Moretti

The Moretti family has been growing corn and making choice polenta in the Bergamo plains of Lombardia for over 100 years. In 1922, Aristide Moretti and his wife Carolina took over an ancient corn mill in Campagnola and began production, carefully selecting the best varieties of corn and developing their recipe for polenta that is still sought after throughout the world.

To make their “Farina di Grano Turco” (Italian for cornmeal), Moretti begins with otto file corn, a special heirloom variety grown in the Po River valley. The ears of corn are husked then dried in temperature-controlled ovens to ensure an even texture in the finished product. The kernels are stone ground with the hull and germ, imparting a deeper flavor and more nutrition to the cornmeal.

Corn was introduced to Italy from the New World in the 16th century and quickly became popular when it was ground into a fine flour and used to create one of the favorite dishes of Northern Italy: Polenta. Today, in many parts of Italy, and mostly in the north, polenta is still preferred to pasta. Polenta is incredibly versatile and easy to prepare. The best cornmeal for polenta comes from the Lombardy region, particularly around the area of Bergamo north of Milan, where strains of corn are selectively bred and grown.

Aristide's son, Franco Moretti, created the Moretti logo, choosing the image of a king, just like the one found on Bergamo playing cards, who instead of the gold, swords, batons, and cups, holds a corn cob like a scepter, reinforcing Moretti’s strong link to their territory, tradition, and quality. In 2022, the Moretti brand celebrated its 100th anniversary and officially entered the special register of Historic Brands of National Interest, a recognition by the Ministry of Economic Development with the aim of safeguarding the excellence of Made in Italy.