Italian cured meats - artisanal heritage embraces sustainability

The Italian Trade Agency in London is celebrating all things cured meat this month, in

partnership with ASSICA (Associazione Industriale delle Carni e dei Salumi) and IVSI (Instituto

Valorizazzione Salumi Italiani) these trade bodies are working to raise awareness of the

artisanal industry of Italian Salumi (cured meats) and their pledge towards sustainability.

Together these two organizations promote the artisanal heritage of this valuable part of the

Italian food sector, as well as its sustainable future ensured through a commitment to social

and animal welfare, and to minimising environmental impact. 

True to the concept of sustainability the aim is to ensure that this generation's needs are

met without borrowing or compromising those of the future. 

Best practices include monitoring emissions, recyclable packaging, renewable energy

contracts, supplier CO2 evaluations, food waste partnerships and training programmes; all

encouraged in a charter of values. 

This month ASSICA is visiting Scotland to promote the heritage and values of Italian deli

meats, so we are giving you a quick guide to those delicious cuts.

Bresaola is from the Lombardy region of Italy

Bresaola della Valtellina P.G.I 

Provenance: Valtellina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy that borders Switzerland. 

Production: The raw material is firstly dry salted and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves (later with wine, spices, and sugars) and allowed to cure in brine for around 10 to 15 days, then filled into casings, and dried and matured.

Appearance and taste: Characterized by its bright red colour and juicy flavour and texture. 

Coppa Piacentina P.D.O.

Provenance: Derived from the dorsal part of pigs born and reared in Romagna and Lombardy.

Production: Salt and a mixture of spices are massaged into the meat, which is then coated in a natural pork casing and tied with a ligature. The coppa is matured for at least six months to reach its characteristic texture and aroma. 

Appearance and taste: Mottled white and pink in appearance with a sweet, delicate flavour. 

Finocchiona P.G.I.

Provenance: A cold cut inextricably linked to Tuscany.

Production: Cuts selected for production are boneless and defatted shoulder, ham trimmings, rump, collar, lean belly and flank. Salt, ground pepper, peppercorns, garlic, fennel seeds and/or flowers are added. The seasoned pig meat is diced and minced, stuffed into casings, tied with twine or covered in netting made from natural materials. The sausage is then dried and cured for 15 to 45 days.

Appearance and taste: The colour varies from the deep red of the lean meat to the white/pinkish white of the fatty parts. It has a fresh and appetizing flavour with a characteristic aroma of fennel and a slight hint of garlic. It pairs perfectly with Tuscan red wines.

In “La Mortadella” Sophia Loren a poor Neapolitan, went to New York to meet her boyfriend. She is stopped at the airport because of a Mortadella she was carrying, a product prohibited by the Americans from being brought into the country.

Mortadella Bologna P.G.I

Provenance: Various regions in central and northern Italy from a mixture of selected and finely ground pork cuts.

Production: Lardons from the throat area are mixed with salt and natural flavours are then put into casings and ‘cooked’ with steam.

Appearance and taste:  Bright red, well-defined, savoury flavour, and a slightly fragrant aroma. Traditionally, eaten thinly sliced and garnished with oil, lemon juice and pepper. Served with salads, bread, fruit, and fresh cheeses. 

Pancetta Piacentina P.D.O.

Provenance: Produced and processed in the province of Piacenza. 

Production: The bacon is derived from the pig’s belly. It can be in thin layers, alternating lean and fat, and creating a nice striped effect. The pork is salted and seasoned with pepper, and various spices such as cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and juniper berries.  Pancetta matures for at least three months from the date of salting.

Appearance and taste: Sweet and fragrant, cylindrical, and bright red colour contrasts with white fat. Spicy scent and served with fava beans and pecorino (cheese). Great when paired with acacia honey.

Prosciutto di Parma is obatined from the pig's thighs

Prosciutto di Parma P.D.O

Provenance: The province of Parma, located in the south of the Via Emilia, is bordered on the east by the Enza River and to the west from Stirone Creek. 

Production: Obtained from pigs’ thighs which are trimmed, salted, rested, washed, and dried pre-seasoning. The salting phase involves parts of the rind being covered with wet salt, while the lean parts are sprinkled with dry salt. A period of rest in a special cell with controlled humidity and temperature follows. Then the thighs are washed and trimmed again, and the muscle-exposed portion is covered with Sugna (a mixture of ground pork fat with a bit of salt and ground pepper, sometimes rice flour). The minimum maturation period is 12 months. 

Appearance and taste: Pear shape, rounded, without trotter. A delicate sweet and fragrant taste. Usually consumed raw without cooking, cut fine. Pairs well with fresh fruits such as melons and figs.

Prosciutto di San Daniele P.D.O.

Provenance: San Daniele de Friuli in the province of Udine. Pigs are sourced by the San Daniele producers only in the ten north-central regions.

Production: Made from the thighs with a leg and foot; salted and pressed to give the traditional guitar shape. Then rested, washed and seasoned for at least 13 months.

Appearance and taste: Uniform reddish-pink parts with streaks of deep white fat. The scent is intense, sweet and delicate with a remarkable aftertaste. Great with fruit.

Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora P.D.O.

Provenance: “Cacciatore” means hunters as its small size and high protein content makes it ideal to fuel hunting trips. It is produced and processed exclusively from pigs born and reared in areas of Mid-Northern Italy.

Production:  Cacciatore Salami is made with lean meat, fat, salt, pepper, and garlic pieces. Meat cuts are ground, stuffed, tied with string, and allowed to ripen. 

Appearance and taste: Dry and ruby-red coloured, with flecks of fat and characterized by a delicate aroma and a sweet taste. Good as an appetizer, snack, or main course, accompanied by whole-grain bread, fruit, and salads.

Speck Alto Adige PGI

Provenance: Produced and consumed throughout Italy, but a cornerstone of the diet in the Alto Adige region.

Production: Boned pork thighs, separated into cuts called baffe, from which the rind and excess fat are removed. Seasoned with salt, garlic, white and black pepper, bay leaves, juniper berries, nutmeg, and other spices or aromatic herbs. After about 30 days of rest, smoking follows using Maple and Beech woods with juniper berries at a controlled temperature for 10 days. Aging is at least five months.

Appearance and taste: Moderately salty, spicy, and smoky. Speck can be sliced thin to enhance its aromas, hand-cut, or used in cubes to enrich pasta dishes. 

ASSICA is visiting Scotland and running a few initiatives at the end of September including a

promotion with Osteria dei Sapori and Locanda de Gusti in Edinburgh with a menu focused

on Italian cured meats on the 27th and 28th. Contini George St will also host a media dinner

and a Cicchetti style menu from 5-6:30pm on the 23-27 of September.