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toppings, ingredients and specialities

The most loved, the most versatile: it’s the Oro (Gold) Flour, the "00" type soft wheat flour with high protein content. Suitable for all direct and indirect doughs with long leavening, for the most demanding pizza chefs.

DISCOVER THE WHOLE RANGE OF FLOURS BY LE 5 STAGIONI

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EDITORIAL

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Typical is an overused word these days. A product, a recipe, a place, even a technique are typical and yet, this exaltation of typicality, which used to be the prerogative of traditional cuisine and which today has also conquered starred chefs, has created such confusion in the eyes of consumers that they end up confusing what is traditional with what is a successful innovation... but is this not the very definition of tradition?

And, when moving from the description of a product to that of a pizza, what does typical mean? In Naples, there is a pizzeria that brings only two pizzas to the table: Marinara and Margherita. Is this typicality or is it rather a (perfectly successful) attempt at gastronomic resilience, made extreme at a time when as many as 100 items were wreaking havoc on pizza menus?

Between these two visions of life, there is certainly a middle way, which is that of a balanced, measured topping, which considers that a pizza is not a catalogue of references but a dish to be eaten.

Typical: what does it mean?

BY ANTONIO PUZZI

It is for this reason that when people ask me how to invent a new and successful recipe, I always tend to answer with a simple rule, inspired by a quote from the late Neapolitan actor and director Massimo Troisi: 'Never more than five', obviously referring to the number of ingredients you can distinguish in a dish. If, however, your products are all selected and noteworthy, then 'never more than four'.

Another question I am often asked is: 'How fashionable are the ingredients added after baking?' Very much, indeed.

It occurs to me, however, that this is a trend especially in those places where 'raw' is more present in the gastronomic tradition, otherwise the risk of failure is certainly high.

What I want to say with these reflections is that there is no universal rule valid for everyone, because pizza is an unconventional universal symbol and every community, every nation, every people has built its own beautiful image of pizza. The important thing is that it is also tasty and that - quoting the singersongwriter Pino Daniele - each pizza becomes a page on which we write the 'thousand colours' of the world's beauty.

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INGREDIENTS

SUMMARY

ARTICLES

RECIPES

p.10

Vinegar of Modena

p.6

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Ingredients:

BY GIAMPIERO RORATO

BY ANTONIO PUZZI

PDO Oil

Petra Antolini

AN EXTRAORDINARY AND UNIQUE PRODUCT WITH A FASCINATING HISTORY

THE "MADE IN ITALY" THAT WINS IN THE WORLD/

p.18

p.16

p.24

Stefano Miozzo

p.26

p.32

The Pachino IGP tomato

Bresaola of Valtellina PGI

AND THE PROTECTION CONSORTIUM

AND THE PROTECTION CONSORTIUM

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

BY DAVID MANDOLIN

— — — A JOURNEY THROUGH ITALIAN REGIONAL EXCELLENCE

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

p.30 p.36

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Discovering rocket

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

p.48

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Parma Ham AND THE PROTECTION CONSORTIUM

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

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Salvatore De Rinaldi

p.42

Italian hams: A JOURNEY THROUGH PDO AND PGI

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

p.40

Salvatore Gatta

p.54

San Daniele:

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HOW A SMALL TOWN IN FRIULI GAVE BIRTH TO THE EXCELLENCE OF ITALIAN HAM

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

p.46

Camelia Rusu

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1. Ingredients: The "Made in Italy" that wins in the world/

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BY ANTONIO PUZZI

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PHRASES ATTRIBUTED TO HENRY FORD IS: "QUALITY MEANS DOING THINGS WELL WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING".

And, when it comes to quality, with all due respect to those who consider Fordist theories outdated, I believe this definition is one of the most topical, especially for the Italian food industry.

In Italy, there are more than 70,000 companies operating in this field, which is the leader in terms of turnover at around EUR 140 billion per year (Luiss Business School report, 2020).

After a slight downturn, which reduced turnover by about 3% in 2020, 2021 marked a +4% increase for Italian food production which, according to estimates, is destined to grow further this year.

Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics ndt) data for the period January-November 2021, as analysed by Federalimentare last April, show these export statistics of the Italian food industry: +14.3% in the USA, +32.7% in China, +30.7% in South Korea, +50.5% in Chile and again +21.2% in South Africa.

Italy, however, is also going strong in European Union countries, registering growth of +21.4% in Poland, +19.6% in Spain, +7.1% in France and +6.7% in Germany.

During the press conference for the presentation of Cibus 2022, the President of the Italian Trade and Investment Agency ICE, Carlo Ferro, underlined:

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INGREDIENTS

1. "INGREDIENTS: THE 'MADE IN ITALY' THAT WINS IN THE WORLD"

Italian blue cheese on the shelves of a grocery store in Balti, Moldova

"OUR COUNTRY'S EXPORTS RESTARTED IN 2021 AND SO DID THE ITALIAN AGRIFOOD INDUSTRY, WHICH RECORDED A GROWTH OF +14.7% COMPARED TO 2019.

IN ADDITION TO THE NEW CHALLENGES OF THE POSTCOVID INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, HOWEVER, THERE IS ALSO AN INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO DOMINATED

BY UNEXPECTED AND DRAMATIC GEOPOLITICAL COMPLEXITIES. IN THIS FRAMEWORK, WORKING AS A SYSTEM IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT”.

Here, then, is one of the words of the twentieth century: making a system. But why? Again, the answer comes from numbers.

To get an idea of how strong the Italian brand is, just think of the value of Italian sounding. Federalimentare estimated it at 54 billion euros in 2021 (it was 90 billion in 2018), while Coldiretti spoke of 60 billion euros in 2015 and 100 billion in 2021.

THIS INCREASE IN FOOD FALSIFICATION (IN SOME CASES OUTRIGHT FRAUD) WOULD PERHAPS REQUIRE STRICTER REGULATIONS AT EU LEVEL, BUT ALSO A HEIGHTENED CONSUMER AWARENESS.

EATALY at Los Angeles, California, United States

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BY ANTONIO PUZZI

And, speaking of quality and what is meant by this word, it seems useful to take a look at the study that - like every year, for the past 7 years - the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo published last September in collaboration with the Swiss banking group ww. It is the Food Industry Monitor.

For 2021, 854 companies with an aggregate turnover of EUR 66 billion were surveyed.

Of these, 81% claim to be sustainable companies, 78% offer at least one sustainable product, 44% choose their suppliers also on the basis of their sustainability, and 44% have reviewed their packaging from a green perspective.

Therefore, what Manlio Di Stefano, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said at the press conference for the presentation of Cibus 2022 seems even more important:

"LET US REMEMBER THAT ITALY BOASTS A WORLD RECORD FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION, A RECORD FOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS WITH DENOMINATION OF ORIGIN, AND A UNIQUE PRODUCTION VARIETY”.

COULD THIS BE THE SECRET OF ITALY'S FOOD EXPORT SUCCESS IN THE WORLD? PROBABLY SO, BECAUSE DOING INDUSTRY TODAY MEANS ONCE AGAIN DOING QUALITY, STARTING WITH SUSTAINABILITY.

Ballarò market in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

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BY GIAMPIERO RORATO

Vinegar of Modena 10

As everyone knows by now, the vinegar that we buy in supermarkets and fine delicatessens or that arrives on our tables in restaurants and pizzerias, can be traditional, made as it once was, slowly at home in glass flasks or in modestly sized barrels, under a white veil known as the 'mother of vinegar'.

Then there is industrially produced white and red wine vinegar, which is very present in supermarkets, obtained in a very short time with suitable technologies from poor and very poor-quality wines, sometimes already acetified.

Then there is another group of vinegars known as 'balsamic' vinegars, the offspring of fairly recent traditions and lastly there is the truly historic 'traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena' or 'of Reggio Emilia', which has a very ancient, serious, consolidated history, the result of a production technique that lasts even many years, followed with love by 'enamoured' specialists who dedicate unlimited time to the balsamic vinegar they produce with intelligence, skill, and the pride of those who have a very precious heritage at home.

