Mortadella

Mortadella () is a large made of finely hashed or ground cured pork, which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat (principally the hard fat from the neck of the pig). It is traditionally flavoured with peppercorns, but modern versions can also contain pistachios or, less commonly, myrtle berries. The sausage is then cooked.

The best-known version of mortadella is PGI.

Etymology

The origin of the name is debated. One theory derives the name from the Latin word (' mortar'), traditionally used in pounding the meat to produce the sausage. This theory, proposed by Giancarlo Susini, professor of ancient history in the University of Bologna, relies on two funerary steles kept in the Archaeological Civic Museum of Bologna, believed to pertain to the same monument, one showing a herd of piglets and the other a mortar and pestle.

Another theory, introduced by Ovidio Montalbani in the 17th century, derives the name from a Roman sausage flavoured with myrtle berries that Romans called or (myrtle sausage). Myrtle was in fact a popular spice before pepper became available to European markets.

Varieties

Italy

* has protected geographical indication (PGI) status under European Union law and is the best known worldwide. The zone of production is extensive; as well as Emilia-Romagna and the neighbouring regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Marche, and Tuscany, it includes Lazio and Trentino.

* , also called , produced in Abruzzo, has (PAT) status.

* , produced in Amatrice, Lazio, is made from minced pork and spiced with cinnamon and cloves.

* , from Preci, Umbria, is also called , like , and produced in a similar style.

* ', produced in Piedmont, is made from pork and pork liver and comes in two types: (cooked), sometimes called , and (raw), also called in Piedmontese; both types are recognised PAT.

* is produced in Lombardy and recognised PAT.

* , produced in Piedmont, in Val d'Ossola, is made from pork and up to 5% pork liver and is recognised PAT.

* is made from horse meat in Albano Laziale, Lazio.

* ', produced in Tuscany, in Prato, Agliana, Quarrata, and Montale, is also defined by an PGI. It is flavoured with pounded garlic and coloured with alchermes.

* , also called , produced in Camaiore, Tuscany, is made from minced pork and spices, including fennel seeds, cinnamon, and cloves.

* , produced in Trequanda, Tuscany, is made from a mixture of both lean and fatty pork.

* is a traditional salami produced in Versilia, Tuscany; PAT Tuscany.

* is produced in Massa Carrara, especially Montignoso, Tuscany.

* , or , depending on its origin, is produced in Garfagnana and Lunigiana, Tuscany.

* is a traditional salami produced in Accumoli, Lazio.

* , also called is produced in Rome.

* , from Viterbo, Lazio, is an industrially produced, flattened salami.

* is a salami made from Maremmana beef and pork from Viterbo, Lazio.

*' (note the difference in spelling), produced in Trentino-Alto Adige, in Val di Non, is made from minced pork.

Outside Italy

The American product called " bologna sausage" is an imitation of PGI. Similar imitations from around the world include "parizer", "polony", and "devon".

Brazil

A famous mortadella sandwich is sold at the Municipal Market of São Paulo in the city of São Paulo.

Middle East and North Africa

In several countries, such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, halal or kosher mortadella is sold, which is made from chicken, beef or turkey. The Siniora brand, a Palestinian brand established in Jerusalem in 1920, is the first in the region, a mortadella with sliced olives, pistachios or peppercorn. Lebanese is a brand that is sold around the world.

Poland

In Poland, slices are sometimes dipped in batter, fried and served with potatoes and salads as a quicker (and cheaper) alternative to traditional pork cutlets.

Romania

In Romania, a similar cold cut is also known as . In Hungary, a similar product is called and a plain variety called , or . The term is also often used in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, while is used in other territories of the Balkans. It mainly differs from mortadella and similar salami in that garlic is used instead of myrtle and it does not contain pieces of fat, pistachios or olives.

Russia and former Soviet Union

In Russia and other former Soviet states, a very similar product is called (, ). However, this product is usually made from a mixture of beef and pork (sometimes beef and lamb or chicken for religious reasons) and does not include pieces of fat or myrtle; mortadella-style sausages with bits of fat are called and . Instead, it is flavoured with just cardamom, sometimes coriander and nutmeg, and also traditionally contains eggs and milk, which are usually absent in traditional mortadella. Unlike mortadella, contains lower amounts of fat and is high in proteins.

The name "doctor's sausage" was coined in the Soviet Union in the 1930s to refer to sausages and meat products recommended by doctors to help with undernourishment and stomach problems. During the Soviet era, it was commonly advertised as being nutritious (due to its low-fat content) and remains popular throughout former Soviet states to the present day.

United States

Mortadella was banned from import into the United States from 1967 to 2000 due to an outbreak of African swine fever in Italy.

The ban in the United States was lifted due to a veterinary equivalency agreement that allowed countries to export products that had been shown to be disease-free as part of an overall agreement that would allow products deemed safe in the United States to be exported to the European Union.

In the 2020s, mortadella experienced a surge of interest, with numerous restaurants in New York and Los Angeles featuring mortadella dishes.

Vietnam

or Vietnamese mortadella is sometimes used as an accompaniment to the Vietnamese dish .

In popular culture

The plot of the 1971 comedy film '' Lady Liberty'' ( in Italian), starring Sophia Loren, is based on the United States ban on mortadella.

See also

*
* Pigs in culture

References

Further reading

*

*
*
*

External links

Consorzio Mortadella Bologna


Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani (IVSI)
Mortadella

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Cuisine of Emilia-Romagna
Italian sausages
Cooked sausages
Lunch meat
Olive dishes