South Australian owned and operated, Continental Taralli Biscuits have been made by the beautiful Viscione family for over 50 years.
The Viscione’s secret family recipes go waaaaay back to the 1900s, when their biscuits were sold as culinary delights at a little bakery in southern Italy.
Photo :: Naomi Giatas
You can enjoy them as a snack, on their own, with cheese, dip or antipasto, and they’re perfect for that next grazing platter — some people even like to dunk them into a glass of red wine! However you consume them, Taralli Biscuits taste even better once you know the story about how they came to be.
John, Anna and their young family migrated to Adelaide 50 years ago and, missing the food of their hometown, John decided to build a wood oven in his backyard and started baking biscuits. Through word of mouth they became so popular that everyone flocked to the Viscione’s home to get their hands on a fresh batch.
“Too many people said they loved my biscuits and that I needed to make more, so I made another 50 packets, and 50 more, and I’ve never stopped baking,” John says with a laugh.
Today, they make almost 20 specialty lines of gourmet sweet and savoury biscuits, and sell them Australia wide. “I just want to feed people and make them happy,” John says.
And that’s exactly what he’s doing. The family even makes sure they support local producers — their olive oil is from Willunga, their wine from Sellicks Hill, and their flour is sourced from Strathalbyn.
As the brand has grown, so have the flavours — Fennel & Olive Oil, Rosemary & Sea Salt, Sundried Tomato & Basil, Kalamata Olive & Thyme, Lemon Myrtle & Sesame Seed, Garlic & Black Pepper and, popular with the kids, Parmesan Cheese & Onion.
When I visited their store, I even got to witness a brand new flavour coming out of the oven. We all sat around the table, tasting and giving honest feedback. This is how the Viscione’s work — it’s a family affair, spanning over three generations. John’s daughter, Sonia, and grandsons, Christian and Jai, are now learning the family recipes and also bring a fresh eye to the future of Taralli. And I can tell you, it’s in great hands.
There are no nasties
Continental Taralli products are not only delicious in flavour, they’re oven baked with special dietary requirements in mind, making vegans, vegetarians and diabetics very happy.
They contain no artificial colourings, flavourings, preservatives, additives, animal fats, palm oil or genetically modified ingredients. They specialise in products that are free from yeast, dairy, egg, cholesterol and lactose. They are oven baked, not fried, and are low in sugar.
Hayley xx
