Terroir

It's easy to picture Italians and passing gourmets stumbling over all those “r”s. Yet the French name of this Milanese delicatessen is more than well chosen. Gabriele Ornati, the owner, is a born collector when it comes to products and terroir. In Latin, the origin of the word is linked to the earth: the delicatessen thus catalogues, with no geographical limits, the men and women who work it or elevate its riches. In a single, human-scale room you can discover a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, an olive oil library, a wine library, various food products from dairy to pasta and rice. Among others, the delicious charred bluefin tuna pâtés from the Spanish house Güeyumar, the Australian chai from Prana, the pomegranate molasses from Terroirs du Liban, the fermented wonders of Casa di Tano, the goat cheese of Maria Chiara Onida in Lombardy, and the Umbrian olive oil from Gea 1916. One thing's for sure: Terroir doesn't do conformity. It's not a traditional delicatessen stuck in its ways, but rather a shopping experience thought out from A to Z, right down to the couture uniforms of the staff. You grab your coffee at the little barista corner attached to the stalls, perhaps even with a homemade pastry, then you settle on the sleek wooden bench waiting for you outside. Before returning to busy yourself looking at all the products and choosing the ones that will come home with you.