Today, mortadella can be found in almost any large supermarket, anywhere in the world.

Even many sausage producers in the CIS countries are trying to figure out its recipe and produce, to put it mildly, a parody of mortadella, the same can be said about other typical Italian products. But any Italian will say without hesitation that the best mortadella produced in its homeland in the region.

Mortadella is produced according to a strictly established recipe. To do this, use chilled or frozen meat, which is thoroughly chopped before mixing with other ingredients. Then pieces of high-quality pork fat are added to the minced meat(cut into approximately 1 cubic centimeter) and a mixture of spices (salt, white pepper, coriander, anise, pistachios and wine).

After which, the resulting mixture is packaged. Mortadella casings can be either natural or artificial. This doesn't really affect the quality.

After packaging, mortadella is processed using special heaters at a temperature of 75 °C. Cooking time depends on the size (diameter) of the sausage, and can last from one to several hours. Mortadella is considered ready when its core temperature reaches 70 °C. And only after this, the sausage is quickly cooled.

Mortadella sausage can be completely different sizes, usually from 500 grams to 100 kilograms.

Ideally, real mortadella should not contain various fillers, flavors, artificial colors, and preservatives.

But some manufacturers add sodium caseinate to a product of low or average quality to improve the taste.

How to eat mortadella

If you have already been to Italy, then you most likely know that almost everything is cut very thinly on a special machine. Mortadella is one of those sausages, about which one can say - the thinner the tastier. Although you can serve it in any form - cut with a regular knife, cubes, etc.

Because this perishable product, Italians prefer to buy it little by little, let’s say, so that it’s only enough for a sandwich or for preparing some dish (for one time). In my practice (when I worked in an Italian store), one lady asked to cut only 30 grams. This is normal in Italy.

Mortadella is used to prepare many dishes, but in my opinion the most common is an ordinary fresh bun (panino) with several pieces of sausage placed inside. Favorite food for people who do not have the opportunity to dine at home.

The average cost of good quality mortadella (in specialized stores - “salumeria”) is 12 €. In supermarkets you can find it cheaper, but of worse quality.

It is perhaps difficult to find another place in Sao Paulo where you can see such an incredible variety of exotic fruits from different parts of the globe. Moreover, it’s not easy to see, but also to try. Moreover! You will have to try many fruits! Because it is absolutely impossible to pass by compassionate sellers without being treated to something. As soon as you gape for a second at the counter, looking at some exotic fruit, the seller is already cutting the fruit and, praising it, shoves it into your hands. You won't be able to give up completely! After all, it all ends with a reproachful look and the phrase: “Do you want to offend me?” Even if before this you were generously stuffed at the next counter, the phrase “No, thank you!” It won’t go through any sauce.

This can go on forever:

- Thank you, I’ve already been treated!

“But I haven’t treated you yet, you definitely haven’t tried anything like this.”

- Dont need it, thanks.

– You don’t want to offend me, do you?

And after two meters everything repeats again...

Italian mortadella sausage in recipes

Italian sausage (mortadella): composition, calorie content and nutritional value per 100 g

general information
Water 71.6 g
Energy value 149 kcal
Energy 622 kJ
Proteins 16.13 g
Fat 8.42 g
Inorganic substances 1.75 g
Carbohydrates 2.1 g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca 25 mg
Iron, Fe 1.19 mg
Magnesium, Mg 12 mg
Phosphorus, P 103 mg
Potassium, K 194 mg
Sodium, Na 570 mg
Zinc, Zn 1.52 mg
Copper, Cu 0.04 mg
Manganese, Mn 0.007 mg
Selenium, Se 10.8 µg
Vitamins
Vitamin C 0.2 mg
Thiamine 0.172 mg
Riboflavin 0.125 mg
Nicotinic acid 1.736 mg
Pantothenic acid 0.277 mg
Vitamin B-6 0.187 mg
Folate, 4 mcg total
Folic acid, food grade 4 mcg
Folic acid, DFE 4 mcg
Vitamin B-12 1.04 mcg
Vitamin A, IU 2 IU
Lipids
Fatty acids, saturated 3.257 g
4:0 0.001 g
10:0 0.024 g
12:0 0.017 g
14:0 0.22 g
16:0 1.986 g
18:0 1.009 g
Fatty acids, monounsaturated 3.629 g
16:1 undifferentiated 0.371 g
18:1 undifferentiated 3.233 g
20:1 0.025 g
Fatty acids, polyunsaturated 0.493 g
18:2 undifferentiated 0.376 g
18:3 undifferentiated 0.095 g
20:4 undifferentiated 0.023 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Amino acids
Tryptophan 0.111 g
Threonine 0.417 g
Isoleucine 0.438 g
Leucine 0.76 g
Lysine 0.802 g
Methionine 0.242 g
Cystine 0.109 g
Phenylalanine 0.377 g
Tyrosine 0.329 g
Valine 0.489 g
Arginine 0.576 g
Histidine 0.333 g
Alanine 0.544 g
Aspartic acid 0.851 g
Glutamic acid 1.47 g
Glycine 0.482 g
Proline 0.449 g
Serine 0.382 g

Composition and technology

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a product, you need to know for sure that its quality is controlled by law. The clearest example of this is Mortadella Bologna. The sausage is already so associated with its homeland that, both in Italy and abroad, it is simply called “Bologna”.

