Mortadella sausage

The real Italian mortadella sausage that is the pride of Bologna, it's not just fatty boiled sausage - served as a snack, in a sandwich or as part of a main course, it's rightly considered a delicacy of the generous lands of Emilia-Romagna. Moreover, among the numerous pork-based sausages that are produced in this region, mortadella sausage is the most famous. It has been made for at least five centuries and is likely to have its roots in ancient Rome.

Then the sausage beloved by the Romans was called farcimen mirtatum - it was seasoned with myrtle berries and cooked with a mortar and pestle. By the way, the name of this sausage comes from the Latin words mirtatum and mortario (myrtle and mortar), and the recipe of mortadella remained unchanged until the Middle Ages. Today, the ingredients and method of manufacture are somewhat different due to the fact that the cuisine of Italy has evolved significantly over several centuries.

And the sausage of mortadella di Bologna begins with very finely ground meat, which is not typical for the production of other types of sausages. Interestingly, mortadella sausage is actually the result of the resourcefulness of Italian farmers, who used almost all the parts of the piglet suitable for food.

In the next stage of making mortadella sausage, the crushed meat is mixed with high-quality fat (usually from the neck part) and spices: salt, white pepper and black pepper peas, coriander, anise, pistachio pieces and wine. All these components are clogged in a pork or beef shell, the diameter of which depends on the necessary size of the sausage. By the way, mortadella sausage is famous around the world and due to its gigantic size - often one loaf can weigh more than one ton.

In order for the final product to wear the proud title of mortadella di Bologna sausage, it must meet some requirements. For example, the ratio of pork to fat in the product composition should be 7:

3. In addition, these criteria include a dense sausage texture, a pleasant pink color with crisp white pieces of lard.

Mortadella sausage is a very versatile product that can be consumed in all types of meals - from salads and snacks to main dishes. Served with walnuts, sour berries and cheeses, or as a base for delicious pasta, mortadella sausage is a remarkable component for various snacks. In addition, it is unusually good when combined with eggs - for example, in Italian omelette, which is known as fritatta.