On December 13th, the day of Santa Lucia, it is an important date in the calendar of the Italian farmer. From this date, in fact, we start to celebrate the time of the pig. There is a Bolognese saying that goes: “Par Santa Luzì e par Nadèl, al cuntadèn maza al maièl.” We are talking about a tradition that comes back to life every year around this time when work begins on pig meat and the first cured meats are produced.
Who doesn't remember the images from L'Albero degli Zoccoli by Ermanno Olmi and the day of the pig festival: the morning mist, the excitement of children, the men picking up the tools left a year before, the feast on the table at the end of the day, and, of course, the perfect arrival of the countryside priest for his ration and blessing. These moments have faded from the farming tradition but, in some parts of Italy, they have remained as a moment of remembrance and popular celebration.
One of the main products of the Northern tradition, and not only in Italy, was the
salami mixture made from noble cuts like shoulder, capocollo, loin, pancetta, throat fat, and ham (the last one found in Vicenza and Verona, where the tradition of hams has never established itself much). This is the recipe for
Sopressa Vicentina DOP, the most famous one,
the only one with a DOP.
But the tradition of
soppressa is also strong in Verona,
in a small mountain village, Brenton, perched on the slopes of the largest dormant volcano of the alpine foothills, the
Calvarina. Inside the caves, even today, soppressas are hung to mature and soak up all the fragrance of the fire that these volcanic rocks provide.
How can we not think of the extraordinary tradition of Italian cured meats with
Salame Mantovano, leaner and with a noble meat flavor;
Salame Milano, with good wine inside;
Finocchiona Toscana;
Ciauscolo Marchigiano, and so on. We dedicated an entire section to
salami: discover it!
All the beauty and goodness of Italy on the table!
S&M
/ Our magazine / It's pig time: butchering and peasant tradition.