Mortadella consists of a mixture of meat, lard, salt and pepper. The casing can be natural or synthetic. The law allows the use of pistachios, sugar (no more than 0.5% by weight of the product), sodium or potassium nitrates, ascorbic acid and monosodium glutamate. And, if the last component causes heated debate, then the use of nitrates is caused by the tastes of the consumers themselves. A “pure” meat product has a pink-gray color and darkens over time, which is not popular with buyers.

To obtain sausage, the meat is separated from the skin and fat and ground to a paste. The lard is cut into small cubes and mixed with minced meat, salt and pepper. The resulting mixture is filled into the shell and sent to ovens with dry air. The heat treatment time depends on the size of the product and lasts from several hours to several days, but, in any case, the temperature in the center of the product should be 70 degrees. After cooking, cool the sausage to at least 10 degrees.

The finished mortadella has an oval or cylindrical shape. The consistency is compact, not elastic. The cut surface is pink, velvety, pearly white patches of fatty tissue (about 15%) are clearly visible, evenly distributed in the meat. The aroma is bright, meaty, the taste is delicate, without any smoke impurities.

On the shelves you can find both whole loaves of sausage, sold by weight, and already cut slices in vacuum packaging. The last option best meets the requirements of the modern consumer: convenience and speed.

Interestingly, not all varieties of mortadella are prepared this way. Some of them are not even boiled sausages and are more like (Mortadella della val d’Ossola, Mortadella di Amatrice, Mortadella di Camaiore, Mortadella di Campotosto). Another unusual meat product is Mortadella di fegato. This product is made from raw liver, which does not undergo heat treatment, but is dried for 4-5 months.

In Russia and the post-Soviet space, an analogue of mortadella is the Doktorskaya sausage.

However, this product is usually made from a mixture of beef and pork and does not contain lard pieces. Coriander and nutmeg are used as spices for it. In addition, the Russian product is supplemented with eggs and milk. Italians believe that such components interrupt the taste of meat.

Steps

First of all, rinse the pork and beef well, then dry the meat with napkins and place in one common container. If necessary, remove unnecessary parts from meat ingredients.

Now prepare all the necessary spices and red wine. Add these ingredients to the resulting meat mixture, then mix everything thoroughly and be sure to taste it so that you can add salt or pepper to the minced meat if necessary.

At this point, get out the blender or food processor to puree the dried mushrooms until you have a mushroom powder. Once the ingredients are chopped, add them to the pork and beef spice mixture.

Knead the minced meat thoroughly, and then add peeled pistachios and fresh lard cut into small cubes.

Mix the resulting mass again and begin forming the sausages. To do this, prepare the shell by pulling it onto a special meat grinder device. There is no need to stuff the minced meat too tightly, as the sausage may burst during baking. You can also fill the shell with the mixture using a regular culinary syringe, but this process takes many times more time and effort.

Be sure to tie the edges of the formed Bolognese sausages with thick culinary thread, and pierce the delicacy itself with a needle in several places. The last manipulation will also prevent the sausage casing from bursting during baking. Place the meat products on a dry baking sheet, fill everything with water as much as possible and put it in the oven. Sausages should be baked for two to three hours at a temperature of ninety degrees. From time to time the delicacy needs to be turned over.

When the meat product is ready, place it in a suitable container to cool, and after the sausage has cooled, place it in the refrigerator to cool. The next day, cut the homemade delicacy into circles, place on a plate and serve. You can use mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise as a sauce for baked meat products. Exquisite Bolognese sausage, made from beef and pork at home, is ready.

Bon appetit!

Calorie content and benefits

Mortadella is a much lower calorie product than it seems at first glance. 100 g of product contains only 288 kcal, which consists of:

• Proteins 15.7 g;
• Fat 25.0 g;
• Carbohydrates 0 g.

But despite the relatively low calorie content, the product has a fairly high fat and cholesterol content (60-70 mg). In addition, the distribution of the proportion of fatty acids is biased towards saturated ones. These aspects make mortadella not entirely suitable for feeding people with high cholesterol or excess weight.

