“Our desire is to be the best in the world — not just In the United States,” Pasetti says. “And with Old World techniques and U.S. meats, it’s possible for us to achieve that goal.”

Diced Prosciutto from Volpi Foods is made from traditional prosciutto ham, which is rubbed, salted and air-dried for a minimum of 210 days. It is placed in easy-to-use, convenient packaging for an easy way for shoppers to add authentic Italian to everyday meals.

The company recognizes that families are looking for fast and easy way to prepare meals. “At Volpi, we are proud to provide a simple way to meet those demands while still providing the highest quality and authenticity on which our reputation rests. Our Diced Prosciutto is an excellent representation of our efforts,” says Lorenza Pasetti, president of Volpi Foods Inc. in St. Louis, Mo.

Volpi Diced Prosciutto is available in 4-oz. packages through select distributors and retailers throughout the U.S. (800) 288-3439; www.volpifoods.com.

CURED MEATS ARE EASIER to find today than they were a few years ago. However, finding a high quality product has become more difficult with so many options in stores and online. Look no further than Volpi, an Italian handcrafted specialty meat company, founded in 1902 in St. Louis, Missouri. John Volpi, an immigrant from Milan, was a salumiere in his native city who wanted to bring the flavors and traditions of the Italian cured meats to his new home in America.

The company was built with other family members including John’s nephew Armando Pasetti, who came to the country at a young age to learn the salumi trade from his uncle. In 1957, after John Volpi passed away, Armando took over as president of Volpi Foods, Inc. and in 2002 Lorenza Pasetti joined the family business and became the first female president of the company.

Today, Volpi continues to produce cured meats using Midwestern pork and beef. Their current offerings include prosciutto, Pinot Grigio and Chianti wine salame, specialty meats such as bresaola and coppa, as well as rotola, a roll of prosciutto or sopressata and mozzarella, which can also be combined with other flavors. like basil or sun-dried tomatoes. Their products are packed with powerful and intense flavors that will make a welcome addition to your next get together. To order, log on to www.volpifoods.com.

Volpi Foods on the Hill gets a mention in the current edition of The Magazine of La Cucina ltallana, which covers Italian food, wine, travel and culture. Volpi’s award winning prosciutto and other meats “are packed with powerful and intense flavors,” the magazine said. Volpi is family-owned and employs 94 people. It ships to customers worldwide. Lorenza Pasetti, who learned the business from her father, Armando Pasetti, has been president since 2003.

Like the famous family recipe passed from generation to generation, the blueprint for business success has been passed down to Lorenza Pasetti, owner of Volpi Foods.

Located on the Hill, Volpi Foods has been a traditional St. Louis family business for over 100 years. Pasetti is now the third generation in charge of carrying on the business, which has “one family, one tradition.”

“I think that it is unfortunate that so many family businesses go by the wayside or are purchased by third parties,” says Pasetti. “In Europe, there are companies that have been around for 500 years. Too many times, in America, it does not work out that way.”

The deep family tradition is, by far, not the only “old world” component of Volpi Foods. The company makes traditional Italian dry cured meats like Genova Salami, Prosciutto and Rotola. These products are manufactured the same way as they were when John Volpi came to the United States in 1900. Today, in addition to the retail store, the company’s 97 employees ship meats to local grocers like Schnuck’s, Dierberg’s and Safeway.

“Over the years, our product has become more main stream,” says Pasetti. “We are now working on changing our packaging and look to make the meats more convenient and attractive for retail customers.” Pasetti’s determination for quality and customer service are the deepest traditions that she continues to carry at Volpi Foods. She remains tenacious in her pursuit of success despite the difficulties that being a woman presents in her industry.

“I guess that I love a challenge, ” says Pasetti. “It is odd to be female in the meat industry. As a woman, I have had to work very hard and know twice as much as a man.”

Volpi Foods Inc., the St. Louis-based manufacturer of authentic Italian meat products, has added an Old World-style Chianti Wine Salami made with all natural fresh pork, traditional spices and infused with Pinot Grigio and Chianti wines from Italy. Volpi Wine Salami are dry-cured and aged to perfection.

Volpi Pinot Grigio and Chianti Wine Salami are available in limited production through select distributors and retailers throughout the U.S. or via the website. (800) 288-3439

Fans of authentic Italian specialty meats can get a glimpse of some of the world’s best in the Magazine of La Cucina Italiana, which features St. Louis’ family-owned Volpi Foods. Volpi is featured in the “Tidbits” section of the March-April edition of the magazine. The magazine focuses on Italian cuisine, travel, wine and culture. Readers rely on it for in-depth info about all things Italian.

New to Volpi’s line of Rotola- spiral rolls of Volpi meats, mozzarella and herbs- is this one with the kick of hot salami. It’s fine by itself in slices as an appetizer, but for a more dramatic first course or light entree, put a slice on a piece of hearty bread, and stick it under the broiler just until the cheese melts.

Size: 8 ounces

Price: $4.99

Per (2-ounce) serving: 150 calories, 90 calories from fat, 109 fat, 6g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, less than 19 carbohydrate, no fiber, no sugar, 16g protein.

The Volpi family, Italian immigrants who settled in St. Louis in 1900, have been making salami for more than 100 years. We sampled the coppa and salamini and enjoyed the rich, salty-sweet taste of the cured meats. The coppa is air-dried pork shoulder with a texture similar to that of prosciutto. Salamini is a finely ground, firm-textured pork sausage; Volpi suggests dicing it and stirring it into risotto. The coppa ($3-40) and salamini ($4-40) are available at www.volpifoods.com; other salami and rotola-prosciutto rolled with mozzarella - are available at Central Market.

-NICKI BRITTON

In 1902, the Giovanni Volpi Co. started making and selling salami locally. Celebrity chef, Food Network star and  cookbook author Michael Chiarello was born in 1962. In 2006, the two teamed up to produce a new line of salami that combines Volpi ‘s old-world artisan salami-making traditions with Chiarello’s Italian-influenced contemporary California style. That Chiarello chose Volpi over any number of salumerias is testament to what we St. Louisians already know: Volpi makes the best salami outside of Italy.

Under the name Napa Style Artisan Series, these slow-cured, all-natural meats are spicy, full-bodied and powerfully flavored. They pair perfectly with robust red wines, mild cheeses and crusty bread. The series features interesting twists on classics, like Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Salame, Calabrese Salame and Parmesan Salame.

All varieties, plus Volpi’s own private-label gourmet salami, are available at their store on the Hill; the Artisan series salames are also available through Chiarello’s Web site.