A type of pork sausage from Sardinia made from the shoulder and belly, garlic and spices. It is usually formed into a loop or horseshoe and may be aged for a month. Young sausages are usually grilled while older, smoked ones may be eaten raw.
"Jump in the mouth." A famous dish of Rome, thin veal escalopes are set in layers with prosciutto and sage, may be rolled and are then sautéed in butter and simmered briefly with white wine.
A shop which sells salumi, preserved pork products, although it will probably also sell olives and cheese. More like a delicatessen.
A collective term for meats that are cured by salting and drying or smoking, born out of the necessity to preserve meats for eating in times of scarcity or for journeys. In fact, most of the meat consumed by the poor traditionally was preserved. Preservation of foods led to the ability of armies and navies to move, bringing large scale invasions and changing the face of the world. The more benign side was that journeys of exploration could also be made. In Italy pig meat or pork is the preferred meat for curing.
Burnet. A herb with tiny, toothed, bright green leaves which are reminiscent of cucumber and are used to flavour winter salads, drinks and sauces.
A semihard, slightly blue cow's milk cheese from the heart of the Franciacorta wine region of Lombardy. It has a creamy paste, which may be aged to dense and crumbling, with a washed rind, giving it some pungency. It is good either as a table cheese or in cooking, its saltiness adding depth to savoury dishes.
