Mortara (PV) goose salami comes from the encounter between two cultures: the peasant traditions of Lomellina with those of Jewish community which settled in the Mortara area at the end of the fifteenth century. It was Ludovico Sforza, called il Moro, to allow Jews fleeing from Eastern Europe to settle in these lands of water and rice, where the presence of geese was numerous since the Middle Ages.
Geese: the Lomellina pig
Easy to raise (they are practically omnivorous), for a very poor economy they were a real resource, from which everything could be obtained, such as from pigs: feathers for stuffing, pens for writing but above all fat and fresh or preserved meat for table. A gastronomic tradition in which the Jewish community, which he did not eat pork for religious reasons, was integrated at best: the consumption of goose intensified and the butchers began to prepare cold cuts and greaves for newcomers.
Mortara salami PGI
The first products were completely devoid of pork, which was then added over time up to the Mortara salami we know today: cooked and stuffed in goosebumps, in the shape of a neck or tubular, it is made of mixed meats (a third goose, one third of lean pork pulp and one third of fat parts of pork), flavored with salt, pepper and natural flavors. Marked byIgp, is made according to the traditional recipe even by producers who do not adhere to the consortium and is celebrated every year by Festival that takes place at the end of September, with the historical procession in Renaissance costumes of the times of the Sforza and the Palio between the districts.
100% goose or Ecumenical salami
In addition to the IGP salami, there is that of pure goose, today called "ecumenical" or "of peace" because it can be consumed by all three monotheistic religions. It is included in the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of Lombardy and among those ofSlow Food Ark of Taste. It is a raw salami, made with lean meats and goose lard, tanned with salt, spices and natural flavors; stuffed into the skin of the neck, it is aged for 3-5 months and has a strong flavor. "To make a salami weighing about 1.5 kg, you need a whole goose: this is why it is a prized salami (it costs about twice as much as cooked) but not very common", he explains. Davide Gallina of the farm L'oca di Sant'Albino. As in all of Lomellina, here the palmiped reigns supreme: raised outdoors, respecting animal welfare, it is fed only with company grains.
The other goose products
The lean meat of the goose also produces bresaola, salamelle, cacciatorini, prosciuttini, paté and more. "The cooked salami is pink, has a delicate aroma and a soft consistency (the slice tends to fall apart); the flavor is soft and sweet, with spicy notes", adds Davide Gallina. "It is consumed like cold appetizer or, heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, such as second dish, paired with mashed potatoes or chickpeas with potatoes. It is also used for white sauce, sautéed with oil, wine and rosemary, excellent for first courses ", concludes Gallina.
Goose salami in the kitchen
Salami is also ideal in risotto, also combined with cheese and, among the newest ideas, it is proposed in Japanese uramaki (rice rolls with raw fish or other) from Nicolino gastronomy of Mortara. Small companies The production of Mortara goose salami is not very widespread, limited to Lomellina and the lower Novara area: it is entrusted to family businesses, which sell in internal outlets, in local shops or in farmers' markets. Consumption is concentrated above all during the festival period and at Christmas. Other suitable areas are Friuli and Veneto.
January 2021
Marina Cella
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