Mortadella: Timeless Goodness, Unique in the World
Among the icons of Italian charcuterie, mortadella is a cooked cured meat that combines finely minced pork with diced pork fat, pepper and sometimes pistachios.
Mortadella has a centuries-old history and is produced using techniques unique in the world. Mortadella Bologna holds the EU PGI designation, as does Mortadella di Prato.
The aroma is unmistakable, slightly spicy, while the flavor is full and balanced, thanks precisely to the presence of lardons that sweeten the flavor of the meat.
Soft, fragrant and lightly spiced, it is loved both on its own and as an ingredient in creative dishes. It is, in fact, an extremely versatile cured meat, perfect for stuffing a sandwich or presenting on a platter as an aperitif. It is also ideal for enhancing delicious appetizers, first courses and finger foods.
How mortadella is made
Mortadella is a truly inimitable cured meat, the fruit of a process as precise as it is fascinating. It begins with carefully selected meats, which are finely minced until they become a smooth, homogeneous cream.
To this base, small cubes of fat are added, obtained from the most prized part: the compact and flavorful throat fat. The fragrant and creamy mixture is then stuffed into the desired size – ranging from mini versions weighing half a kilo to larger ones weighing over 100 kg – and prepared for cooking.
It is precisely this cooking that gives the cured meat its unmistakable softness and captivating aroma. This process takes place slowly in special dry-air ovens, with times ranging from a few hours to a full day, depending on the size.
The process concludes with a cold-water shower and a period of refrigeration, during which the product reaches its perfect balance, ready to conquer every palate.