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

VINEGAR

An extraordinary and unique product with important grape varieties expertly recounted by the famous, serious and coma fascinating petent Sardinian wine and food journalist Gilberto Aru. history T H E HI STORY OF TRADITIONAL B ALSA MI C V I NEG AR We will not recount how this vinegar is made, we prefer to hear it explained to us by the Masters of true traditional balsamic vinegar, wishing instead to briefly tell its story. And those who know where it comes from and how many centuries it has been produced will feel an increased desire to taste it, as those who already know it do.

This story of ours begins with grape must, but we have to take a step back in time, a very long way back.

Centuries before the development of the city of Rome, wine was present and documented in the north-east of our peninsula, from the Trieste Karst to the Euganean Hills and Retia, (today's Trentino Alto Adige) and this was already the case a millennium before Rome, either because vines were already cultivated in those areas or because they were introduced by the Paleovenetians.

As the oenologist, archaeologist and producer Tonino Arcadu from Oliena in Sardinia reminds us, the vine on the island has been natively present since very ancient times and its most significant expression is Cannonau, along with other

Vines had been introduced to southern Italy by Greek colonists around the 8th-7th centuries BC, i.e. even before Romulus and Remus were born, and it was those Greek colonists who developed high-quality wine-growing in the south of Rome.

Vines were also known and skilfully cultivated in the Etruscan world where, although present much earlier, they flourished mainly around the 5th century before Rome (see the Etruscan Wine Museum in Scansano and the archae- 11 — ological site of Ghiaccio Forte, also in Scansano), but in none of the areas mentioned (North-East, South, Sardinia, Etruria) have historians and archaeologists found traces that would suggest an interesting production of vinegar or a product similar to the 'sapa' of the Romans.

Then we must go to Rome, where our story begins.

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BY GIAMPIERO RORATO

T H E 'SAPA' OF THE ROMANS In ancient Rome, sugar was unknown, and to sweeten many of the gastronomic preparations of which the Romans were greedy, as were the Greeks, especially cakes and biscuits, Roman women and professional cooks themselves resorted to honey, both fresh and dried figs, or grape must, still rich in sugars of their own. The must was cooked and concentrated by boiling, then, under the name of 'sapa', used both as a sweetener and as an important condiment for certain lordly dishes, to which it gave new tastes and flavours. The art of boiling must, concentrating it to obtain a more or less dense, rather dark, strong - flavoured fluid liquid capable of giving new and pleasant aromas and tastes to the foods with which it was combined, was thus invented or perfected and made known by the Romans.

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The Roman legions spread their gastronomic traditions in their travels; first to conquer the Italian peninsula, around the 3rd-2nd century B.C., then Gaul, Noricum, Spain, North Africa and the Near East in the following centuries. These included 'sapa' and 'garum' (another sauce), as well as plants, cereals, vegetables that took root where nature permitted, especially for elaborate preparations, here or there, as historians have shown.

TH E 'SAPA' I N T H E VI A EM I L I A By studying the extraordinary spread in Europe and the Near East of products from Rome, as well as the spread of food and gastronomic traditions, historians discovered that the Romans brought grapevines to Germany as far as the Rhine valley and to several regions of Gaul (present-day France); that they spread the olive tree as far as the Alpine lakes, the Berici and Euganean Hills and the foothills of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, not going beyond the Alps; the cultivation of asparagus arrived and then survived between northern France and Holland; and the use of horseradish, to give another example, used as a sauce took root in Mitteleuropa.

Along the Via Emilia where the cultivation of vines brought by the Romans never stopped, Roman legions passed many times and always willingly stopped where there was good hospitality, in particular around the city of Mutina (Modena), and, as the inhabitants of the area liked that extraordinary Roman preparation, the 'sapa' took root and managed to survive the period of the barbarian invasions unscathed, reappearing on the tables of the nobility around the year one thousand.