Sausage is also rich in sodium, found in table salt. Its excessive presence in the diet can lead to the development of hypertension in the long term.

The proteins that make up mortadella have high biological value. Their amino acid set mainly includes glutamic and aspartic acids, leucine and lysine. The last two are included in the list of essential amino acids that enter the human body only with food.

Mortadella is high in minerals, especially iron, phosphorus and zinc. Therefore, it can be considered an ideal food for people who perform physical activity and need to consume the “right energy”. Vitamins B1, B2 and niacin are another undoubted advantage of the product. They are directly involved in the regulation of metabolism.

From the above, we can conclude that the use of mortadella can be systematic rather than constant. The average portion of sausage for a healthy person leading an active lifestyle should not exceed 60-80 g. For athletes with heavy physical activity, it is allowed to eat more mortadella per meal.

Architecture

This huge building in an eclectic style is simply impossible to miss - it is majestic and mesmerizing in detail.

In the architectural details of the building you can find many elements of the neoclassical style, art deco style and even inclusions of gothic. Notable objects of decoration are the keystones - each arch is crowned with a mask of the goddess Ceres, branches of coffee and fruit. The central part of the building is marked by four turrets with domes. All turrets also have arches on the facade, which are closed with the coat of arms of Sao Paulo.

Construction of the market took place over five years from 1928 to 1933. The official opening took place on January 25, 1933. The building was designed very rationally. The huge interior space consists of many bays with vaults supported by carved columns of the Ionic and Corinthian orders. Natural lighting is provided by extensive skylights in the vaults and picturesque stained glass windows in the arches on the façade. Picturesque stained glass windows, by the way, are the next reason.

Origin and history of Mortadella bologna sausage

Mortadella is a sausage typical of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, especially Bologna, the capital of this region.
It is a cooked sausage, finely minced, made from pork (bacon and very finely minced meat), pepper nuts or pistachio nuts.
Mortadella also contains other additives.

Mortadella has a pink color and white cubes on the cut from added pieces of lard. Of course, you will recognize the cut of our Amateur sausage.

The aroma should be good, but mortadella is never spicy.
In this way it can be characterized.

Mortadella is mentioned as early as the fourteenth century and is probably the first Italian sausage.

Perhaps that is why she is so beloved and respected.
It is also often called Bolognese (especially in the United States), because this city (as we wrote earlier) is its cradle.
The name mortadela itself comes from the Latin farrimen myrtatum, formerly a sausage containing finely minced meat with the addition of myrtle, or from the word mortarium, which means a vessel in which the meat was minced. Stupa, or we can say mortarium mortar in our language.

Our recipe for Ham Mortadella

Ham mortadella is a compromise of sorts.

Recipe Not completely adapted from the original Italian recipe.
We just wanted to transfer it to our land, to adapt to home conditions.
Yes, each of you could do it yourself.
Of course, there is no relation to the mere mortals we talked about above.
This is simply an excellent product with a taste reminiscent of the original.

A few paragraphs earlier, we wrote that boiled Mortadella does not have direct contact with water. Following this route, we used a double boiler.

Ham mortadella in a steamer

Ingredients:
600 g pork ham
250 g lard
200 g ice
5 g gelatin
20 g salt
4 g white mustard
3 g sweet pepper
2 g coriander seeds
3 g nutmeg
3 g black pepper
5 g granulated garlic

Cut the ham into cubes, mix with salt and put in the refrigerator for a day.
After this time, the meat is placed in a mixer or blender.
Grind until puree.

In the end, we fill it with bacon (cubes of lard) directly into the finished mass.
Meanwhile, add crushed ice to the meat mixture, mix all seasonings and gelatin in a mortar.

We are all blessed to achieve a smooth, sticky and smooth consistency.
Then place it all in a mold, such as a tall saucepan or mug, lined with a cloth.
They beat it thoroughly so that there is no air or irregularities. We put it all in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

After this time, we steam the sausage loaf for about 2 hours at 85-90 degrees.

We need to get 80 degrees inside the loaf. After greasing, we will cool the loaf of Mortadella in cold water, and then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

After this time, we cut the sausage and admire the amazing taste, incomparable to mortadella from the store.
Bon appetit!

Homemade recipe

Cooking sausages at home is a rather interesting process. In addition, it allows you to save some money on the purchase of a finished product. Of course, if we are talking about high-quality sausage. The most tempting option for a home exclusive is mortadella. The recipe takes a minimum of time, and the result is amazing in taste.

