 |
mantuan salami, salami. Typical products
|
 |
|
Homepage > Farm products > Salami
Mantuan salami
. . .
The consumption of pork in the province of Mantua dates back to the Etruscans, as shown by findings at Forcello, south of Mantua. This custom continued down through the centuries, and in the Renaissance period Isabella d'Este Gonzaga, marquise of Mantua, had salamis, tongue salamis and cooked salamis at her disposal daily. Il masin o masalin was already an itinerant figure very much in demand, and was defined "perfecto maestro de tal mestero" (perfect master of his craft). The masalin, who today is called "norcino" in Italian, was and still is a sort of pork-butcher who makes the typical products derived from pork. The art of pork-butchery and indeed the pig itself is a symbol of the well-being and the wealth of this land, and salami has become its most renowned representative. Mantuans are proud of this tradition; it is a unique product characterised by its strawberry-red colour and its soft and compact mixture, dotted with white or pink specks of fat. The addition of pepper and fresh garlic gives it its characteristic aroma and its unmistakable flavour. The recipe changes from zone to zone: in the north of the province of Mantua the presence of garlic, which is left to macerate in white wine, is barely noticeable.
The large pork farms of the province of Mantua supply the ham factories of Parma and S. Daniele with over one million pieces per year. In any case, there isn't a farming family that doesn't apply itself, in winter, to "far su il maiale" (to "do the pig" i. e. to make the typical pork-products of the area, including of course salami). The quality is excellent, although the quantity is limited to little more than home consumption. And it is thanks to these ancient family traditions that the art of salami-making has been handed down to the present day. The traditional method allows the use only of thickly minced pork, which is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. This mixture is then made into sausages with the use of skin of pork intestine and tied by hand. Then comes the fundamental process of maturing, which can last from 3 to 6 months, according to the size of the salami. It is precisely the damp air of the Padana Plain that helps to form the white or dove-grey mould, necessary to guarantee the quality of the final result.
Different kinds of these tasty sausages exist. Above all, salamis differ according to the type of intestine-skin used:
- the "budel gentil" (made into sausages with the skin obtained from the large intestine, which is very fat and thick, allows longer seasoning and preservation);
- the "budello sottogentile" (the most internal part of "gentile", used for medium-to-small salamis can be dried fairly quickly;
- the budello "crespo" or "crespone" (obtained from the colon, with a more irregular shape)
- the "mariola"
In addition to these, another traditional salami worthy of mention is the tongue salami. Besides the usual mixture, tongue is added. The latter can either be cut into small strips with the point of the knife or be surrounded whole by the mixture. According to ancient popular customs this salami was cooked in the stove on the feast of the Ascension; finally, we can't close without mentioning a historical product which has now unfortunately disappeared, the salami of San Benedetto Po, cooked under the ashes.
|
|
|
|
0,00
