Šebreljski želodec

Appearance & taste

Šebreljski želodec is flattened and weighs between 0.8 and 2 kg. Its shape depends on whether the casing is a bladder, a natural casing or an artificial casing. The surface is smooth, dry and free of fat residues.

When cut, meat and fat are evenly distributed: the slices show the red of the ripened meat and the white of the back fat. The pieces are well bound together and free of sinews and cartilage. The taste of ripened meat and back fat is harmonious and rounded off by the spices; spices and smoke can be detected in the smell.

If the želodec is packed outside the area, the label also gives the producer, batch number, packer and place of packing.

Production

The meat comes from pigs with a live weight of at least 115 kg or a carcass weight of 85 kg. Meat from the leg, shoulder, neck and back is minced to 8 to 10 mm, firm back fat from the leg, shoulder and back to 6 to 8 mm. Both are mixed in a ratio of 75:25 to 80:20 and seasoned with around 1 % garlic, 2.4 to 2.5 % sea salt, 0.5 % sugar and 0.1 to 0.35 % pepper. Nitrates, nitrites and other additives are not allowed.

The filling goes into pig’s bladders, beef casings or artificial casings; freshly filled, a želodec weighs 1.3 to 3 kg. The casing is sewn or tied up. The sausages are then left to drip and pressed, which takes up to 10 days, and cold-smoked for two days.

Drying and ripening take place at 10 to 15 °C and 60 to 80 % relative humidity, either under natural conditions or in a controlled environment. In the coldest months the temperature during natural drying also falls below 10 °C, which slows down the process. In traditional drying rooms, drying takes 3 to 5 months. In a controlled environment, with regulated temperature and humidity but natural ventilation by occasionally opening the windows, it takes at least 100 days.

Origin & history

The area lies in the western part of the Goriška region and covers the surroundings of Idrija and Cerkno, from the Idrijca valley and the Šentviška planota plateau via Porezen and the foot of Blegoš to the Trnovo Forest (Trnovski gozd). The hill country of Idrija and Cerkno lies in the Pre-Alps, where the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains meet, and is influenced both by the warmer Adriatic climate and by the cooler Alpine climate. As a natural barrier, the Trnovo Forest in the south-west moderates the influence of the Vipava valley, while the Adriatic can be felt in the Cerkno hill country because of its open position towards the Idrijca valley.

Winters are long and harsh, with low temperatures and plenty of precipitation, and summers are short and not too warm; the valley areas around Cerkno have much milder winters with less snow. The temperature differences between sunny and shady slopes keep the air constantly moving, and air currents with suitable humidity form in the valleys. According to the specification, these conditions shape the želodec during drying and ripening.

There are only a few written sources on its history. A survey among the oldest inhabitants of the area confirmed the long tradition of production around Idrija and Cerkno, the use of high-quality raw materials and the traditional ripening. Its reputation therefore also rests on its typical shape, taste and aroma.