Make sure you have on hand:

• Minced pork 300-400 g;
• A handful of peeled pistachios (optional);
• Salt and pepper to taste;
• Pork intestines (casing);
• Leg-split;
• Ice cubes.

Place the prepared minced meat in a large container and mix with salt, pepper and part of the pistachios. Beat everything with an immersion blender until it reaches a homogeneous, paste-like consistency. Then add the remaining pistachios and mix well. Fill the previously washed intestines with the mixture using a meat grinder or spoon.

We tie the ends of the intestines with twine and put them in the oven, preheated to 80 degrees. The preparation of mortadella takes at least 6 hours. After time has passed, we take out our sausage and put it in a bowl with cold water and ice cubes for 3-4 minutes. This way we stop the cooking process. Remove the product from the water, dry it on a clean cloth and put it in the refrigerator.

You can bring prepared mortadella to perfection using this simple recipe by following even simpler recommendations:

• In order to get excellent sausage at the end, you need to choose high-quality meat. The percentage of fat in it should be about 30%.
• If you don't have twine on hand, sew the ends of the intestines together using a needle and thick thread.
• For those who prefer moister meats, place a pan of water in the oven while the sausage cooks.
• You can change the recipe ingredients slightly to suit your taste. For example, instead of black pepper, put white or red pepper, add garlic and other spices, or omit pistachios.

Do not forget that it is advisable to store the finished product for no more than a week. Unless, of course, you eat it first.

Story

The ancestor of mortadella is considered to be the Roman sausage farcimen mirtatum. Pork was mixed with its own fat, ground, and myrtle berries were used as a spice. Today, mortadella in Italy has become the ancestor of a whole family of varieties that differ only in the composition of spices and the diameter of the sausages. The most common condiments in variations are cognac, garlic, olives.

The mortadella is filled with pork of the best quality, exclusively from well-fed Italian boars.

Stuffed sausages undergo a long heat treatment in a hearth made of stones at a temperature of 75-77C. This sausage contains practically no preservatives.

Christopher of Messiburg gives the earliest recipe for mordatella. First, he describes for a long time the process of cleansing and emptying the pork bladder, then lists the ingredients of the minced meat, after which he explains how to stuff it correctly: “Having cleared all the films that may be inside, alternate the fat with the lean, beat the mixture properly, then weigh it and for every 25 pounds of meat add 10 ounces of salt and one ounce of pepper.” Christopher advises to knead the mixture thoroughly with your fist and add a glass of red wine. After that, some giblets were added to the minced meat.

All Italian manufacturers must indicate the location and region of the manufacturer on the packaging, but we recommend trying the classic one from Bologna. The sausages and hams from Emilia are second to none. Bolognese classic chopped mortadella made from minced pork and beef is noble and intelligent in comparison with the coarser Modena one. Both mortadella include wine, pepper, nutmeg, coriander and garlic. To this day, people in Bologna like to add dry myrtle berries to the composition. A loaf of sausage can weigh from half a kilogram to two centners.

Bolognese sausage recipe

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IkXolzXbOB0?feature=oembed

Beef meat is chopped into pieces of 16-25 mm and salted with 6 grams of nitrite salt. and 0.3 grams of sugar. Lean pork is salted in the same pieces with 16 grams of nitr. salt. and 0.4 grams of sugar.
Bold pork is cut in the same way and salted with 8 grams of nitrate. salt and 0.3 g sugar.
We salt each type of meat separately. Salting time for raw meat is 48-72 hours in the refrigerator at a temperature of +3-4 degrees C.

Grind the salted beef meat in a meat grinder with a 2-3 mm grid.
Grind the salted lean pork in a meat grinder with a 2-3 mm grid.
Grind the salted lean pork in a meat grinder with a 6 mm grid.
Frozen lard, cut into 8x8 mm cubes.
Place the raw materials processed in a meat grinder in the refrigerator and cool to +2-4 degrees C. We also place the chopped lard in the refrigerator.

Grind the beef with a cutter/shredder or a powerful blender with the addition of 50 grams of ice water. Grind until creamy. The minced meat temperature at the end of grinding should not be higher than +12 degrees C.
We also grind lean pork with the addition of 100 grams of ice water. The grinding must be of high quality; the quality of the cooked sausage will depend on this. We also remember about temperature
minced meat, it should not be higher than +12 g C.

Add spices and continue grinding. Add chopped lean pork to the ground beef. Add lean pork. Mix. Add lard and mix everything well until a homogeneous bound mass is obtained.

