standards set by the consortium that regulates it. The benefits to this system are countless. For a start, it protects the authenticity of the products themselves, and ensures that producers selling a different product can't legally use the name to fool shoppers.

Secondly, it protects production methods, from the field to the factory. This ensures no corners are cut during the creation of these iconic food products – even as far as curing and ageing – and that the traditional methods that have been followed by farmers, artisants and craftspeople in Italy for generations are respected and continued for generations to come.

Green fields being worked in the Italian countryside

A sustainable future

The great thing about ancient farming and production methods is that they're almost always bastions of sustainability. With many of Italy's best-loved food products predating the industrial revolution, they're made in total harmony with the land, with practices that are self-sustaining and give back as much to the land as they take from it. And with the leading lights of Italy's food industry now more perceptive than ever about both the importance of good ecological stewardship and changing consumer attitudes, the country has never been more serious about sustainability.

Protected products

Italy has a jaw-dropping 842 products officially certified by a PDO or PGI marker (written in Italian as DOP and IGP), many of which you'll know, and some of which you might not. Read on to discover more.

Mozzarella di Bufala campana DOP

Loved raw in caprese salads and melted on pizza, this quintessential Italian cheese is made only with the fresh milk of Italian Mediterranean buffaloes bred in the geographical area of origin.

Olio di Roma IGP

The youngest of the regional olive oil-producing denominations, this PGI ensures oil is made only from select varietals in municipalities in central Italy.

Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP

This rich, dark balsamic vinegar is produced according to centuries-old traditions in and near the city of Modena.

Asiago DOP 

A semi-cooked cheese made only with cow’s milk, produced with either whole or skimmed milk within the territory of the Province of Vicenza, as well as in two bordering areas in the provinces of Padua and Treviso, in the Veneto region.

Gorgonzola DOP

A sharp, spicy, rich and delicious soft blue cheese, loved by cheese lovers on salads and cheese boards, made in Dolce and Piccante varieties.

Finocchiona IGP

A charcuterie product prepared with pigs meat from the traditional Italian Large White, Landrace and Duroc breeds, characterised by an aroma of fennel.

Mortadella Bologna IGP

A famous cured meat from the city of Bologna, made with pork from local pigs, enriched with pork lardo, and often flavoured with spices and pistachio.

Bresaola della Valtellina IGP

A cured beef product produced according to ancient practices in the territory of the Sondrio district, in the Lombardy region.

Speck Alto Adige IGP

A ham made with deboned pork thigh dating back to the 3rd century, made only in the Province of Bolzano, in the Trentino Alto Adige region.

Pomodoro di Pachino IGP

Tomatoes known for their sweet flavour, crunchy flesh, bright colour and long shelf life, grown in particular towns in Sicily including Pachino and Ispica.

La dolce vita

There are too many beautiful PDO products to count in Italy, each of them providing the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet – and many of them providing those who travel to Italy with innumerable distinct local food cultures and experiences to dive into, too. Whether it's at an ancient village in Italy, an Italian restaurant in London or in the comfort of your own home, the best way to discover the products that power one of the world's truly great cuisines is simple: look for the PDO marker, and try them yourself.

La Verde Vita

Celebrate everything exciting, delicious and sustainable in the world of Italian food and drink with a special showcase at IFE-London ExCel from 20-22 March, plus further events in Edinburgh and Manchester later in the year

If you're a Londoner, this March provides the perfect opportunity to become more educated and informed about Italian food and wine products, and their renewed commitment to sustainable initiatives. The action will take place at a cooking show area set up at the London ExCel's International Food Event, where seven established chefs and rising stars of Italian food including Gennaro Contaldo, Francesco Mazzei, Enzo Oliveri, Carmelo Carnevale, Rino Bono, Claudio Covino, Antonio Sanna and Luca Sanna will be performing on this stage named the Theatre of Sustainability. As you'd expect, PDO and PGI products will be the leading lights of proceedings, with delicious products on show, including:

  • Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO
  • Olio di Roma PGI
  • Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI
  • Asiago PDO Grana Padano PDO
  • Gongorzola PDO
  • Finocchiona PGI
  • Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
  • Mortadella Bologna PGI
  • Bresaola della Valtellina PGI
  • Prosciutto di Modena PDO
  • Speck Alto Adige PGI
  • Pomodoro di Pachino PGI

Italy has 842 GI classifications, and stand 3179 at IFE is the only place in London to see the the best of them in action. Choose your slot, watch your favourite chef, and take home an exclusive recipe book released and distributed at IFE, too. Can't make the London event? La Verde Vita is also taking place at the Edinburgh Food Festival from 21-30 July and the Manchester Food Festival from 22 September-2 October. The International Food Event takes place at ExCel London from 20-22 March.

Find out more and book tickets at ife.co.uk