APULICA / MEATS AND CURED MEATS
Salamini italiani alla cacciatora
PDO · Meats and cured meats · Abruzzo, Molise
In brief
- Small cured raw pork salami, up to 20 cm long and under 350 g. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP)
- The area spans eleven central and northern regions, including Abruzzo and Molise, where the pigs must be born, raised and slaughtered. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP)
- They age at least ten days in ventilated rooms at 10-15 °C. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP)
History and origin
The name already tells you how they were used: these were the small salami hunters carried in their bags with bread, a nourishing, tasty food that was easy to take along on a hunt. Their small size comes precisely from this need to carry them.
The sources offer more than one account of their origins. The protection consortium goes back to the Etruscans, skilled hunters who preserved boar and pork with salt, and to the Romans, who spread the technique across the peninsula; later the salamini were made in farmhouses, where they also served as a gift to the landowners who hunted on their land. The Qualivita sheet instead links their spread to the long-keeping foods of the Lombard migrations.
Today the name is registered in the European Union as a Protected Designation of Origin, and a consortium coordinates its protection and promotion.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP · Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano — Il prodotto · eAmbrosia — Salamini italiani alla cacciatora (PDO-IT-1301)
Area and method of production
The production area spans eleven regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. The pigs, of the Large White, Italian Landrace and Duroc breeds or others suited to the Italian heavy pig, must be born, raised, slaughtered and butchered in these regions.
Lean cuts of striated muscle, such as shoulder, are chosen together with carefully trimmed fat, and rested in a cold room below 7 degrees. The meat is ground through plates with holes of 3 to 8 millimetres and mixed with salt, whole or ground pepper and a little garlic; at the producer's discretion red wine may be added.
The mix is stuffed into casings no wider than 75 millimetres, often tied in strings. After warm drying between 18 and 25 degrees, with no accelerated fermentation, the salamini age for at least ten days in airy rooms at 10 to 15 degrees.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP · Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano — Il prodotto
How to recognise it
They are the smallest of the PDO salami: cylindrical, up to 6 centimetres across and 20 long, weighing under 350 grams and often around 200. To the touch they are firm and not springy.
The slice is compact and even, ruby red, with well-distributed specks of fat. The aroma is delicate and distinctive, the flavour sweet and never sour: no strong spices, just salt, pepper and a hint of garlic. They are lactose-free.
They are sold all year round, loose or packed, whole or pre-sliced in trays. An independent third-party inspection body checks compliance with the specification along the whole chain.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP · Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano — Il prodotto
In the kitchen
They are at their best cut into very thin slices. The classic place for them is the antipasto, with other cured meats, cheeses and preserved vegetables, but they also suit salads: sliced, in strips or diced with apple and pomegranate, or with lentils, tomato and olives, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. They go well with red wines.
The consortium suggests playing with pairings: fresh fruit, sweet and tart, creates contrasts that bring out the savouriness, while dried fruit adds aromatic notes; cheeses, from fresh to well aged, are the most traditional partner. Honey, jams and sauces offer unexpected matches, and vegetables bring freshness according to the season.
Store them somewhere cool and dry or in the fridge. Their small size and the pre-sliced version make them handy for a quick lunch, an outdoor snack or a bite during a day out.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP · Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano — Coppie di gusto · Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano — Il prodotto
Protection
- Protected designation of origin (PDO) — PDO-IT-1301 (eAmbrosia — Salamini italiani alla cacciatora (PDO-IT-1301))
When
- The sources consulted give no months.