French chefs, who are famous for their refined cuisine, probably look down on their Italian colleagues, whose cuisine is best known for making pasta, antipasti and pizza. Or to put it another way - nothing so complicated or sophisticated...
But what would the French say about Italian meat products, which have become recognized delicacies around the world?
There's no way, that we can remind you of all the Italian meat "works of art", but we can't help but mention prosciutto, pepperoni, mortadella, bresaola and the lesser-known sausage pancetta. We will tell you about it in this article, because it is also available in our country and it is certainly something you would probably like to try.
Pancetta is something similar to bacon, but is made according to a very old Italian recipe and is made from specially selected Italian pigs. Both the age of the animals and the quality of the meat itself are strictly monitored. It almost resembles bacon.
The meat is seasoned with salt and various spices, after which it is left in the air for at least 14 days, during which time the processing with spices continues. Real and quality pancetta must have sat for a total of 120 days before being delivered to consumers, when it usually looks like packaged bacon. However, believe me, the taste is completely different and would appeal to even the most picky French chefs.
But let's go back to the Italians and more specifically to Bologna, because it is indicated as the birthplace of the pancetta. In addition to salt, black pepper must be added and some more creative producers add sage and/or rosemary to the delicacy. Some of the old traditions oblige the pancetta to be rolled in salt and pepper, as well as to be left for at least 120 days.
We looked at where the pancetta comes from (you might be interested to know that the famous mortadella originated in Bologna and that in the past Bologna was known as the Fat Man precisely because of the affinity of the locals for meat delicacies) and how it is prepared.
And how is it consumed? In the same way that you consume bacon, fried or baked, or as an addition to pizzas, pasta and everything else you want to prepare with an unique Italian taste!
