Centuries ago in Old World Italy, artisans slowly began blending the romance and flavors of local regions, carefully handcrafting the finest meat products with quality and culture.

It was such tradition that was passed down to Peter Carando during his apprenticeship making deli meats in a northwestern region of Italy. And it taught him a valuable lesson: quality takes time. Time to hand-select individual spices. Time to age or slow-smoke the meats. And time to let the natural flavors soak into every bite. Because even if you don’t have all day to prepare a meal, it should taste like you did.

Peter remembered this lesson when he came to New England at the turn of the century with the dream of starting his own deli meat business. When that dream finally came true in 1933, Peter was at last able to offer to America the time-honored cooking tradition he learned back in Italy. The taste of Italian heritage and quality could now be enjoyed in all varieties of salami, capicola, prosciutto hams and many other classic Italian deli meats cooked and prepared by Peter Carando.

Today, Carando continues to share with you in each of our delicious deli food products the same tradition Peter Carando inherited over 70 years ago. We still adhere to the same care, craftsmanship and many of the same original recipes on which the Carando heritage and reputation was founded and built. The result has led Carando to become one of the largest and most complete suppliers of Italian deli and specialty meats in the U.S.

As we continue to grow, we will maintain our commitment of combining the visions of the future with the authenticity of the past. Because carrying on the old-world traditions is vital to our philosophy. As Peter Carando himself would tell you, quality does indeed take time. Over 70 years, to be exact.

Carando, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a division of Farmland Foods, Inc., which is based in Kansas City, Missouri.