Under European Union law, a selection of foodstuffs are protected by designation of origin. Delicacies you may be familiar with – champagne, parma ham, etc. – fall into this system of warding off the fakes. For the Anglophile, few foods with Protected Geographical Indication are as frequently championed as Melton Mobray Pork Pies. You know its official if the pie has bowed sides, among other notable distinctions outlined by the Melton Mobray Pork Pie Association. The Association formed in 1998 with the express purpose of gaining PGI. Now achieved, 9 manufactures are sanctioned to make Melton Mobray Pork Pies. One is Dickinson & Morris.

Dickinson & Morris was founded in 1848 by John Dickinson to cater to the growing hunger for pork pies on the newly minted Midland Railway line. The Morris name was added in 1901 when apprentice Joseph Morris enters a true partnership with mentor John. In 1986 the firm wowed the world by producing one of the grandest pork pies in history – weighing almost 86 pounds. Most importantly, the firm’s history and heritage have made it the go to bakery for Melton Mobray Pork Pies.

For more information on Melton Mobray Pork Pies, look for The History of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie by Trevor Hickman at your local book seller or Amazon. The fascinating history of the pie is traced from Edward Adcock’s initial move to wholesale the pie in 1831. Riveting history.

I met Saji Magazine’s Miho through various friends while in Tokyo. Miho is a full-time food and cuisine photographer. Saji is an extension of her work. While she considers it more of a hobby at the moment, Saji is clearly a unique publication that focuses in on education of fine foods with excellent photography set in a environment that will be familiar to most. Saji is about the love of food, art, and fashion mixed in with recipes that will tempt you away from the fast food alternatives – it is a return to food. Saji available through finer outlets worldwide.

More looks inside Saji Magazine after the click.

Made mention of this exquisite jerky in a previous post on Washington State University Creamery. Texas A&M has been producing jerky since the 1980s. It is a product of the Rosenthal Meat Science & Technology Center. Smarter jerky you may not find anywhere else.

They use lean round, which is then cut to strips and brined for several days. Once this step is complete the meat is seasoned and smoked over hickory before drying. The result is delicious.

Some of America’s best foodstuffs come from its fine state colleges. Of note is the beef jerk and American Kobe beef from Texas A&M. Several schools also produce superb ice cream. Washington State University is notable for two things – the cheese from its creamery and the packaging of said cheese. Obvious from the above image, cheeses like Cougar Gold come in a can. In a can? Yes.

Initially, this choice generated much speculation. Given the typical nature of canned cheese (think the steaming glop of orange at many of my local Philadelphia eateries), I was extraordinarily surprised by the quality. Washington State University has been canning cheese since the 1930s. Their belief stands that it is a great way to ensure that the cheese will not be contaminated. Cans contain 30 ounces of cheese at the cost of $18.

The strangest gift I ever received through mail was a Reuben Sandwich Kit from Zingerman’s. The Ann Arbor outpost does a terrific job, however, of sourcing foodstuffs and preparing packages that defy the limitations of ones local markets. That same principle can be applied to mail order steaks. Do local steakhouses have better cuts than you get at your nearby butcher? Do you even have a nearby butcher these days? Yes and no are the typical answers to those questions. Mail order solves the problem.

Having sampled steaks from a full range of mail order meat providers (from the ubiquitous Omaha Steaks to Allen Bros), my favorite is certainly New York’s Lobel’s. Above is their dry-aged Cowboy steak. They’ve also got a fine line in Berkshire and Durac pork, and will happily service a need for American Wagyu.

Another mail order favorite comes from New Bruanfels, Texas. The smokehouse’s sausages are highly recommended.

For some folks, summer isn’t official until they’ve sipped their first margarita of the season. Unfortunately, for many the margarita stops at frozen and a bloke named Jose.

Photographer Karl Petzke pushes beyond an average understanding of the liquor in a new book, Tequila: Myth, Magic & Spirited Recipes. He explores the rich cultural history of the agave plant and its distilled juice. How it’s made and tasted are discussed in depth. And, to top it off, Petzke provides recipes common and surprising that allow tequila to lift the spirit of several dishes.

Available from Chronicle.

London’s Up Box expands on the traditional Japanese bento boxed lunch to spread the gourmet taste of a varieties of other cultures into a small recyclable package which not only feeds but is good to the environment.  As Wallpaper* puts it, "the unbleached, recyclable (but stylishly sturdy) cardboard box flips open to reveal a main course, salad and dessert with recyclable cutlery. Styled after the Japanese bento sets, the menu changes weekly, taking in a delicious spread of global cuisine – Turkish, Mexican, Thai, Moroccan, French, Indian and Italian being an amuse bouche of what’s on offer. For those with easily bored taste buds, the menu is a God-send."