And, since then, evidence of its continued presence is numerous. The inhabitants of

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

the whole area, including Reggio nell'Emilia, who had learnt to produce it according to the teachings of the Roman legions and liked it very much, naturally continued to produce it every year, gradually refining the technique. It is then documented that the practice of boiling wine must to obtain a special vinegar developed in the future Este court of Modena, where the last duke of Ferrara died in 1597. Alfonso II, his nephew Cesare d'Este was forced to move from Ferrara (which had passed to the Papal States) to Modena, which became the capital of the duchy and where the practice of making vinegar from boiled and aged must developed further. Finally, in 1747, as can be read in the cellar records of the Dukes of Este, the adjective balsamic was added to the word vinegar: these were the terms half balsamic and fine balsamic, which correspond to today's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO. BA LSA MI C V I NEG AR Let us state right away that under the name 'Balsamic Vinegar' there are only two types of vinegar, distinguished by a very important word. This word is 'Traditional', which may or may not be there.

Let us briefly review which vinegar is entitled to be called 'Traditional'.

The Protection Consortium states that 'Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (or Reggio Emilia)' is the result of the particular soil and climate characteristics and the variety of grapes typically grown in the Modena area, together with the art of cooking the musts and the loving procedures of annual decanting between the casks in the vinegar cellars. After the grapes have been crushed and even before fermentation begins, the musts are cooked in open boilers, at ambient

VINEGAR

pressure, until they reach a concentration of 30 to 50 %, (depending on the requirements of the vinegar cellar regime). After a long decanting period, the cooked must starts a natural and simultaneous reaction of fermentation and acetic dioxidation by yeasts and acetobacteria. The product then undergoes a transformation phase called maturation, which is of fundamental importance for the formation of the typical aromas of Balsamic vinegar." And this is roughly the procedure followed for the production of 'balsamic vinegar'.

It is already clear from this that balsamic vinegar that precisely follows the production specifications that refer to history is entitled to be called 'Traditional'. This type of balsamic vinegar is then subjected to the controls required by the laws in force, as a guarantee for 13 — consumers.

With regard to the grapes used, these balsamic vinegars originate from the musts of the 7 grape varieties most widely cultivated in Emilia Romagna Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni - and then aged wine vinegar is added.

T H E ES S EN CES FORES EEN FOR T H E T RADI T I ON AL VI N EGAR Then there is the aspect concerning the types of wood used to make the casks in which this noble product is matured.

The production specifications for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar stipulate that fine woods from the area of origin (i.e. the ancient Este domains) must be used for the casks. For the Reggio Emilia PDO, for example, the specifications identify them as chestnut, oak, mulberry, cherry, juniper, ash and locust. In actual fact, the most traditional and most widely used woods are oak and chestnut, which alone ac-

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BY GIAMPIERO RORATO

count for about 75% of the barrels started, while juniper and mulberry, although handed down by tradition, are for different reasons rather in the minority. The inclusion of cherry, ash and locust wood has taken place in recent times, leading to good results in terms of the tightness of the barrels and the transfer of colours, aromas and flavours. Pear and apple woods have also been used recently, but with problems in terms of barrel tightness.

Each producer, following the Disciplinary rules, chooses more or less aromatic woods for their barrels as they wish.

THE ' N ON - TRADITIONAL

Producers who are not members of the Consortium and who do — 14 not scrupulously follow the rules contained in the 'Production Specifications' cannot write the word 'traditional' on the labels of their balsamic vinegars. These are producers with companies in the provinces of Modena and Reggio who, although they generally achieve similar quality results, have made changes to the production specifications, convinced that they are obtaining a better Balsamic Vinegar, for example, in the ratio of must to aged vinegar, as well as in the ageing time of the vinegar and the maturation time of the balsamic vinegar which is placed on the market.

In fact, even the slightest non-compliance with specifications and minor production changes are enough to lose the right to qualify one's balsamic vinegar as 'traditional'.

They are, however, excellent vinegars even if, thanks to the testimony of a fairly long history that has helped producers

to refine themselves and to present not only beautiful packaging but also excellent products, many connoisseurs like to choose the balsamic vinegar that raises the glorious flag of 'Traditional', even though others can boast identical if not superior merits.

