GB Fine Cheese & Charcuterie August 2015

Cured Meat Lovers

I am sure it’s not by accident that my youngest daughter has always yearned for the flavor
of cured meat products. Forget the bread, she will devour any good sliced salami, prosciutto, coppo or speck put in front of her instantly. Any time she is fortunate enough to see a charcuterie plate on a restaurant menu, it’s a foregone conclusion that she will ask to order it, and not share it with anyone at the table. Fortunately for her, I am seeing the charcuterie plate on restaurant menus with increasing regularity, and it’s usually priced around $16, so I have to assume it’s the good stuff. I hope this is an indication that Americans are developing a taste for fine charcuterie. 

Once upon a time, the “good stuff’ would usually mean a special imported cured meat from another area of the world where various forms of charcuterie have been produced for generations such as the wonderful prosciutto di Parma.  But, more recently, we are benefiting from the establishment of businesses in America that are making products domestically using the Old- World techniques at a very reasonable price. Sure, the air might not be the same, or the feed that is consumed by the livestock may be different, but there are American companies making some incredibly tasty charcuterie. It all amounts to choice. And choice is good, especially when it comes to offering a broader range of prices, which allows consumers with different budgetary constraints to enjoy these quality products, and become connoisseurs of charcuterie. 

We are delighted and fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy products from this new breed of American producers like La Quercia, Les Trois Petits Cochons, Alexian, Creminelli and Fabrique Délices, which James Mellgren recently visited, and chronicles in this issue (page 5). Together with the time-honored fine European imports, I look forward to seeing an even greater assortment of cured meats in the local supermarket to make a greater charcuterie statement. 

David Spencer,
Publisher, Gourmet Business Fine Cheese & Charcuterie 

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com