The varieties of salami : an Italian journey

Salamis in Italy

In telling the story of Italian salami, we can discover and tell many varieties of salami in order to increasingly enrich our personal baggage and have the possibility to choose carefully from a vast range of products and to purchase the right ones based on the occasion.

In addition to the regions with the greatest varieties such as Lombardy and Piedmont, with 16 fantastic salami recipes: each region preserves its own tradition and its own production method which varies depending on the master butcher's beliefs. By now we know, in our beautiful country there are truly salamis for all tastes! Let's now discover the salamis famous in some regions of northern Italy such as Veneto, Tuscany and Emilia.

Italian salamis stop in Veneto

Veneto is a truly unique container of Italian excellence, capable of climbing the rankings in various sectors. Choosing to taste one of the many particularities of this land means winning easily, everything is particular, each product takes on a particular value, the link with tradition is something undisputed, tasting a slice of Venetian salami means catapulting yourself into a another era, in a sort of extrasensory journey.

Suppressed

The province of Vicenza speaks of a quality of soppressa DOP, there are other processes, but this is the only one that has received the prestigious marking here. The mixture is obtained from different processes of pork: the leg is the essential part that offers added value to the product. Subsequently, the dough is worked with the "consa", a particular mix of spices and added ingredients created ad hoc by the experience of the master butcher. At the end we proceed with the bagging using bovine intestine, and finally the maturing requires a period ranging from two to six months.

Italian salamis stop in Tuscany

Tuscany chooses to offer DOP Italian cured meats with a sweet and delicate character exactly as the hinterland chooses to be depicted thanks to the famous hands of numerous artists. The romantic allure is transformed into balanced products capable of calming the souls of the most nostalgic and melancholy. Just think of the Cinta Senese cured meats to reinforce the idea of ​​how art is closely connected to the traditions of Tuscan cuisine. In fact, the Cinta Senese pig is fundamental for the preparation of many traditional Tuscan cured meats: such as Tuscan salami, garlic salami, buristo, salted shoulder, pancetta, capocollo and finocchiona salami.

Tuscan salami

Strong and balanced flavour. The pork meat used for the production of Tuscan salami are the cuts also intended for cooked ham such as shoulder and, indeed, cotto. The coarse-grained fat seems to disturb the vision of the slice but then triggers, at the taste buds level, a perfect contrast that restores the right balance.

Finocchiona salami

Florence and its surroundings choose to differentiate themselves from the rest of the region and offer something unique. Finocchiona salami is created with the addition of fennel seeds and gives the final product an undisputed and authentic character. If today we consider finocchiona as a typical cured meat, once upon a time it was more of a necessity: the substitution for pepper, in fact, was born from an economic need rather than from a desire to amaze diners.

Sbriciolona from Cinta Senese

Another typical Tuscan salami that has a particular aroma in the mixture is the Cinta Senese pork crumble . This typical Tuscan salami contains, together with other spices, fennel which gives a unique and particular taste. The preparation procedure in fact consists of very fine grinding of the paste with the addition of salt, garlic, pepper and wild fennel. It then ends with two months of maturing, during which the meat enclosed in the natural casing amplifies its flavour.

Cured salami from Cinta Senese

The characteristic taste of the meat of this Tuscan pig breed can also be found in a pocket version thanks to the Cinta Senese Seasoned Sausage . The Tuscan cured sausage has a medium-large grain and is seasoned with essential ingredients such as salt, pepper and garlic, with a maturation period that covers a maximum period of 15 days. A perfect appetizer if accompanied with Tuscan bread, wonderful if we add a glass of good wine.

Italian salamis stop in Emilia Romagna

From Emilia with a song, and a slice of salami! There are various proposals from the Romagna region that choose to offer the public products that are easy to prepare and quick to consume. The territory tells of a population in constant movement that leaves the frenzy to nearby Lombardy and at the same time, retains the desire not to remain idle, under any circumstances.

Strolghino salami

Parma and its province offer short-seasoned salami with a very soft texture, perfect for a quick bruschetta. The production of Strolghino salami involves the use of only pork which, combined with the ancient recipe - with wine and spices - lends itself to quick processing and short maturation. The particularity of the product is to be relegated to the choice of cuts of pork which must be of high quality. Nothing else.

Sauce salami

Could it have been missing? The region home of the first courses had - and could - create an indigenous product, intended for use in other recipes to warm the mind and heart. The province of Ferrara chooses to offer salami da sugo which in its mixture includes coppa , bacon, thigh and some sections of fifth quarter. Some recipes in the area choose to use the salami from the sauce as meat for a second course, combined with the mashed potato it makes - it should be written - a dirty look!

Feline salami

Felino is a municipality in the province of Parma known to most for its particular pig farms. Here, in fact, we choose to raise pigs while maintaining intact the control of the lean meat from which this prized feline salami is obtained which requires long processing combined with months of maturation.

The journey among Italian salamis continues

Our journey through Italian DOP and IGP salamis is not over yet. Each region tells and narrates the excellence of the territory, putting traditions, the knowledge of the farmers and the ingredients of the territory first, essential elements for creating noteworthy products and cured meats. Remember, however, that, in addition to knowing the typical ingredients of each territory, knowing how salami is made is also a fundamental element, find out in our article " many other curiosities about salami ".