Salama da sugo

Among the typical sausages in the province of Ferrara , salama da sugo , for its history and the uniqueness of its production and cooking, holds a prominent place among the foods that represent the territory of Ferrara.

Ferrara Store allows you to purchase this particular and unique salami, known as one of the seventeen Pearls of Ferrara, the seventeen typical products that represent the province of Ferrara: in our shop you will find the best salama da sugo of Ferrara.
The origin of Ferrara's salama da sugo remains uncertain. Surely the art of the shaping already existed at the time of the Este court, as confirmed by Cristoforo Messisbugo in his treatise on Scalcheria of 1549; the spices in the salama da sugo at the time were very expensive and therefore affordable only for rich families as that of the Este court.
From that moment on, we have to wait until the eighteenth century, however, to find again some written evidence of the salama da sugo: it will be Antonio Frizzi, in his historical treatise "Memoirs for the history of Ferrara", to quote a sausage forerunner of the salama da sugo.
In 1761 we have the first real written representation regarding the salama da sugo of Ferrara. In that year, Don Domenico Chendi, priest of Tresigallo, a municipality in the province of Ferrara, wrote and published the book "The farmer of Ferrara", text in which, in twelve chapters, one for each month of the year, he bestows agricultural advice to farmers, and tips on domestic administration and food recipes to housewives. In the tenth chapter Chendi dwells in explaining the salama da sugo, the round shape, the ingredients used to produce it, the way it should be served, that it is very juicy and spicy in flavor and perfumes, and how it should be consumed , ie with the spoon; it can be defined as a certain forerunner of the modern salama da sugo.
Chendi also shows the recipe for the salama da sugo (which he called "juicy") hereunder:
"for each measure of fat well-minced meat:
10 ounces of salt;
1 ounce pepper;
4 pounds of minced pork rinds;
1 pound of minced liver;
1 ounce of cinnamon stick and powder;
1/8 ounce of cloves;
half a nutmeg;
4 glasses of red wine"
It is particularly interesting the use of the ingredients which are basically the same that we use today for the preparation of the salama da sugo.
Salama da sugo today is in fact produced by grinding various parts of pork such as the the neck, the cheek, the lean part of the waste products of the thigh and shoulder, with the addition of small amounts of tongue and liver. At the salama da sugo mixture are then added salt, pepper and nutmeg. As in the recipe written by Chendi for the salama da sugo, we can confirm that many farmers still add cloves and cinnamon for the production of the salama da sugo, in different amounts from family to family, that jealously guard their recipes that have been handed down from father to son.
Once ready the mixture of minced meat and spices, will be placed in the gut that, for the salama da sugo, consists in the bladder of the pig. This part of the gut is ideal for seasoning and is more durable than other parts of the gut.
The salama da sugo is then left to season for eight or ten months and at the end of this period is ready to be consumed.
The preparation and cooking of the salama da sugo are the basic steps to be able to enjoy  your salama da sugo.
First you have to put the salama da sugo in a pot of water to verify authenticity: if the salama da sugo goes to the bottom, it was produced in a workmanlike manner, if the salama da sugo floats, it means that inside there are air bubbles, meaning it was not produced the correct way.

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  The salama da sugo should be left to soak in warm water for a night. During this time the water will have softened the layer of mold formed on the gut of the salama da sugo , then you can gently wash it to remove the residues.
  Once the outside of the salama da sugo is clean, you can proceed to the actual cooking, by boiling it in a pot full of water.
  
  It is important, before placing the salama da sugo in the water, to tie it with a string to a support to be placed at the edges of the pot, so that the sausage, during the cooking , is not in contact with the walls or the bottom of the pot.
  Another important thing is not to pierce with a fork the salama da sugo.
  The cooking of the salama da sugo is long, and lasts from eight to ten hours; once cooked, it must be served by cutting the top and scooping the cooked meat from the inside. Because of its strong flavor, the salama da sugo is often served with mashed potatoes, which dilute its flavor.

  We invite you to visit us in Ferrara Store: you will find a welcoming environment in which you can choose with care between the various typical foods of Ferrara and where you can find the salama da sugo, the pumpkin cappellacci, the garlic of Voghiera, the pampapato, the wine of the Eliceo forest, the coppia ferrarese and the pumpkin flatbread. If you could not come and visit us in person, you can buy our products in our online shop by clicking here.

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