We stuff the collagen casing with minced sausage using a meat grinder or a sausage syringe (or by hand). The padding is dense. Shell diameter 65-120 mm. Classic bologna sausage is stuffed into beef bladders.
Forming a loaf. Place the loaves in the refrigerator to settle for 12-24 hours at a temperature of +4 degrees C.
After settling, warm the loaves to room temperature and send them to fry in a smokehouse with smoke at a temperature of +75-85 degrees C for 60 minutes until reddened.
If it is not possible to fry, then in this case we heat the loaves for 1.5 hours in the oven, gradually raising the temperature from + 45 degrees C to + 60 degrees C. You can warm them up in hot water.

After frying, cook the loaves in water at a temperature of +78-85 degrees C until the center of the loaf reaches a temperature of +68-70 degrees C. After cooking, cool the sausage in cold water and then in the refrigerator.

Mortadella sandwich is the next reason

As you know, most Brazilians go to the market not only for shopping, but also for a snack. The Central Market of Sao Paulo is no exception in this regard. There are a huge number of eateries here that can offer a wide range of different dishes. But the most famous dish of the central market is the Mortadella sandwich.

What kind of miracle is this?

The idea of ​​the sandwich was born in the 30s. after the market opens. Italian immigrants brought the sausage sandwich tradition to Brazil, and local eateries initially served regular mortadella (cooked sausage) sandwiches. It was a piece of sausage on a white French bun - nothing special. But picky customers influenced the course of history. People complained that the sandwich was so thin that you could barely feel the filling. So the owner of one diner decided to make a giant filling and stop all this talk at once. The idea not only worked, it grew into a craze! The client got stuck. Everyone asked for the super mortadella sandwich. The Mortadella sandwich instantly became a local landmark.

Today it is served in many municipal market eateries. Just imagine, 300 g of sausage is used for each sandwich! And that's not counting the additional ingredients, which could be cheese, bacon or onions. By the way, there may not be room in many eateries. Therefore, you will probably have to wait in a short line to try this wonder.

Description

Bologna sausage is a real homemade delicacy that you can enjoy without stopping. It needs to be prepared using two types of meat: pork and beef. These ingredients are ground into minced meat, from which sausages are subsequently formed. Bolognese sausage must contain fresh lard. It makes the product viscous, juicy and more tasty. It is also recommended to add red wine to this delicacy. This alcohol transforms the taste of sausage, and wine also makes the meat product much more flavorful. Of course, you can prepare this dish without the use of alcohol, but then the sausage treat will not be so original and refined.

In addition to the main ingredients, ground dry mushrooms and nuts such as pistachios are used to make Bolognese sausage at home. Spices can be added to this original meat product in a variety of ways, from regular black pepper to various spices. Not only natural intestines are suitable as sausage casings. They can be replaced with an artificial collagen shell, regular cling film, and even a baking sleeve. This does not affect the taste of the meat product in any way, so you can use the casing for making Bolognese sausage that suits you best.

If you can’t wait to find out how to prepare homemade Bolognese sausage with your own hands, then we suggest you pay attention to the simple but detailed recipe with photos below. It is presented in the form of step-by-step instructions, after studying which you will prepare the sausage delicacy correctly on the first try! .

Story

Mortadella was probably first born in the 1st century in the area between the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lazio. But over time, this meat product faded into oblivion and reappeared only in the 16th century in the city of Bologna.

The Archaeological Museum of Bologna preserves the first evidence of sausage production, which dates back to the Roman Empire: this is an image of grazing pigs and a mortar and pestle, which were originally used to grind meat for sausage.

The origin of the term "mortadella" is not fully determined. Some historians associate it with the Latin myrtatum, which means myrtle (a spice used to prepare meat products even before our era). According to another hypothesis, the name of the sausage originates from an ancient device for grinding meat - mortar. A third version relies on the consistency of the product and claims that mortadella is related to the word murtarum (finely chopped meat).

In the Middle Ages, mortadella was a very expensive product due to the use of large quantities of spices, which were not cheap in those days, which helped preserve it longer.

The price of sausage was nine times higher than the cost of bread, 3 times higher than the cost of ham, and 2 times higher than the cost of olive oil. Interestingly, mortadella was even one of the gifts at the wedding of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso I.

In 1661, Cardinal Farnese passed a law to protect the mortadella from counterfeiting. But it was only in the 1800s, with the advent of mechanized production, that meat products became available to the common population. In 1876, the Salsamentari organization was created, whose members strictly monitored compliance with traditional sausage-making technologies. It was thanks to them that mortadella became the main hero of the industrial revolution. Today, the quality of Mortadella Bologna and Mortadella di Prato is protected by the category IGP (Protected Geographical Indication).

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As a tribute to its traditional product, the town of Zola Predosa hosts an international festival dedicated to mortadella, called “Mortadella, please”.

