Mortadella is one of the cold cuts more succulent Italians, with an intense smell and a pink color. Loved by young and old, it is a cylindrical or oval-shaped sausage made with cooked pork, mixed with cubes of pork fat. Traditionally it is flavored with black peppercorns, but in some versions it may also contain pistachios or, at the discretion of the manufacturer, also: nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, coriander, cloves and coriander.
The origin of the name
The name "mortadella" dates back to Roman times. Regarding its origin, reference is made to two theories. According to the first, the term "mortadella" derives from the Latin mortar (mortar), a utensil used to crush meat. Proposed by the professor Giancarlo Susini, professor of ancient history at the University of Bologna, this theory is based on the observation of two funerary steles kept in the Archaeological Museum of the city. One of them depicts seven pigs led to pasture, a sign that the deceased practiced the art of charcuterie; the other a mortar with pestle. A second theory, dating back to the seventeenth century, derives its name from a Roman sausage flavored with myrtle berries, a spice widely used at the time.
First recipe and calls
Mortadella is mentioned in the XNUMXth century cookbooks. The first documented recipe of mortadella is found in the treatise of the Bolognese agronomist Vincent Tanara "The economy of the citizen in the villa", dated 1644. To keep the quality of mortadella high and fight the phenomenon of counterfeiting, the Corporation of the Salaroli (which already, in 1376, had a mortar with pestle as a coat of arms) tried to obtain an official designation of origin and asked for edicts and notices to be issued. The Salaroli family had the task of affixing the guarantee seal to the product. On 24 October 1661, the cardinal of Bologna, Jerome Farnese, issued a ban to prevent the production of mortadella with meat other than pork. In 1720, a second edict confirmed who could produce mortadella exclusively. Heavy was the punishment for those who violated the rule: a fine of 200 scudi and 3 knots of whip.
The Mortadella Bologna Igp
Thanks to the students who flocked to Bologna to attend its prestigious university, the fame of mortadella spread throughout Europe. And the name "Bologna" became synonymous with this rosy delight. There Mortadella Bologna PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) is obtained by selecting pork, which in 90% of cases is Italian. Recognized as an IGP product in 1998, Mortadella Bologna is produced according to a strict disciplinary that identifies a rather large production area. It includes Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont, the Veneto, Tuscany, the Marches, Lazio and the Province of Trento.
The processing
The pork is minced three times and reduced in a creamy pink emulsion to which salt, pepper and cooked fat cubes are added. It is forbidden to add flours, polyphosphates, flavor enhancers, coloring substances and milk proteins to the mixture. The mixture is stuffed and stewed at 70 ° C. At the end of stewing, the mortadellas are showered with cold water and left in a cooling cell so that the core temperature drops below 10 ° C. When this happens, the cured meats are ready to be packaged and sold.
A unique taste
Mortadella is good to eat as soon as it is sliced, with bread. Children, for example, prefer it in a sandwich at snack time. But mortadella is also the main ingredient of many recipes. Used as a filling for tortellini, in foam, on pizza, to fill wraps and in many other tasty dishes, the goodness of mortadella, succulent, rosy and velvety, is truly unique. In short, mortadella with its unmistakable scent makes your mouth water just at the thought of eating it. It is a real delicacy, all to be savored.
