Pesto Genovese only with Parmesan and olive oil

Pesto does not equal pesto

04/14/2015

Pesto is not the same as pesto. Who wants to buy a real "Pesto Genovese", should look at the list of ingredients. As the consumer center Bavaria points out in a recent communication, fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan or pecorino, salt and olive oil should be included. Exactly these ingredients are often absent.

The most famous pesto is the Pesto alla Genovese. For the popular sauce from the Italian kitchen, there are classic recipes. The typical taste of fresh basil. This is crushed with pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan or Pecorino and mixed with salt and olive oil to a paste. But not everything that looks like Italian pesto is made up of these typical ingredients. Some manufacturers replace all or part of the original formulation with cheaper raw materials.

"Instead of pine nuts, cheaper cashew nuts are used, for example, or olive oil is replaced by sunflower oil," says Heidrun Schubert, nutrition expert at the Bavarian consumer advice center. Parmesan or pecorino are often missing in the lower quality pesto. Potato flakes or wheat semolina instead take over the binding function of the cheese. "You should not be fooled by Mediterranean landscapes and attractive illustrations on the label," says Heidrun Schubert. Only looking at the ingredient list protects against surprises. (Sb)

Picture: Michael Franke