F I N AL ADVI CE These aristocratic balsamic vinegars never to be confused with musts cooked in a good way and immediately bottled should never be missing from restaurants and pizzerias, but beware: they should not be used to dress salads. They are noble and expensive products, they must be well known by cooks and waiters - otherwise they should study them – even better if the vinegar cellar where the balsamic is produced is known and a friendly relationship with the producer created. This is the only way to really learn to know and use in the kitchen and on the table this jewel of Italian agri-food that the world envies us.

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RECIPES

PETRA ANTOLINI

Petra Antolini SETTIMO CIELO IN VERONA

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Petra Antolini runs the pizzeria and restaurant Settimo Cielo in the enchanting Valpolicella, in the province of Verona, with her husband Lorenzo and son Kevin Leone.

It is known as a place of great world-famous wines as well as unique gastronomic excellence.

Born in 1980, she has always worked in the restaurant business, combining various experiences as an employee with the study of both cookery and the art of baking until taking over the current business in 2010.

Petra Antolini runs the pizzeria and restaurant Settimo Cielo in the enchanting Valpolicella, in the province of Verona, with her husband Lorenzo and son Kevin Leone. It is known as a place of great world-famous wines as well as unique gastronomic excellence.

Born in 1980, she has always worked in the restaurant business, combining various experiences as an employee with the study of both cookery and the art of baking until taking over the current business in 2010.

"My passion for cooking started when I was a child, I grew up in the mountains with my grandmother and, as my parents were entrepreneurs and busy all day long, by her side I learnt about pasta in the kitchen with fresh pasta, which was the daily routine, together with bread baked in the wood-burning stove.

From an early age, I had the task of preparing dinner under my grandmother's supervision in the evening, when my four older brothers and my parents came home.

The dishes were simple and poor but rich in flavour and tradition, the wood stove towered and took centre stage, flooding the kitchen with aromas as the pots boiled.

I think I made my first pizza when I was 10 years old: it was a dough cooked in the stove oven. Now you could say it resembled a pizza in a deep pan; the alternative was the flattened focaccia that was baked on the grate over the embers. When it came time to decide on further education, my parents gave me 2 alternative options, that is, either to enrol in accountancy or in teacher training school, without taking into consideration my desire to attend hotel school. I think that first year was the toughest of my school career: after driving them crazy, my parents agreed with me to enrol in hotel school!

I approached and then fell madly in love with baking before opening Settimo Cielo.

I had some general basics on bread, pizza and focaccia but they were not adequate for what I wanted to develop and that is where my research, study and subsequent development started.

I now find myself 'trapped in this love affair' with flour, water, yeast, salts and all the oils...and I feel the responsibility!"

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INGREDIENTS

PRE-DOUGH: flour

500 gr (1,1 lb / 17.63 oz)

water

400 ml (14 uk floz / 13.5 us floz)

brewer's yeast

2 gr (0.43 lb / 0.07 oz)

DOUGH: flour

500 gr (1,1 lb / 17.63 oz)

sourdough water salt oil

150 gr (110 lb / 17.63 oz)

500 ml (17.6 uk floz / 16.9 us floz) 23 gr (0.5 lb / 0.8 oz)

50 gr (1 lb / 1.7 oz)

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Pizza in teglia PIZZA IN PAN

Pizza in pan with saffron from Lessinia, crispy octopus, orange plum tomato, mountain potato, fresh mint and lemon zest, cream of Verona celeriac Method Dough procedure on 1 kg (2.2lb) flour result for 2 baking tins: • Pre-dough: maturation at 16°C (60.8°F) for 12/13 hours • Dough: knead at first on first speed, then switch to second speed until the dough has a perfect gluten mesh and reaches 25°C (77°F).

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Take out and place in a bowl Fold the dough Wait one hour Form 2 x 950 g (2.1 lb) balls Wait for maturation Roll out into baking tins Bake at 280°C (536°F) in an electric oven Toppings: The yellow with saffron from Lessinia: the gold picked by a young girl .

