It is through the visionary eyes of Lorenza Pasetti that the John Volpi Company has opened their arms, mind and spirit to embrace the entire world.  It is not just the special moments in our lives or our work that put us in contact with those outside of the United States, today we find ourselves inspired from all corners of the globe each and every day.

In today’s society it is easy to find fresh produce, fruits, meats and seafood from a variety of countries at our local grocery stores.  Walk the isles and one can find a handful of ethnic sections all full of jarred and packaged specialty foods which make it that much easier to explore different cuisines.  America’s ‘melting pot’ with its diversity of cultures and today’s exposure to great food television make easy and approachable for consumers to prepare new foods at home.

This is where part of the inspiration sparked for Lorenza to bring the idea of ‘One World”, or “Un Mondo” in Italian, to the marketplace. The other goal was to deliver on a product line of all natural artisan cured meats inspired by old world tradition into a new light and level of culinary importance by adapting new world beliefs.  Years of research, world travels and over a century of Volpi experience with artisan cured meats would be the foundation for Lorenza’s project.

The starting point would be the old world flavors found and developed throughout the years in Italian, Spanish and French cuisine.   Research into the types of meats, spices and herbs would be our guide along with the importance and functionality of cured meats within the cuisine itself.  Modern advances in technology, raw material quality and over all manufacturing abilities would envelop on the new world beliefs.  The goal was simple – create an all natural product that delivered big flavor with minimal processing that provided a true look into the heritage of the cuisine.

It only made sense to start with Italian inspired flavor profiles using the families’ heritage and dedication to this craft.
●  Dolce – A sweet, mild little dry sausage which is lightly seasoned.
●  Piccante – A spicier dry sausage seasoned with red peppers and paprika.
●  Paesano – Mildly seasoned sausage with notes of fennel and paprika.  Also known as ‘Countryman” salami.
●  Dry Salsiccia -  A salami rich in flavor, bursting with notes of toasted fennel and garlic.
●  Cacciatore – ‘Hunter’s” style salami, full flavored with garlic and fresh cracked black pepper.

The Spanish product line would be influenced by flavor profiles that are pronounced throughout its cuisine.
●  Chorizo – A mainstay in Spanish cuisine, this dried sausage delivers an earthy / smoky paprika and garlic profile.
●  Fuet – A favorite in Catalan cuisine, mildly seasoned with spice which allows for quality of the meat to stand out.

The French product line ties all of this together.  Some many of today’s dishes were first inspired by ingredients, methods and techniques of this ancient historical cuisine.

●  Herb-de-Provence – Subtle, a perfect blend of herbs and spice from the Provence region which include thyme, lavender and fennel.
●  Aux Cepes – A blend of wild mushrooms deliver an earthy and rustic flavor profile.
●  Aux Noix -  Typical of French cuisine, this Saucisson sec is full of roasted hazelnuts and walnuts.  This technique provides a buttery rich flavor enhanced with subtle spice.

This has been a fantastic project digging back into culinary and cultural history and it is only the beginning.  The first wave of the Volpi “Un Mondo” product line is completed and hold true to the goals set out,  I am anxiously awaiting time in the kitchen at the stove……..

Grazie mille,

Chef Michael