Enclosed below is a selection of the most famous Italian SALUMI:
Coppa
Typical of the area of Parma and Piacenza, Coppa is exclusively produced from the muscles of the neck of middle-sized swine. Salted with a mix of salt, pepper and different spices used to "massage" the meat. The coppa has a round but sweet taste not very strong and a delicate and a subtle scent that becomes progressively finer as fast as the seasoning continues.
Cotechino
Traditionally prepared in the area of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
The cotechino is a sausage from pure pork to be served boiled with a typical cylindrical shape, prepared with different minced cuts of meat spiced with salt and peppercorn and in case some other ingredients such as wine, water, sugar, spices and natural flavourings. It goes very well with mashed potatoes and vegetable and boiled pulse-based side dishes. In Italy it is traditionally eaten during the Christmas holidays accompanied with lentils.
Culatello
The Culatello is a characteristic pear-shaped sausage and is prepared exclusively in some communes in the province of Parma. It is one of the most prestigious sausages of the Italian tradition obtained from the upper part of the pork haunch removed from the rind and partially from fat. The Culatello has a rich and refined bouquet, which justifies its definition as the king of sausages.
Mortadella
Type of large sausage from Bologna. The name derives from the use of Mortar for grinding in medieval times. It has a lovely pink colour and is eaten sliced. Comprises 70% lean pork meat with 30% fat.
Parma Ham
Parma ham (cured with delicate flavour). It is taken from the hind thigh of a pig aged about eleven months. The curing time varies from 9 to 18 months, the average being 14 months. The salting is the trickiest process in the production of Parma ham, since its best characteristic is sweetness, but the more it is salted the better it will keep. After regular brushing, the prosciutto is ready for ageing.
Prosciutto Cotto
The boned thigh of a pig is pickled with salt, saltpetre, sugar, juniper berries, pepper and other spices, and then cooked by steam and pressed into an oblong mould. It is ready to be eaten after few days after being cooked.
Salame di Felino
Salame is made up of 75% lean pork meat and 25% pork fat which are cut, mixed together and flavoured with sea salt, whole black pepper and small amounts of saltpetre.
Salame Milano
The Milano salami, among the most popular in Italy, is produced in Brianza and in the whole district of Milan. It is prepared with lean pork and bacon coarsely minced and moderately flavoured with salt and aromas, seasoned for a period varying from 3 to 6 months.
San Daniele
The San Daniele ham is produced in the homonymous region of Friuli. Salt and time are the real secrets to obtain this renowned sausage produced according to century-old working methods. When cut, slices look light rose red-coloured with very white veins of lard, with a sweet taste and delicate scent along with fragrances of dried fruit. It goes very well accompanied with fresh white bread or bread-sticks, and it is excellent when served with figs, melon and other fruit, even tropical, in order to prepare mouth-watering appetizers.
Speck
Speck is a traditional product of Alto Adige, and recently it has become popular throughout the whole country. It features strongly in antipasti and it is used successfully in pasta sauces. It is used for canederli, a typical dish of northern Italy.
Zampone
