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When you choose Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO, Grana Padano PDO and Prosciutto di Parma PDO, you show a passion for the Italian way of life that includes incomparably delicious, natural food that’s never mass-produced or processed. Each of these products carries the Protected Designation of Origin seal, the European Union’s guarantee of quality and authenticity, so you know they are from a speci c geographical region in Italy and are created using traditional techniques that have set the standard of culinary excellence for generations. Learn more about these icons of European taste at iconsofeuropeantaste.eu

THE EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORTS CAMPAIGNS THAT PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Southern Italian immigrants were arriving by the millions to the United States, “eating Italian food was ... considered ‘slumming,’” Tracie McMillan wrote in a 2016 article on nationalgeographic.com.

It is an astonishing thought, especially given that the most popular “ethnic” cuisine in the United States today is Italian food. Newly-minted citizens from northern Italy quickly converted their fellow Americans to fans of red sauces, pasta and pizzas, and interpretations soon sprouted an astonishing variety of toppings, all of them heavily influenced by the blending of peoples, cultures and geography.

After all, no one would argue that New York pizza is the same as Chicago pizza, which is radically different from the pizza served on the West Coast. Cultures blend even within our own borders.

Of course, decades on, the idea of Italian food as being “less than” is patently ridiculous, with acclaimed chefs riffing on a region-by-region dissection of the dishes of Italy. In fact, a 2015 study by the National Restaurant Association found that 87% of Americans eat Italian food at least a few times a year and dry pasta, like white rice or flour, is a staple of every pantry.

As we have fallen ever more in love with foods from other cultures, it is critical that we don’t overlook the obvious. The baleadas of Honduras, the fava beans of Ethiopian ful , the black risottos of Croatia didn’t magically come from some where They came from someone .

Right now, there is someone waiting to come to our country, maybe someone in need of a new home, a new life, an opportunity. Our hope here at the ACF is that we all can celebrate what we love about food — the diversity, the joy of it and the way it brings us all together — and welcome not only the food itself but also the people that prepare it.

After all, is the food you cook separate from you?

It is not. It is a part of you and the next time you enjoy “ethnic” food, remind yourself that this amazing food didn’t randomly land on your plate. Someone brought it here, to you, and often, that someone is sitting right next to you.

In 2020, NCR will explore these connections and the peoples that have brought them to our tables, including the cuisine of the Balkan, North Asian, East African and Latin American regions.