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# 85 NOVEMBER 21 , 2016
# 85 November 21 2016
Bologna, on the other
hand, became the guarantor of the quality of
this special sausage and
in 1661 Cardinal Farnese
issued a proclamation regulating the production
of mortadella, providing
one of the first examples
of rules similar to those
currently in force for PDO
and PGI labelling.
read more about #Italian Flavors
ITALIAN FLAVORS:
Mortadella Bologna
By Consorzio Mortadella Bologna with MiPAAF
mortadella have survived
in the areas once occupied by the Etruscans, or
those near them, although
different from that of Bologna. It is certain, however, that the production
and appreciation of large,
heat-dried, finely ground
sausages soon extended
far beyond the restricted
limits of Bologna and the
Po Valley area.
The origins of Mortadella
Bologna are to be found
in the area of ancient Etruscan Felsina and the Bonomia of the Gallic Boii,
places rich in oak forests
that provided tasty acorns
for the numerous local
swine, both wild and do-
mesticated. There are two
theories regarding the
origin of the name: one is
that it derives from “murtatum”, meaning meat finely
ground in a mortar, while
the second, less probable,
is that it comes from “farcimen mirtatum”, a Roman
name for a pork sausage
flavoured with myrtle and
prepared in a mortar.
Returning to the Etruscan
origin of mortadella, confirmation of this suggestion can be found in the
fact that other types of
Its preparation and the application of the required
seals of guarantee were
entrusted to the Guild of
the “Salaroli” [salted meat
vendors], one of Bologna’s
oldest, which was already
using a pestle and mortar
as its emblem in 1376.
Starting from the nineteenth century, mortadella
became increasingly popular on Italian and foreign markets. This was part-
ly due to the introduction
of the first industrial pork
processing
companies
that adopted and consolidated the recipe and tradition of this sausage. These
companies received a highly favourable response
and were encouraged by
excellent future prospects.
The product
Mortadella Bologna is a
cold cut with an oval-shaped or cylindrical exterior
and a compact, non-elastic
consistency. When cut, the
surface should be smooth,
with a uniform bright pink
colour, and the slice must
contain small, pearly white squares of fatty tissue,
well distributed and united with the paste. It has a
typical aromatic fragrance
and a delicate flavour, with
no hint of smoked meat.
In Tuscany, between 1350
and 1355, Giovanni Boccaccio mentions “mortadello” in the final pages of
his Decameron, and the
Viscounts of Milan in the
15th century willingly offered the city of Bologna a
fat ox each year in exchange for fragrant mortadella.
26 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 27
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