Salami and wine is a combination that cannot be missed on the tables of the Colli Tortonesi (Val Curone, Val Grue and Valle Ossana), in the province of Alessandria. An area where the processing of cured meats is almost a natural vocation of the locals who have an ancient knowledge that has been handed down from generation to generation appreciated by the most refined gourmets.
So much so that, in one of the most important international exhibitions in history, that of Paris in 1889, a salami from the Tortona hills won the silver medal. In the same years, in Brussels, the sausage obtained numerous awards. But the real protagonist of the aristocratic tables of that time was the giarolino, whose name derives from Monte Giarolo and from the need to link the product with the traditions of the territory.
Known today as Nobile del Giarolo, noble because it blends all the most valuable and expensive parts of the pig in its processing, requires a precise balance of these parts: the neck, culatello, shoulder, loin and fillet for the lean part (75%) and pancetta and throat for the fat part (25%).
But what differentiates it above all is the origin of the raw material. For this reason, most of the Nobile producers rely on local farms or farms belonging to the Gran Suino Padano, because the pigs are raised in a semi-wild state, with a controlled diet, avoiding the use of integrated feed or antibiotics, so as to reach 200 kilos
The stages of processing are, still today, totally manual and closely linked to the quality of the environment and the management of the territory. The meats are clean with a knife, so as to deprive the meat of the nerve parts and tendons. After spending a night resting, the meats come coarsely ground, flavored with salt, pepper, garlic and red wine, usually local Barbera. The addition of any type of meat or additives such as powdered milk and derivatives is prohibited.
For the stuffing takes place in normal casings, or in the "hunter" version (ready in a few weeks) or in the so-called "sewing”, that is a double casing able to keep the salami soft even after very long maturing. Finally, the meat is tied with fine-mesh string and aged for 4 to 18 months in natural cellars. When the characteristic white or light green mold forms, it means that the salami is ready for the table.
Salame del Giarolo is characterized by its sweet and delicate taste, by its ruby red color and by an intense aroma, especially for the long seasoned formats which recall the green pepper. Sewing remains the most valuable piece that despite the long maturation times (it can reach up to 24 months), the consistency remains soft. And although salami is not a product included in diets, the Nobile is also ideal from a nutritional point of view for children and the elderly, with a seasoning of at least 5 months, in order to guarantee the enzymes the time necessary to make the meat more digestible and functional.
Among the valleys of Tortona rises the company "Lands of Sarizzola”, which has a long tradition, already from the second half of the 800th century, when, however, only wine was produced. Only in 2008, thanks to Mattia Bellinzona, did the company extend its production to include salami: coppa, pancetta, cooked salami and the prized Cucito. Starting from 8 pigs, today they number around fifty. Fed with flour from their organic products, replacing soy with field beans, given the impossibility of cultivating it due to the climatic conditions.
A tradition, that of the Nobile, which requires a great deal of work and compliance with numerous rules for its production, which is why it has become a Slow Food Presidium. to enhance and defend a product that is part of the history and culture of the Tortona Valleys.
