Perhaps some Chicagoan, having a good day and feeling the unbridled exuberance of life, has managed to rhyme “marijuana” with “giardiniera.” But no one — not counting unsanctioned efforts from home cooks — has ever physically combined the two to offer the world a cannabis-infused jar of Italian American bliss. Well, in 2024 some dreams come true. Starting Friday, November 15, J.P. Graziano and nuEra are unleashing GiardinuEra, a limited-edition cannabis-infused version of Chicago’s preferred spicy pickled condiment.
Chicago-style giardiniera is a product of immigrants and dolloped on Italian beef, burgers, pizzas, eggs — everything. J.P. Graziano, one of the last independent businesses along Randolph Street in West Loop — once a haven for local business and now overridden with national chains — is known for its Italian sandwiches and packaged goods. They ship giardiniera all over the country ensuring folks can enjoy a little bit of Chicago away from the city. So why would the family-owned business want to get tangled up in the cannabis business?
Jim Graziano says a long-time customer named Alex, who works at nuEra, recently stopped in for a sandwich. Alex asked if Graziano was interested in a collaboration: “Coincidentally, I’d been tooling around the idea of getting into cannabis,” Graziano writes.
The two set up a meeting and the idea bloomed. NuEra will also allow customers to pair the infused condiment with one of Graziano’s Italian beef kits. This super-charged pickle will only be available in Illinois at all nuEra locations and select other dispensaries. It’s $14 for a 4-ounce, 25mg THC-infused jar made with Grazizano’s hot giardiniera recipe spiked with THC. Sorry, kids — this trip is only for those older than 21. Graziano writes that nuEra’s addition of THC keeps “the heart and soul of our giardiniera.”
Like Graziano’s founders, Laura Jaramillo is an immigrant. NuEra’s chief operating officer is from Colombia. The cannabis company is also family-owned, which matters to Graziano. He says the two businesses have similar approaches.
“They aren’t the big guys and I trusted them to maintain the quality our customers expect from us,” he writes. “I talk to every customer that comes in the door at J.P. Graziano and so when thinking about venturing into the cannabis space I asked a couple of our long-term customers for their take. Surprisingly, everyone was really into the idea. In fact, one of our long-term regulars, Richard, was in earlier this week and asked when the infused giard was coming out.”
Jaramillo’s father-in-law, Bob Fitzsimmons, founded nuEra in 2019 under the name nuMed. For the industry, diversity doesn’t only refer to the parties who can sell cannabis, but also the variety of products in the marketplace. Who could have orchestrated THC-infused giardiniera? And what foods would go with such a creation?
“Anything that would pair with spicy, crunchy, briny, perfect pickled deliciousness would be taken to the next level with GiardinuEra,” Jaramillo tells Eater. “Or you can skip the middleman and spoon it straight into your mouth!”
NuEra has products like infused taco seasoning and holiday-themed cherry-flavored “blood” syringes for Halloween. Jaramillo writes they want to partner with iconic local brands, like Graziano, and teases they have some “surprises in the pipeline.” Last year, the cannabis industry tallied $1.6 billion in sales, according to the state.
Jaramillo adds that GiardinuEra is the perfect holiday gift for folks hard to shop for — Carmy Berzatto probably wishes he had some to calm down: “I guarantee you they don’t have infused GiardinuEra in their cupboard,” she adds.
