Her origins date back to the Lombard era when, in order to supply a food that could ensure nutrition for the nomadic populations but that could be easily preserved when traveling and last for a long time, the breeding of pigs was encouraged in the Po Valley rich in jay-bearing forests. The same queen Teodolinda used to send two butchers she trusted to the Stàffora Valley, in the heart of the Oltrepò Pavese, more precisely in Varzi, known for producing a tasty and delicious salami, for bagging this delicacy which was then offered to the guests of their Court. There is more precise information starting from the thirteenth century when during the dominion of the Malaspina feudal lords of the entire Staffora valley, Varzi salami found a prominent place in their rich tables. But over time this salami also became a traditional food in the simple pantries of farmers who found in pork a fundamental resource for their sustenance, going so far as to produce it with different sizes and seasonings in order to obtain a product available throughout the year.
From an exclusive salami of the nobility to a fundamental food in farmers' pantries, it is still processed as it once was
A traditional gastronomic practice handed down to the present day, so much so that already in the 20s it was decided to safeguard it by establishing the first Consortium for the protection of Varzi salami which was followed by others until the last one established in 1984, still active today in valorising this highly prized salami which in 1989 it obtained the DOC status as the only one in Italy, and less than ten years later, in 1996, the PDO protected designation of origin.
The denomination Salame di Varzi dop belongs exclusively to salami which owes its uniqueness to the traditional production methodology from the choice of meats to their processing and the skilful maturing in the excellent hilly microclimate of the restricted area which includes only 15 municipalities of the mountain community of the Oltrepò Pavese of which Varzi is the geographical center where the Ligurian marine air combines with that of the Po Valley. The historic production regulations filed in Brussels are very strict and the entire supply chain from breeding to maturing is controlled by CSQA, the same certifying body that carries out checks on Parma ham and Zibello culatello.
The meat, trimmed with a knife: thigh, shoulder, loin, fillet, coppa and culatello for the lean parts; throat fat and bacon for the fatty parts
There is one who has kept the flag of quality and tradition of Salame di Varzi high over time the Thogan Porri family of peasant origins who from the production of cured meats for family needs decided to create a tiny cured meat factory in the hamlet of Casa Zanellino in the municipality of Valverde, now Colli Verdi, in 1967, with the aim of supplying the family delicatessen founded and managed by grandmother Maria with determination and passion in Voghera. The fame for the quality and authenticity of the products soon went beyond the circle of regular customers and the provincial sphere so that, in 1988, the business was transferred to the new factory in Cecima, in the Cucchi area, in the heart of the Staffora valley.
A Giuseppe and his son Gentile are now leading the company which, almost half a century later, keep alive the passion and care of grandmother Maria, the craftsmanship, the choice of raw materials and the research in the wake of the most authentic peasant tradition are identical. The meat - explains Gentile Thogan - comes exclusively from heavy and mature pigs, born and raised in Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna using only the noble parts, finely trimmed at the tip of a knife: thigh, shoulder, loin, fillet, Coppa and culatello for the lean parts; throat fat and bacon for the fatty parts, which do not exceed 30% of the finished product. In total, no more than 180 65 kilograms of fresh salami are obtained from a 70 kg pig which, following long maturation, is transformed into just 40 45 kilograms of product ready for the table, a very low yield for a superior quality product. The meat is chopped coarsely and mixed with sea salt, peppercorns, a filtered infusion of red wine and fresh garlic with a pinch of saltpeter to improve its shelf life and hygienic-sanitary characteristics. All the cured meats are stuffed into natural casings, hand-tied one by one, dried slowly and left to mature without haste.
Use only the noble parts: from a 180 kg pig after maturing you get just 40-45 kilograms of product
“The traditional Varzi, the most typical and close to the original one, for connoisseurs” explains Gentile “is the Cucito, with the double casing, which dries and ages very slowly: the more it ages, the more delicate it is. We offer two sizes of sewing: the commercial one weighing one kilo and the classic sewing, which weighs one and a half kilos. The average maturation is 4-6 months, the extreme one reaches a year, but can also tolerate 18 months of maturation. The farmers,” continues Gentile, “made salamis year after year. At Easter, Filzetta was sliced. At the beginning of summer the filzettone was opened. Then gradually until arriving at the reserve sewing, which was tasted by the maslè, the butcher, during the processing of the new cured meats so that he could try the salami from the previous year".
When cut, Varzi salami is bright red in colour, on the nose the aroma is very intense and delicate at the same time, the aroma is fragrant and characteristic, conditioned by the maturing time. In the mouth there is a true harmony of persistent flavors with a natural and unmistakable underlying sweetness
Depending on the period and place of maturation, the product has more or less marked spicy aromas, slight hints of mold and the fragrance of bread crust, herbaceous aromas of green wood and mimosa. The flavor is sweet and delicate, with a fragrant and characteristic aroma, a slightly bitter aftertaste strictly conditioned by the maturation period.
