2016 marked a decisive year for Italy in terms of the production and sale of cured meats in the international market. With a total value of about 1.8 billion euros (source ISMEA), it even surpassed the German giant. This result stems from many factors but simply translates into a term that convinces consumers both inside and outside Italy: quality.
The Italian art of curing has its roots in the early centuries of its birth, an art that arises from the fact that the most well-known animals for meat production were not only cattle but, in large quantities, pigs, with their fatty meats ideal for being manipulated and aged even for long periods. Mediterranean countries are still leaders in the production of cured meats, mostly from the slaughter of pigs. For example, think of Spain with its Jamon in various versions, serrano, iberico, Pata Negra, and pure Bellota.
The climate has always significantly influenced the production of cured meats. Gastronomic culture and the needs of humans in their territory have conditioned their processing. The fat is the differential element between northern and southern peoples. The need for energy from meat as a source of body warmth was very important among northern peoples, which is why in France and Germany, small cured meats persist with considerable amounts of finely diced fat mixed with the lean part. A bit of that tradition was also typical of the peoples of northern Italy, culminating in the production of famous salami and sopresse. One of these has now also achieved DOP status, the Soppressa vicentina.
The further south you go, the more the cured meats tend to become lean and lose their concentration of dispersed fat. The art of unique pieces also depends a lot on climatic and environmental conditions. The undisputed queens of these products are certainly Italy and Spain. The use of pig thighs, of different breeds, is one of the common reasons for the high quality of European curing tradition. Different types of fat and meat consistency, pigs that have much more pronounced and solid fiber masses in the Iberian thighs with a more viscous fat density. These are cured meats more suited to processing and cutting with a knife in a vice.
The Po Valley, on the other hand, with its historic fogs, has always represented the ideal environment for the aging of pink pig thighs that can reach large sizes, up to over 200kg, the so-called heavy pigs. What differentiates them from other Spanish cured meats is not only the breed and farming, which is usually stationary in Italy, but especially the aging and type of salting. The product that comes out is an excellent cured meat ideal for cutting into thin slices, such as prosciutto crudo di Parma, with the possibility of longer aging for San Daniele and Tuscan or Norcia hams, generally from central Italy.
There are also Italian cured meats that resemble the Spanish ones but you have to go south with the gray pig from Casentino, the black pig from Sila, the black pig from Nebrodi. Here, however, the breed and the type of farming change, more free-range.
The use of aromatic herbs in cured meats is another substantial difference that distinguishes various Italian and foreign products. Products like Tuscan Finocchiona or ‘nduja or soppressata are unique in their kind. Wild fennel, chili pepper, and other Mediterranean herbs, as the word itself suggests, are part of our typical climatic habitat. Only in Hungary is paprika used to flavor some cured meats, where the grinding of the meat is however decidedly fine and sometimes almost imperceptible.
There is only one plus that remains decidedly Italian and that is the cured meats made from fresh meat like Cotechino and Zampone. Two products that have no rivals internationally. The noble forerunner of the two sausages is the Salama da sugo ferrarese IGP.
Another added value that is rarely found in all European countries is also the diversification of products, based on the kilometer of belonging. What does this mean? Try to make a list of the cured meats that you can find from north to south of Italy. But do it simply by considering making a short journey through just one province: every village, every town, every district will tell you that that is their typical cured meat. And here comes into play the uniqueness and creativity of the Italian people, which is the immaterial ingredient but, more importantly, characterizes quality and rarity.
Bernardo Pasquali
We recommend that you enjoy
✔ You have added the product to your cart!