L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano M o r t a d e l - l a h a s l o v e r s a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d . With its distinctive and aro- matic flavor, this century- old staple of Italian gastron- o m y h a s c a p t i v a t e d t h e palates of millions and keeps on doing it. Americans know it well, b e c a u s e i t c r o s s e d t h e A t l a n t i c w i t h I t a l i a n migrants in the early 20th century, and it has topped their deli meats preferences s i n c e – y o u ' l l f i n d i t as bologna or boloney in the US, of course. Mortadella is a symbol of the famous culinary tradi- tion of Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna. Its ori- gins can be traced back to the ancient lands of Felsi- na, which belonged to the Etruscans, and Bonomia, i n h a b i t e d b y B o i i G a u l s . Both areas were rich in oak forests that provided acorns aplenty to feed local pigs: it is from these very pigs that the tradition of mortadella began. According to the Morta- della Bologna IGP Con- sortium, the official entity safeguarding the authentici- ty of this famous salume, the name "mortadella" could be explained in two different ways: according to the first theory, the word comes from t h e L a t i n m o r t a r i u m or mortatum, which indi- c a t e s m e a t t h a t h a s b e e n finely chopped in a mortar. To support this version, we have an ancient artifact, an i m p e r i a l - e r a s t e l e , t o d a y h o u s e d a t t h e B o l o g n a A r c h e o l o g i c a l M u s e u m , where seven piglets and a m o r t a r a n d p e s t l e a r e depicted, in what is possibly the earliest representation of mortadella making. The second theory also refers to a L a t i n w o r d , m y r t a t u m , which means myrtle. Back in Roman times, myrtle was t h e k e y i n g r e d i e n t o f a sausage our ancestors loved and called farcimen myrta- tum, as attested by the very words of Pliny the Elder and FRANCESCA BEZZONE dinal Farnese officially rec- ognized the uniqueness of mortadella di Bologna by issuing a decree that regu- l a t e d i t s p r o d u c t i o n a n d ingredients, in what could b e e a s i l y c o n s i d e r e d , t h e M o r t a d e l l a B o l o g n a I G P Consortium explains, a very early example of a DOP or IGP denomination. There were still some differences, however, between that cold cut and the mortadella we know and love today: above all, it was a thing for the rich; indeed, until a couple of centuries ago, no one but the wealthiest could afford it. But with the development of the salumi-making indus- try in the 19th century, soft a n d l u s c i o u s m o r t a d e l l a became a treat for all social classes. In 1998, the European U n i o n a w a r d e d t h e m o r - tadella Bologna with an IGP designation (protected geo- graphic indication), which i s , h o w e v e r , o n l y f o r t h e salumi produced within a specific geographic area and that meet the established conditions: its recipe and i n g r e d i e n t s b u t a l s o t h e c h e m i c a l , p h y s i c a l , a n d organoleptic attributes of the finished product. Cur- r e n t l y , t h e C o n s o r t i u m i n c l u d e s 2 6 m e m b e r s between mortadella Bologna IGP's producers and slicers. Real mortadella is made only from carefully selected pork meat, usually coming f r o m t h e p i g ' s s h o u l d e r , which is then trimmed and processed to obtain its tradi- tional and beloved flavor a n d t e x t u r e . T h e m e a t i s f i n e l y m i n c e d a n d t h e n blended with lardelli, pieces o f p o r k f a t , a n d a m i x o f spices that includes corian- der, black pepper, and myr- tle berries. The mixture is then stuffed into a natural or synthetic casing, and the resulting sausage is cooked in special ovens for several hours – usually between 8 and 26 – depending on the mortadella's weight. Mor- t a d e l l a i s r e a d y w h e n i t s heart reaches a temperature of 70 °C, or 160 °F. Once out of the oven, the mortadella i s q u i c k l y c o o l e d a n d allowed to rest. While prosciutto may be posher, nothing beats mor- t a d e l l a w h e n i t c o m e s t o bringing you back in time to your childhood: who hasn't memories of merende with a f r e s h r o s e t t a f i l l e d w i t h slices of fragrant mortadel- la? No need to add anything else because it was – and is! – pure perfection! So much s o t h a t e v e n M i c h e l i n - starred chef Massimo Bot- tura proposed his own ver- sion of this iconic classic at his Osteria Francescana a f e w y e a r s a g o , p o e t i c a l l y named ricordo di un panino alla mortadella, to honor t h e s a n d w i c h h i s m o t h e r used to make for him when he was a child. I f y o u a r e i n I t a l y a n d fancy some good mortadella to bring home – at least to the hotel, that is: I doubt it'd make it all the way back to A m e r i c a ! – y o u s h o u l d check out Villani Salumi, in t h e p r o v i n c e o f M o d e n a , where you can find tradi- t i o n a l a n d f l a v o r e d m o r - tadella, all certified by the Consortium. If you are in B o l o g n a , l o o k n o f u r t h e r than Artigianquality, which produces nine types of IGP m o r t a d e l l a , i n c l u d i n g the Sette Chiese, the first e x a m p l e o f o r g a n i c m o r - tadella free from dairy prod- u c t s a n d f l o u r , m a k i n g i t safe for people with lactose intolerance and coeliac dis- ease. LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES V a r r o : w e r e t h e y w r i t i n g about ancient Rome's own version of mortadella? Per- haps… H o w e v e r , w e ' d h a v e t o wait until the early 17th cen- tury to have the first authen- tic mortadella recipe, cour- t e o u s l y p r o v i d e d b y a g r o n o m i s t V i n c e n z o Tanara, who gave very pre- cise indications about ingre- dients and quantities: we are talking about a sausage very similar to mortadella but with a much higher fat content than what we are used to today. In 1661, Car- Mortadella is produced in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna (Photo: Al1962/Dreamstime) OPEN 8AM - 5PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY. SUNDAY CLOSED The centuries-long tradition of Mortadella, the most American of Italian salumi

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