Salama da sugo

Appearance & taste

The sausage is spherical and resembles a melon. It is tied several times lengthwise and once crosswise in the middle, producing 6 to 8 segments; its logo also shows this shape. The surface is irregular and may bear traces of mould that forms naturally during ripening. After ripening a sausage weighs 700 to 1,400 g.

The ripe sausage meat is pink from the lean and fat parts and the wine, firm and compact, and has an aromatic, spicy and lasting smell. Cooked, it is dark brown, smells intense and very spicy, tastes full and spicy with a long finish and is soft and grainy. During cooking a sauce seeps out of the bladder; it is based on the wine that has not evaporated, flavoured by the spices.

The sausage is sold whole. If it has been cooked in a leak-proof wrapping, it may also be sold in pieces; it is then cut before heating.

Production

The sausage consists only of pork: cheek, neck and belly, about a quarter each, shoulder, plus a little tongue and liver; loin meat is also allowed. About 150 ml of red wine is added per kilogram of meat, of the varieties Fortana, Merlot del Bosco Eliceo, Sangiovese di Romagna, Lambrusco or Refosco, as well as ground pepper and coarse sea salt. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are also allowed, as is up to 10 ml of brandy, grappa or rum per kilogram in place of part of the wine.

The pigs are fed mainly liquid feed or mash; whey from cheesemaking and buttermilk are allowed up to 15 litres per animal per day. In the area the fatty tissue is removed, the meat minced, the sausage mixture prepared, filled by hand into the pig’s bladder, tied, dried and ripened; for “Salama da sugo cotta” this also includes cooking after ripening. According to the specification, these steps are still largely done by hand today, and a trained eye judges the degree of ripeness.

Origin & history

The area covers the province of Ferrara excluding the coastal municipalities of Goro, Codigoro, Lagosanto and Comacchio. The abundance of water in the area ensures high humidity. This made many pork-processing businesses possible: there was enough water for hygiene, and the damp climate favours ripening. Away from the salty coastal air, the sausages dry evenly from the outside in during the long ripening and stay soft and compact; at the same time a special bacterial flora forms on the surface that contributes to the aroma.

According to the specification, the sausage dates from the Renaissance, when the Dukes of Este ruled over Ferrara and held great banquets. The melon-like shape with 6 to 8 segments comes from this period; it was also depicted on the court’s ceramic tableware. In 1931 the first edition of the “Guida Gastronomica d’Italia” of the Touring Club Italiano called it Ferrara’s best-known speciality. Festivals in the area are dedicated to it, for example in Guarda Ferrarese and in Buonacompra; there the festival has recalled since 1974 that the sausage was eaten at the hemp harvest.