Bobby Flay Can't Get Enough Of These Italian Cherries

There are at least 200 ingredients available for Bobby Flay and his opponents to cook with on his hit Food Network show "Beat Bobby Flay." Amongst the goodies are 20 different kinds of cheese, 45 types of produce, plus a dozen meats and seafood for the chef and contestants to choose from. That may sound like more food than anybody could ever need in their kitchen at one time. Believe it or not, though, Flay's home pantry may rival the entire kitchen on the "BBF" set.

In an Instagram post that Flay shared in January 2022, the Iron Chef offered fans a tour of his home pantry. We might go as far as calling it a mini grocery store. The shelves were full of items that you'd probably expect to find in the Flay household, including a variety of pasta, various chiles, and anchovies (which, by the way, is the secret ingredient that the Food Network star swears by). There were also a few products that even diehard Flay fans may not expect the chef to have on hand, including a type of Italian cherry that he just can't get enough of.

"Oh, I love these cherries, the Amarena cherries," Flay said while showing off the ornate blue and white jar to the camera.

You may have a jar of maraschino cherries stashed away in your home pantry. If you ask Bobby Flay, however, he'd likely say that Amarena cherries deserve some space in your kitchen, too. 

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Typically hailing from the Bologna or Modena regions of Italy, these stone fruits are much darker in color than your traditional cherry. They bring a complex taste due to the combination of tart cherries and the thick, sweet syrup they're submerged in. The duo of flavors comes together to create a nice balance of sweet and sour that both bakers and bartenders love although the restaurateur has other plans for his Amerena cherries.

"I put these on ice cream sundaes," Flay told his Instagram followers, which is a notion that his pal Giada DeLaurentiis also supports. "I'll buy gelato, have some chocolate sauce, some whipped cream, and then some Amarena cherries. Ridiculous. So good," he raved. The dessert happens to be featured on the menu at Amalfi, the chef's restaurant at Caesar's Palace, and was apparently what he ate at the end of every night while opening the Las Vegas hot spot.

Additionally, the chef said he likes to incorporate Amarenas into cocktails like Manhattans and Old Fashions.