5 Gifts From Italy Your Friends Will Love

While sightseeing in Rome and Italy you are bound to be bombarded with gift items, many of them tasteless and cheap. You know the ones I mean, the alabaster figurines they try to sell you as you leave the Vatican museum tour or the Colosseum? Do yourselves and your loved ones a favor and take a pass, these will only collect dust on someone's mantle!

Here are five ideas for fun and practical gift items from Italy.

Special edition Balsamic vinegar or olive oil. Not the stuff you pour on a salad, spend 10 Euro or so on a small bottle of superior quality oil, vinegar, or even wine. You can find them at most supermarkets in Rome and Italy, they come in lovely little packages which you can easily fit into your suitcase.

Chocolate. There are dozens of fantastic types of Italian chocolate at your fingertips. Here is a page with my personal Italian chocolate favorites.

Artisan ceramic. While carrying large bowls and sets abroad in your luggage is hardly practical, when visiting new towns and regions of Italy I often pick up a small item like a sugar bowl, espresso cup, or trivet as a souvenir. Wrap them well in tissue and if possible, transport in your carry-on luggage.

Penis pasta. OK I'll admit it's not that practical, but what it lacks in practicality, it makes up for in fun. Take it home and cook it up with a nice Alfredo Sauce, crack open a nice bottle of Barolo and you'll feel like you never left Italy. Also look out for wearable pasta, sure to make a statement!

Murano Glass. Genuine Murano glass is one of the nicest gifts from Italy you could buy. Hold it up in the sunlight and watch as the colors explode out at you. Be careful of Chinese imitations (what you'll find in the 2-8 Euro range), which may look similar to the naked eye. Real Murano will have a Murano stamp on the underside. While the glass is easiest to find in Murano and Venice, you will find it in all major cities, with chain stores like "la Murrina" now present in many Italian shopping malls.

Have you bought a gift in Italy that people loved? Share!