SANDWICH WITH MORTADELLA AND CHEESE step by step

To prepare such a delicious breakfast sandwich, remember, we use the most delicious bread, the best mortadella you can find, and your favorite cheese.

• 2 slices of bread
• olive oil
• 2 teaspoons mustard (mild or grainy)
• 30 grams of cheese
• 2 slices mortadella

Heat a dry regular or grill pan. Drizzle the bread with olive oil. Spread with mustard.

Place chopped cheese on bread. Place the mortadella and cover with the second piece.

Fry in a dry frying pan until the bread is browned, lightly pressing the sandwich with your hand or spatula to the surface. The cheese should melt a little.

Cut pork and beef into arbitrary pieces. Pass the pork through a meat grinder (with 2-3 mm grate holes), add 1 tbsp. l. salt and all the sugar, mix, put in a bowl, cover tightly with film and leave for 12 hours or a little longer in the refrigerator at a temperature of 3–4 °C.

Separately, in the same way, in a meat grinder with 2-3 mm grid holes, grind the beef, add the remaining salt, stir, put in a bowl, cover tightly with film and keep in the refrigerator for the same amount of time as the pork.

Thoroughly mix both types of prepared minced meat and mince four times, each time adding white wine a little (about 2 tsp) to the minced meat.

Place the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan, heat over low heat and cook, shaking the pan, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then crush the seeds in a mortar as finely as possible and add it to the minced meat. Mix thoroughly.

Rinse the pistachios with hot water (but not boiling water!) to remove excess salt and dust and dry completely on a paper towel. Add to the minced meat along with freshly ground white pepper.

Grate the nutmeg on the finest grater and add to the minced meat. Add black peppercorns. Mix thoroughly again.

Wrap the lard in film and put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that the lard hardens and is easy to cut. Using a sharp knife, dipping it into hot water, cut the lard into cubes with a side of 10–12 mm.

Quickly add the chopped lard, while it is still cold, to the minced meat and mix gently. This time there is no need to thoroughly knead the minced meat - it is enough that the pieces of lard are distributed more or less evenly.

Fold the cling film 4 times. You should end up with a rectangle measuring 30x40 cm. Place the minced meat on the film in the form of a “loaf” so that its short sides do not reach the edge of the film by at least 5 cm, along the long edge closest to you - by 5 cm, along the far edge - by 15 –20 cm.

Real Italian mortadella - the pride of Bologna - is something more than fatty smoked sausage. Served in a sandwich, or as an appetizer, or as a main course, Mortadella di Bologna is another delicacy from the bountiful lands of the Emilia-Romagna region.

Mortadella comes from the food-heavy city of Bologna, aptly nicknamed “la grassa,” which means fat. Among the many pork sausages produced in this region, this is the most famous. Mortadella has been made for at least five hundred years, and the recipe may have its roots in ancient Rome. The Romans' favorite sausage was farcimen mirtatum. They were flavored with myrtle berries and prepared using a pestle and mortar. The name mortadella comes from the Latin words mirtatum (myrtle) and mortario (mortar), and the recipe for the sausage remained unchanged until the Middle Ages. Today, the cooking method and ingredients are slightly different, as Italian cuisine has evolved over several centuries.

Mortadella di Bologna starts with finely minced meat, a fine cut not typically used in other types of sausages. In fact, Mortadella is a testament to the resourcefulness of Italian farmers, as all edible parts of the pig are used. This minced meat is mixed with high quality fat (usually from the throat) and spices: salt, white pepper, peppercorns, coriander, anise, pistachio pieces and wine. All this is then stuffed into a beef or pork casing, depending on the intended size of the sausage, and cooked depending on its weight. After cooking, the mortadella is left in a cool place to stabilize the sausage and give it body.

In order for the final product to be called mortadella di Bologna, it must meet certain criteria, for example: the ratio of pork to fat must be seven to three. The texture of the sausage should be dense, with pieces of lard evenly distributed in each slice. These characteristic pieces should be tightly surrounded by the sausage mass and should not separate during slicing. Real mortadella is a dense, pink sausage with white pieces of lard. It should be slightly spicy, but its taste should be softened by lard, and there should be a characteristic aroma.

A close relative of mortadella di Bologna is mortadella di Amatrice. This smoked and aged mortadella comes from the town of Amatrice, located in the Apennines. This version is seasoned with various mixtures including garlic and cinnamon. Germany and America have their own versions, known as bolognese (or baloni), but it lacks the characteristic bits of lard and differs in taste and quality.

Slicing, serving and storing mortadella

As with other types of Italian sausage (except salami), the thinner the slice, the better. Thin slices of mortadella are more pleasant and allow you to taste subtle notes of meat and spices. Thin slices also bring out the sausage's unique flavor, but mortadella can also be served cut into small cubes, like ham.

