RIVISTA DI STORIA ECONOMICA, a. XXVII, n. 2, agosto 2011 VITTORIO DANIELE AND NICOLA OSTUNI The ‘madeleine’ effect. Italian emigration and exports of preserved tomatoes (1897-1933) 1. Introduction One of the most significant effects of globalization is the standardization of peoples’ tastes, that is to say an increasing similarity between, and uniformity of, patterns of consumption. 1 Nowadays, the globalization of consumption is facilitated by the media which influence the tastes of the consumer, regardless of traditions and national customs, by diffusing the advertising messages of the producers of goods. In the past as today, migration has played a remarkable role in the spread of new consumption habits. Since the seminal works of Gould 2 and Head and Reis, 3 economists recognized the existence of a robust correlation between migration networks and international trade flows. The literature has identified three main channels through which immigrants influence international trade. Firstly, immigrants tend to have a taste for the goods of their homeland, so the presence of a relevant immigrants community can promote imports for the host country. 4 Secondly, immigrants may have a knowledge of language, norms and business practices of home countries, and this can potentially reduce transaction costs associated with international trade. 5 Finally, the participation of immigrants in international ethnic networks creates a sort of «information bridge» that facilitates trade between home and host countries. 6 The aim of this paper is to provide an outline of the relationship between the emigration of Italian people and the exportation of Italian products, over the period from the first wave of emigration up to the 1930s. The analysis refers to two typical products of the Italian culinary