Octopus is the smell of embrace.

The orange plum represents warmth.

The mountain potato the peasant's support for centuries.

Mint is the freshness of life.

Lemon zest the taste of goodness.

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BY CATERINA VIANELLO

PDO Oil

With more than 500 cultivars, equal to 40% of all those known globally, Italy boasts a remarkable record when it comes to oil, allowing it to beat Spain and Greece. This is due to environmental and geographical factors that define a complex territory, but also to the tradition of cultivation and processing. Italy can therefore count around fifty PDO or PGI extra virgin olive oils, linked to the territory. To describe them all is impossible, for lack of space. Here however, from north to south, is a roundup of some of the branded oil varieties, each by region of reference.

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LOM B ARDY Olio del Garda and olio Laghi Lombardi are the region's PDOs. The former, possibly accompanied by the additional mentions Orientale or Bresciano, is obtained for at least 55% from the Casaliva, Frantoio and Leccino varieties. It has a more or less intense green to yellow colour, a medium to light fruity aroma, a fruity flavour with hints of sweetness and a typical almond aftertaste. It is unmistakable on the palate, with overall harmony and light, balanced aromas.

The production area of Laghi Lombardi oil is limited to certain towns in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo for the geographical indication 'Sebino' and in the provinces of Como and Lecco for the geographical indication 'Lario'. The varieties used are Leccino, Frantoio, Casaliva, Pendolino and Sbresa. Sebino has a greenish-yellow colour, a light fruity aroma and a slightly bitter and spicy flavour. The Lario is similar, with sensory differences that are subtle nuances.

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

PDO OIL

a journey through Italian regional excellence V E N ETO Together with Lombardy and Trentino, Veneto is one of the regions where Garda PDO oil is produced. A total of 67 towns in the three regions, from which the three geographical denominations descend: Bresciano, Orientale and Trentino. It is worth remembering that the cultivation of olives in the Garda area dates back to very ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological finds from the Bronze Age and ancient oil mills from Roman times.

F RI U L I VEN EZ I A GI U L I A Obtained from the Belica or Bianchera varieties for at least 20 per cent, and from Carbona, Leccio del Corno, Leccino, Frantoio, Maurino and Pendolino, Tergeste has a golden-green colour, a medium fruity odour and a fruity flavour, with a light to medium piquant sensation, which on the whole restores delicacy and balance.

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EM I L I A-RO M AGN A The region's branded oil is called Brisighella PDO. The production area covers all or part of the territory of several towns in the provinces of Ravenna and Forlì-Cesena. It has an emerald green colour, with golden reflections. The scent is fruity, with sensations reminiscent of herbs and vegetables, while the taste is fruity, with a slight hint of bitterness and a light-medium hint of spiciness. It has ancient origins but the transformation from production for self-consumption to marketing is recent, dating from 1970.

L I GU RI A Riviera Ligure PDO is a tribute to the Taggiasca cultivar, followed by Lavagnina, Lantesca, Castelnovina, Razzola and Pignola.

Riviera dei Fiori, Riviera del Ponente Savonese and Riviera di Levante are added to the denomination, depending on the production area and the different percentage in the olive groves of the specific varieties.

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Riviera dei Fiori has a yellow colour, a ripe fruity aroma, and a sweet fruity fla— 20 vour; Riviera del Ponente Savonese has a yellow-green colour, and shares with the previous one its smell and flavour. Riviera di Levante, yellow-green in colour, has a fruity flavour, sweet but with a slight bitter and spicy sensation.

TU SCA N Y It is certainly the most productive region in Central Italy, covering almost 3% of national production. Among the others, Chianti Classico should certainly be mentioned, obtained from the Leccino, Frantoio, Correggiolo and Moraiolo varieties, and whose production area includes numerous municipalities in the provinces of Siena and Florence. It has an intense green colour, with possible golden hues. The perfume is medium intense with a distinct olive aroma, while the flavour is decidedly spicy, with a bitter aftertaste of artichoke and thistle. Then there is the Lucca variety (obtained from the Frantoio, Frantoiano or Frantoiana varieties, for the most part, and Leccino). It has a yellow colour with more

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

or less intense green tones, a medium olive fragrance and a sweet flavour, with a possible spicy or bitter sensation. Finally, the Terre di Siena: the varieties used are at least two among Frantoio, Correggiolo, Leccino and Moraiolo. The colour ranges from green to yellow, the aroma is fruity while the flavour tends towards spicy.

