A Taste of Italy
Introducing Mastro Sapore: the authentic Italian pasta brand taking the UK by storm. Words by Amy Van Wingerden.
The UK launch party of Mastro Sapore – an artisan pasta company – attracted the glitterati. The authentic Italian business has finally arrived in the UK after marked success across mainland Europe and East Asia. Yuanyi Li, a local importer of Italian food and drink, is at the helm of the UK division.
Li has always been involved in the food and drink industry. Before he embarked on this latest venture, he lived in Milan for two years as operational director of a Japanese restaurant chain. It was during this time that he met two young men who ran a pasta company in their home region of Apulia: Mirko and Antonio. It was a serendipitous encounter which would develop to redirect the course of Li’s professional endeavours. As he got to know them, he identified with their dedication, their ambition, and the real pride they took in their work. These values resonated with Li, as a qualified chef who has always been led by his passion for premium food and drink: in essence, by his tastebuds. Having studied hospitality and worked for reputable international corporations, he was primed to spot something special when it was right under his nose. Li had visited their operation, seen the golden sea of wheat, and knew that Mastro Sapore was just that.
Sometime later, Li was invited to a family party where Antonio proposed to Mirko’s sister. Being privy to this intimate gathering was a sure sign he had been welcomed into the fold.
This heart-warming story lends itself to dramatic imaginations – it is easy to get carried away with visions of a summer under the balmy Italian sun. To watch fields of wheat whisper in a gentle breeze. To feel the mysticism of a bucolic landscape as opera plays in the background and sunlight flashes across the lens.
This is, admittedly, the partial truth of Mastro Sapore. The photographs, after all, do not lie. But Li explains to me that it boils down to something far more simple. In the end, optimum soil and climate conditions produce superior wheat and Apulia, the birthplace of Mastro Sapore, is hailed as the granary of Italy. The attention to detail that is given to turn this raw material into the final product is what distinguishes Mastro Sapore from the crowd. Harmful chemicals which are used in conventional wheat farming, such as glyphosate, are not involved. From field, to grain, to semolina, to pasta dough, the supply chain is at most a fifteen-minute drive, and the product is entirely Apulian. The mystical bronze dye is used to form the range of shapes available to purchase: cavatelli, fetuccelle, tubetti, rigatoni and orecchiette. This dye creates friction which gives the pasta a rough surface. In turn, it will hold sauce better, have an improved flavour, and produce more starch in the pan.
The brand also produces pâtés than can be a sauce or a spread for bread and crackers. These are created with surplus vegetables from local farms, hence the weird and wonderful combinations on offer, such as pumpkin and almond or artichoke and walnut. Mastro Sapore makes an effort to reduce food waste, and Li hopes to go plastic free in the near future.
Whilst the usual drying process for pasta is a quick blast at upwards of sixty degrees Celsius, Mastro Sapore is left at thirty-seven degrees for up to seventy-two hours. This makes a world of difference. As Li sagely puts it to me, "The main difference between artisan and conventional pasta is time. The same goes for everything in life. Good stuff takes time to happen".
Ultimately, this is the much-loved culinary staple, but elevated. With fourteen grams of plant protein in a serving, it is also a nutritious vegan option; that is equivalent to two large eggs. Mastro Sapore pasta is a dish that goes from cupboard to table in under fifteen minutes on a busy weeknight. I am a convert to the movement, and I will not be the last.
Mastro Sapore is available at mastrosapore.co.uk. It can be purchased from Baccello wine and cicchetti (72 High Street, Christchurch), MAW café (43 High Street, Christchurch) and Inipi Beauty (1078 Christchurch Road), with more to follow.
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