Lonzo de Corse

Appearance & taste

Lonzo is elongated, round to oval in cross-section, 15 to 30 cm long, and weighs 0.5 to 1.1 kg when dried. It is encased in pig intestine or caul fat and tied with string or wrapped in a net.

The cut surface sometimes has an oily sheen. It shows a single muscle of an even pinkish-red to red colour, slightly marbled to marbled, with a white to pinkish-white layer of back fat. The fat is fairly delicate and soft, the meat firm and sometimes elastic. Lonzo smells and tastes of dried ham, hazelnut, mushrooms or wood, is distinctly salty and has a note of pepper; a light smoky aroma is also possible.

It is sold as a whole piece or vacuum-packed in slices or portions of at least 200 g. It is cut by hand, with a knife only, so that the meat does not warm up. Since no preservatives other than salt are used, slices and portions must be vacuum-packed immediately so that the meat does not turn black and the fat does not go rancid. Only with a final fattening purely on chestnuts and acorns may the label bear, for example, “100 % châtaignes/glands”.

Production

The Nustrale pigs are slaughtered at 12 to 36 months with a slaughter weight of 85 to 140 kg; their layer of fat is 2.5 to 6 cm thick. After weaning the herds roam through woods and pastures and find part of their food themselves, such as grasses, roots and tubers. In addition they receive 2 kg of supplementary feed per day, mainly cereals.

The final fattening lasts at least 45 days between October and March. During it the pigs eat only acorns and chestnuts, which they find themselves in oak and chestnut woods for at least the first 30 days. After that, a limited amount of barley is allowed.

Only the fillet and loin are used for Lonzo, four pieces per pig, trimmed into a block shape and weighing 0.7 to 1.5 kg. Freezing is prohibited. It is seasoned with salt and pepper or chilli; there are no preservatives. Drying uses the heat of a fire of wood from native deciduous trees. Salting, drying and ripening together take at least three months. Ripening in a natural cellar at ambient temperature lasts more than one month and, according to the specification, shapes texture and aroma.

Origin & history

Corsica is marked by granite and rugged mountains in the west and by schist and gentler forms in the north-east. The Mediterranean climate varies greatly with the island location, altitude and exposure to the sun, often even between neighbouring slopes. Cork and holm oaks and maquis grow at lower altitudes, the sweet chestnut further up; chestnut and oak woods are typical of the whole island. The area covers almost all of Corsica except the coastal strip.

For generations, meat and charcuterie, alongside dairy products, were a main source of animal protein on the island. The way the pigs are kept goes back to an old herding tradition in which the herds were driven through woods and pastures or up to summer pastures in the mountains. The Nustrale breed belongs to the Iberian pig type and is adapted to this way of keeping.

Since there were no refrigeration facilities until the end of the 19th century, meat was preserved by salting and drying; slaughter and processing are still tied to the season today. Lonzo is eaten from February to September and, according to the specification, is the first of the dried cuts of the year to be served as a starter.