U M B RI A With a production territory that covers the entire region, Umbria PDO uses the Moraiolo, San Felice, Rajo, Dolce Agogia, Pendolino, Leccino and Frantoio cultivars. The denomination includes the terms Colli Assisi-Spoleto, which has a green-yellow colour, a decidedly fruity aroma and a flavour in which notes of bitterness and pungency are discernible; Colli Martani, with a fruity flavour and aroma but less decisive than the previous one, as well as Colli Amerini; then Colli del Trasimeno, green to golden yellow in colour, lighter in aroma and taste; and Colli Orvietani, green-yellow, fruity with a slight hint of bitterness and spice.

M ARCH E The oil with the PGI mark is named after the region. The cultivars are Ascolana tenera, Carboncella, Coroncina, Mignola, Orbetana, Piantone di Falerone, Piantone di Mogliano, Raggia/Raggiola, Rosciola dei Colli Esini and Sargano di Fermo, Frantoio and Leccino, for a yellow/green oil whose flavour is complex, ranging from fruity to bitter and spicy, with fresh herbaceous notes.

AB RUZ ZO Colline Teatine is the pride of Abruzzo: the varieties are Gentile di Chieti, Leccino, Moraiolo and Nebbio. There are two additional geographical mentions, Frentano and Vastese, which differ

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in terms of production area and different percentages of varieties used. Frentano has a green colour and golden hues, herbaceous notes and a fruity flavour, while Vastese is recognisable by its leafy notes and fruity flavour with a slight bitterness.

CONFORME H.A.C.C.P.

L A ZI O Sabina Carboncella, Leccino, Raja, Pendolino, Moraiolo, Frantoio, Olivastrone, Salviana, Olivago and Rosciola: these are the cultivars that make up the Sabina PDO: yellow-green, it has a fruity and velvety flavour. Covering the territory of a few municipalities in the province of Viterbo is Canino PDO, emerald green with golden hues, fruity and strong with a bitter and spicy aftertaste. Again in the province of Viterbo with the Tuscia PDO (52 towns involved), obtained from the Frantoio, Leccino and Caninese varieties.

Emerald green with golden hues, it has an olive flavour, with an aftertaste that balances bitter and spicy. Finally, the Colline Pontine: cultivar Itrana, plus Frantoio and Leccino, for a production area that includes 25 municipalities in the province of Latina. It is fruity and can be recognised by its almond aftertaste, herbaceous notes and a hint of green tomato.

CA MPA N I A We are in the province of Naples for the Penisola Sorrentina (varieties Ogliarola or Minucciola, Rotondella, Frantoio, Leccino). Colour ranging from green to straw yellow, fruity on the nose and palate, and slightly spicy.

P UGLI A The provinces of Lecce, Taranto and Brindisi are the backdrop for Terra d'Otranto: the varieties used are Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola, which give the oil a medium-fruity aroma and flavour, with a slight hint of bitterness and spiciness depending on the harvest period.

CONFORME CARBON-TAX

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didn’t roll in the oven

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Slices// Slices M O L ISE Made from the Aurina, Gentile di Larino, Oliva Nera di Colletorto and Leccino varieties, Molise PDO is produced in the provinces of Isernia and Campobasso.

Yellow-green, it is delicate both on the nose and palate.

B ASI LI CATA Vulture PDO is the trademark oil of Basilicata, produced in some towns in the province of Potenza. The varieties used are Ogliarola del Vulture, Cima di Melfi, Palmarola, Coratina, Rapollese, Ogliarola del Bradano, Fasolina and Farasana. It is recognisable by its amber yellow colour with green hues, and a — 22 flavour of fully ripe olives, sweet or slightly bitter and with hints of spiciness.