Mortadella is a very versatile dish that can be used in all types of dishes - from appetizers to main courses. Served with walnuts, cheeses and tart berries, or as a base for a delicious pasta, mortadella makes a great addition to a variety of appetizers. Mortadella is also good with eggs, as an ingredient for the Italian omelette known as fritatta. As far as pasta dishes go, mortadella is a wonderful filling in another Bolognese masterpiece, tortellini. However, true lovers of this famous sausage often simply slice it and serve it with good bread and a light, fruity red wine.

When buying mortadella, take as much as you can eat at one time. Like other sausages of this type, the taste and aroma disappear very quickly as soon as you start cutting the sausage, so a small amount of mortadella, bought from a butcher or in a store, is the best guarantee of preserving its special taste.

There is good news for health-conscious people who avoid saturated fat and cholesterol. Mortadella, with its characteristic white pieces of fat, is not as harmful as you might think. The presence of fat scares many people away, but this sausage is actually very healthy. The fat contained in mortadella is mostly unsaturated fat, similar to the fat in olive oil, and has no more cholesterol than chicken. The sausage is also rich in proteins, not to mention the fact that mortadella di bologna is protected by its Protected Geographical Indication, which ensures that authentic mortadella does not contain fillers, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

For some, mortadella is an ordinary sausage, but it is very diverse, tasty and nutritious. Compared to the processed and packaged baloni slices you can buy in the supermarket, this is a healthy food. Mortadella di Bologna is another wonderful example of the good taste of Italians; it is not only tasty, but also healthy.

The main place of production is Naples. Mortadella serves as the main topping for Neapolitan pizza.

Mortadella salad with corn.

Wash the radish, peel and chop into thin slices. Wash the salad, dry it and, like mortadella, cut into strips. Peel the onion, cut in half and chop. Drain the corn in a colander and mix with radish, lettuce, onion and sausage. Wash the parsley under running cold water, dry and finely chop. Mix the vinegar well with the spice paste, parsley, coriander and vegetable oil. Pour the marinade over the salad and mix gently. Leave the salad for a few minutes, then arrange on plates and serve with white bread.

For 4 servings: 400 g radish, 200 g lettuce, 400 g mortadella, 2 red onions, 200 g canned corn, 1 bunch of parsley, 2 tablespoons fruit vinegar, 1 teaspoon spice paste, 1 pinch coriander, 4 tablespoons spoons of vegetable oil.

Bolognese-style pies:

required for 4 servings:

300 g pizza dough (250 g flour + flour for rolling out dough 10 g fresh yeast (or 1/3 small packet of dry yeast) 1 pinch sugar 1/4 tsp salt olive oil for greasing the pan)

200 g mortadella

100 g processed cheese

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Cooking time: 40 min.

Preparation:

Step 1 Prepare pizza dough. Roll out the finished dough and make circles with a diameter of 8 cm.

Stage 2 Cut Mortadella and processed cheese into small slices. Place a few slices of mortadella and cheese on each circle.

Stage 3 Fold the pie in half and seal the edges.

Step 4 Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan (choose oil suitable for deep frying!). Place the pies in portions into deep fat and fry until golden brown.

Stage 5 Place the finished pies on a paper napkin to drain excess fat. Lightly salt the pies and serve hot.

Tip: Mortadella can be replaced with another cooked sausage with flecks of fat.

Getting to know the homeland of Leonardo da Vinci and Christopher Columbus would be incomplete without tasting Italian sausages, the names of which have long become synonymous with exquisite taste and unsurpassed quality. What varieties are worth trying in Italy – this will be discussed in this review.

Mortadella

The homeland of this boiled sausage is Bologna, so in other regions of Italy it is often called Bolognese. Tourists trying it for the first time are amazed by mortadella not only with its wonderful delicate taste, but also with its impressive size. The sausage has a cylindrical shape, and one loaf can weigh from 0.5 to 100 kilograms!

Mortadella is made from minced pork with pieces of tender lard, which is why the pattern on the cut resembles a mosaic. Other types of meat are often added to pork: veal, beef or horse meat. Some varieties of sausage contain cracklings and giblets. Garlic, pepper, pistachios, nutmeg, and dried myrtle berries are used as spices.

Sausage is usually cut into very thin slices and eaten with white bread, crackers or dry bread. Panini with mortadella is also popular in Italy.

The best brands in the country are Mortadella di Prato and Mortadella Bologna. The latter can be considered a kind of culinary symbol of Bologna. Mortadella costs from 12 to 30 € per kg. Popular manufacturers are Salumeo, Golfera and Italia Alimentari S.p.A.

