The poet Mariangela Gualtieri wrote that “when done with a lack of love, that which is done remains undone”. If carefully read, the verse from this poem is something worth learning by heart and using as a personal mantra every day. Even the smallest most insignificant daily action, if undertaken with love – or at least with affèction – takes on meaning, otherwise it automatically becomes a waste of time.
And so, one of the words perfect for storing away in your Pantry is none other than AFFÈCTION. In other words, a little emotion, starting from the moment when we write up our grocery shopping list, which must be written hand on a piece of paper, or in the notes of our smartphone, or even on a special dedicated App. 
Because, fortunately, and as we all know, emotions have a short memory and room must be made for the time when love strikes unexpectedly and at first sight, like, for example, when we find ourselves in front of a bottle of Gin Fulmine, the London Dry expertly produced by Luca Garofalo and Ezio Primatesta, who are as passionate about their gin as the tiger present on the label. 
Returning to the theme of affèction, Emily Dickinson asks: “Perhaps Affèction has always one question more which it forgot to ask?” Well, then, the question becomes this: where should I put the accent? Because affèction can be found even in the slicing of a good Bresaola della Valtellina produced by Giò Porro: its BresaolaZero® uses only the freshest meat from Italian premium breeds, with a long seasoning, zero nitrates, zero gluten, zero lactose, and zero sugars. 
Affèction cannot be measured and does not depend on the size of a product: the emotions we feel are the same whether we find ourselves in front of a bison steak or a slice of pigeon prosciutto. Bison is a meat characterized by a unique flavor with incredible nutritional value, and Massimiliano Gatti raises them in Valle del Perugino, in Umbria, at the foothills of Panicale, in what is the only Italian farm of free-range and grass-fed bison. “I have always had a passion for homing pigeons – explains Carlo Giusti – who can travel a thousand kilometers or even more, while always returning home to the same precise spot, it’s quite fascinating. It is a passion that has evolved over time, and now I raise them, and by raising them I’ve learned about their anatomy and defining features”.
“If you are lacking passion and you do not commit yourself, milk is only a white liquid”, confirms the Confuorto family of Caseificio Mediterraneo. At the same time, alongside passion and commitment, there is another ingredient in their caciocavallo cheese: affèction understood as dedication and maximum care with each step in production, from the stretching of the cheese to its natural smoking with straw and oats. 
It is likewise possible to slice with affèction the Calabrese artisanal nougat of Sgambelluri. Soft or crunchy, it is always a bite-sized delight for the palate and has been produced with the same commitment and passion for over 40 years.  
It’s likewise impossible to talk about emotions without citing singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti and his verse “Affection is not something to be tried on / but to be worn directly”. And so we wrap the best products with special ribbon from Nastrificio Sirene, which personalizes the fabrics in such a way as to perfectly fit every food product, while conveying a more affectionate and (even) finely sliced look! 


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