Today we celebrate one month of DAGIÙ!

Exactly one month ago, on september 15th, dagiu.com went online. It is the result of one year long process of researching small producers, contacting them, tasting products, learning how to build a website (not a normal one but a shop!), imagining the whole communication process around it, talking to people about the idea, explaining it, getting feedback, learning about shipping regulations, food selling regulations, and so much more.

In one year which does seem a bit too long for a project like this, I have taken an idea and turned it into a business, I’ve started my own company, and learned how to, step by step, turn a dream into a project, and a project into a proper job. 

I like to say it all started one year ago, but the truth is that it all started so long before that, more specifically when I moved out of my hometown, in 2015, to go to University, in Bologna.

Very stereotypical of my sicilian mom, but as soon as I settled into my new apartment with new flatmates and a new life to start, she started sending me care packages filled with food. In Bologna, one of the cities with the best food in the world. And yet, nothing made me happier than receiving those packages. It was a way to feel closer to home at a time when I could only visit three times a year, and it was a way for my family to feel closer to me, by feeding me even though I was far away. 

It became a thing for my friends, especially the ones not from southern italy. They would jump and get very excited whenever I would announce: è arrivato il paccodagiù (the package has arrived). They all knew my mom was not only feeding me, but each and everyone of them (I swear the packages were huge). 

It went on like that, even when I moved to Austria, and even when I moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. Shipping became more expensive, and packages became bigger, to justify the price. Covid happened, and just like everyone else, I was stuck and away from home. Luckily packages were able to travel and that’s how I managed to get through months of not seeing my family.

What came into those packages was not only food. It was a way to express love and affection, the only way food can. Nothing beats opening up a jar of caponata when you’re in freezing cold Denmark and it’s pitch black outside at 4 pm, when the only thing you wish is to jump on a plane and close your eyes, to only reopen them and see Mount Etna outside the airplane window. 

So I have decided to take all of this and turn it into a service, because today I don’t live abroad anymore as I’ve made choices in the past few years that have taken me back to my hometown in Sicily, but I know what it feels like to decide to move away in search for better opportunities, but I also know what it means to stay, and create those better opportunities here at home. 

I have created dagiù over the last year to bring the flavors of southern Italy to everyone who’s moved away, and to do so by supporting local small producers who have decided to stay and provide such products. And my hopes are that we will create a community together, whether you are someone who’s moved away, or someone who’s a food lover, and that together we can support local communities here in the south and make it easier for people to stay, to come back even, like I did.

One month is the smallest step compared to what I envision dagiù will become, but it is the start and so far it has been great. The past year has been fun and challenging at the same time, and I know it might not get easier and so much work is still needed but as long as you guys enjoy and support this project, it’s all worth it, because I can see your smiles when you open your paccodagiù all the way from over here. 

Thanks again for being here, and happy dagiù day to each and every one of you

Chiaretta