Salami

This Italian blue sausage is best known outside the country. It is prepared from pork with the addition of lard, black pepper, white wine and herbs. The delicacy has a rich taste and a special aroma that spices give it. And what is especially important is that real Italian salami has a characteristic marbled pattern on the cut and a white “crust” made of mold.

Salami di Felino is considered one of the best varieties. It is produced in the city of the same name in the Italian province of Parma. The ripening process of this dry-cured sausage is carried out at a special temperature and humidity, as a result of which fermentation occurs and mold occurs. Such conditions allow the use of a minimum amount of salt.

In the town of Felino there is a Salami Museum, which is located on the territory of a medieval fortress. Tours are conducted by English-speaking guides. Here you can get acquainted with the history of the famous sausage and local production traditions. The cost of the entrance ticket with tasting is 5 €.

Another type of salami is pepperoni, a spicy type of sausage. It is also made from pork and is a popular sandwich ingredient. In Italy, salami can be bought at a price of 10-11 € per kilogram. Well-known producers are Negroni Groupe and Salumeo.

Ventricina

This is a fairly popular sausage in Italy. Her homeland is the Abruzzo region. Ventricina is made from pork and lard with salt and spices. Fennel, rosemary, pepper (sweet and hot), sometimes garlic and orange zest are used as spices. There are two main types - Vasto and Teramo.

Ventricina Vasto contains 20-30% lard. All ingredients are not ground into minced meat, but cut into cubes. Then pieces of meat and lard are rolled in spices and filled with the shell. The sausage matures within 120 days. The finished product has a piquant, spicy aroma and an uneven red color.

The fat content of Ventricina Teramo sausage is much higher - 50-60%. It also contains by-products, and all ingredients are passed through a meat grinder. The delicacy is eaten spread on bread and used to prepare meat sauces.

Both varieties of sausage are named after the settlements where they are produced. Traditionally, porcine bladder is used as a casing for ventricina, but modern manufacturers can also use an artificial casing. Ventricina is made by Portalupi, Villani SpA, Alto Concetto and other manufacturers. You can buy sausage in Italy at prices ranging from 18 to 32 € per kg.

Kotekino

This Italian sausage contains pork neck, head parts, meat, lard, pieces of skin and cracklings. All ingredients are finely ground and seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. Sausage goes on sale raw, slightly dried. Demand for it increases on the eve of the New Year, since one of the traditional dishes on the New Year's tables of Italian residents is cotecino with lentils.

Sausage must be cooked before use. Basically, it is baked or boiled over low heat, after piercing the shell in several places. When cut, the finished product has a pink, almost red color. You can buy cotecino in Italy at prices ranging from 16 to 30 € per kg. One of the most famous sausage producers is Antica Ardenga Srl.

Salsiccia

These fatty sausages are made in many regions of Italy. And in each area, production and recipes have their own characteristics. In some areas, pork is used as the main ingredient - for this they take the back or thigh. In other areas, salsiccia may be made from turkey, lamb or beef, or with the addition of offal. The shell is used natural or artificial.

The ingredients are not chopped too finely. A mixture of herbs, fennel seeds, salt and pepper (allspice, bitter and paprika) are added to the prepared minced meat. Spices may also vary by region. In some Italian regions, coriander is added to these sausages, in others - garlic, in others - a little fortified wine and even cheese. The sausage has a small diameter and ring shape.

Salsiccia is also prepared in different ways. Some varieties are dried for two months, like Salsiccia Stagionata (its price ranges from 16 to 29 € per kg). Others sell it raw, like Salsiccia Fresca (it costs 13–15 €). These sausages can be baked or fried at home. Dried salsiccia is added to stews or used as a pizza topping. Among the manufacturers it is worth noting Salumeo and Casa Montorsi.

Where to try and buy sausage in Rome

The list of popular types of Italian sausages is not exhaustive. The sunny country produces many varieties, including many raw, dry-cured and smoked varieties. Local producers honor traditions, so the taste of some products has changed little since the Middle Ages, when they were served on the tables of the Italian nobility.

You can buy the best varieties of sausages in Italy at the Volpetti store in Rome (Via Marmorata, 47). The fantastic assortment of this gastronomic shop can amaze the most sophisticated gourmets. Each buyer will be helped to make a choice here, and tourists who buy delicious souvenirs before returning home will have their sausages vacuum-packed.

Another great place in Rome to buy authentic Italian delicacies is Antica Salumeria (Piazza della Rotonda 4/00186). The shop at this restaurant offers several hundred varieties of sausages, cheeses, dried meat products and wines. Here you can buy and taste products from local producers. A large plate with different types of delicacies will cost 15 €.