Speciality Food Jan/Feb 2026

specialityfoodmagazine.com 23 producer when it comes to the meat used inMortadella, every consortium member has their own blend of spices and family secrets, so no two will ever taste 100% the same – the beauty of a truly artisanal product. Once stuffed into casings and tied, Mortadella Bologna PGI is cooked in enormous hot air ovens for eight to 26 hours, depending on weight and size, taken to 70C inside – the optimum for achieving its velvetymouthfeel. Each one is given a cold shower and allowed to fully cool before preparing for sale. Stipulations that must be met for the PGI include: ● The sausage has to be oval or cylindrical. ● When the surface is cut it should have the desired consistency, be uniformly bright pink, and the fat pieces must be evenly distributed and not less than 15% of the total mass, adhering to the meat, with no other pockets of fat present. ● Only natural flavourings and spices may be used, and there is a limit of 2.8% salt in the mix. ● It should smell aromatic, and taste delicate. Whatever the time of year, Mortadella Bologna PGI cuts a fine figure on the charcuterie board, and is a product your customers will appreciate if it’s not already on the counter. The hunter’s sausage Only the very best Italian-reared pigs are transformed into the original ‘hunter’s sausage’ - Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora PDO – which takes its name and origins from the typical dried pork sausages taken out by ancient foragers, who needed food that would sustain them, but also stay in good condition, as they trekked through forests and across hills and mountainscapes. To qualify for the PDO, the pigs used to craft this salami must have been born, bred and processed in specific territories across Central- Northern Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia- Romagna, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio andMolise), fed in compliance with precise rules. Noble cuts, such as shoulder, are selected, minced and flavoured with spices, before being stuffed and tied, resulting in a delicate aroma, sweet taste, and intense ruby colour, which certainly strikes up conversations at the table. Further PDO stipulations include: ● The diameter must be no more than 75mm. ● It must be matured for at least 10 days in a location with sufficient airflow and a consistent temperature at between 10C and 15C. ● Maturationmust ensure preservation at room temperature. ● The finished product should have a diameter of no more than 60mm, a length no greater than 200mm, and a weight not exceeding 350g. Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora are the secondmost consumed charcuterie product in Italy, served typically in thin slices, beloved for their sweet, mild flavour and small WINES OF DISTINCTION Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux and Cadillac: Running alongside the bank of the Garonne, this region (just 60km by 5km) spans open valleys and verdant hills which enjoy excellent sun exposure. Here, the growers work to strict regulations, charged with protecting the purest traditions of Bordeaux, while adopting modern winemaking methods. Nature is high on their agenda too, with the territory certified by the SME (Environmental Management System), HVW (High Environmental Value) or AREA (Environmentally Friendly Agriculture in Aquitaine) environmental labels. Garnacha: Four PDOs are associated with Garnacha grapes: Calatayud PDO; Campo de Borja PDO; Carinena PDO; and Terra Alta PDO. Contrary to popular belief, Garnacha is not just one variety, but several, from red and black, to white, grey, Tintorera and Peluda, each of which gives the wine a unique flavour profile and mouthfeel – be that a full-bodied red, to a fresh white or fruity rose. Garnacha grapes are also used to produce some of the most revered sweet fortified wines in the world. Abruzzo: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC and Villamagna DOC fully express the spirit of the Abruzzo winegrowing region, where more than 30% of the territory is protected by four parks (three national, and one regional) and 70 nature reserves and protected areas. Thanks to its location, this territory benefits from a microclimate which lends itself to producing grapes of exceptional quality. Alongside charcuterie, the EU Fab 6 is putting the wines of three European regions on the map as part of its campaign. PARTNER CONTENT size (making them very easy to cut and share). A nod to the past For many, NewYear’s Eve isn’t complete in Italy until a plate of lentils, crowned with Zampone Modena IGP, is given pride of place at the table. Made in and aroundModena since the Roman times, and protected by the Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino Modena IGP since 2001, this succulent, intensely flavoured sausage (and its cousin, Cotechino) has a special place in the heart of Italians, and continues to be made to an ancient recipe across the entire Emilia-Romagna region as well as 10 out of 12 provinces in Lombardia, and Verona and Rovigo in Veneto. Of the two products, Zampone Modena PGI is the most traditional, combining selected premiumpork with chopped rind and seasonings that could include pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and wine – all wrapped up in the skin of a pig’s trotter. Most commonly found in retail outside of Italy is Cotechino Modena PGI, which follows the same recipe, stuffed into a casing, rather than trotter, making it ideal for cooking more regularly at home. After drying, both can be marketed as fresh products or, more often than not, they are heated and sold as pre-cooked with the advantage of being ready to serve after only 20minutes in boiling water. To meet criteria Zampone Modena IGP and Cotechino Modena IGPmust: ● Be easy to slice and hold its shape. ● Be uniform in texture. ● Have a pinkish to slight red colour inside These sausages are a brilliant way to bring something different to your deli counter, being rarely seen outside of Italian delis on the continent and in the UK. They have a number of uses and the flavour is incomparable. Once sliced and cooked they render on the inside to become sticky, rustic andmoreishly gelatinous, crisping beautifully on the outside. As well as being a natural partner for lentils, both Zampone Modena IGP and Cotechino Modena IGPmelt into stews and braises, are dreamy in a sauce over polenta or creamed potatoes, or are commonly (especially by younger consumers) grilled and popped inside rustic rolls with sauces, eaten almost like a hamburger. Buonissimo!