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

CAL AB RI A Straw yellow to light green, delicate to the nose and light to the taste: this is Alto Crotonese PDO, produced from varieties Carolea, Pennulara, Borgese, Leccino, Tonda di Strongoli, Cassanese, or Rossanese.

SI CI LY The area of Etna gives its name to the oil of the same name, produced from the local Nocellara Etnea cultivar, together with other indigenous varieties (Tonda Ibla, Olivo di Castiglione, Moresca, Ogliarola Messinese, Brandofino and Biancolilla, Buscionetto Carolea, Calamignara, Giarraffa, Mandanici, Minuta, Nocellara Etnea and Messinese, Verdello, Santagatese). It has a medium intensity, bitter and moderately spicy taste. To the West we have Valli Trapanesi, obtained from Nocellara del Belice and Cerasuola: the aroma is clean and definite of olives while the flavour is fruity, slightly bitter and spicy.

Finally, the Monti Iblei, from the hinterland (provinces of Ragusa, Siracusa and Catania). Accompanied by the following geographical mentions: Monte Lauro, Val d'Anapo, Val Tellaro, Frigintini, Gulfi, Valle dell'Irminio, Calatino, Trigona-Pancali, it has a recognisable scent of tomato.

SA RDI N I A A territory that encompasses the entire region for the oil of the same name, produced with native cultivars (Bosana, Cariasina, Cipressino, Corsicana, Semidana, Nera di Oliena, Pizz' e Carroga, Semidana, Tonda di Cagliari or Nera di Gonnos). It has a colour ranging from green to yellow, a fruity smell and flavour.

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RECIPES

STEFANO MIOZZO

Stefano Miozzo

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ZIO MO' IN LEGNAGO IN VERONA

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Stefano Miozzo was born in Legnago in 1967 and lives in Cerea (VR) with his wife Katia, who has also worked alongside him professionally since 1997. He began his career in the white art at a very young age - 15 - in local pizzerias. In 2014, with more than 20 years of experience behind him, he decided to tackle the world of contests and competitions, and the results, the fruit of preparation, passion and a desire to get involved, were not slow in coming.

In the 2017 edition of the World Pizza Championship, he won the title for the Pizza on a Peel category, the title as best team together with the other members of Pizza Team Penelope, the Thriathlon (the highest score obtained from the sum of three individual competitions), came close to the podium for the Gluten Free category and won the special "Parmigiano Reggiano" prize.

In 2018 he won the Classic category at the World Pizza Championship, took third place for the Pizza a Due category - together with the chef, won the Thriathlon award and a special prize from Parmigiano Reggiano.

In 2018, he also won three PizzAward titles in Naples. Two years of great success, which launch the Veronese pizza chef into the World Pizza Championship Hall of Fame and confirm the value and the qualities of a great professional in pizza and cuisine.

From the left: Stefano Miozzo, Stefania Gobeo, Mattia Gobeo

"Zio Mo' - his restaurant (ed.) - was born with the aim of creating a taste experience, a path followed thanks both to the use of innovative processing techniques and that of excellent products from all over Italy. We aim to acquire a very specific target: people with an eye for detail who appreciate the quality and research of raw materials as well as an interest in a style of baking and a form of cooking that are both strongly identity-based. In addition to using gastronomic excellence from all over the Italian peninsula, we are also and above all dedicated to our own territory. In fact, for some pizzas we use quality ingredients at 0 km that we buy ourselves from a trusted grower. A very short supply chain, truly from producer to consumer.”

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DOUGH: flour

280 W / 1 kg (2.2 lb / 352 oz)

dry yeast water salt

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15 gr (0,03 lb / 0,5 oz)

600 ml (21.1 uk floz / 20.3 us floz) 20-25 gr (0.04-0.05 lb / 0.7-0.9 oz)

olive oil

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INGREDIENTS

30 gr (0.06 lb / 1.06 oz)

STEFANO MIOZZO'S FOCACCIA WITH DIRECT DOUGH Method

For the dough: Put 1000 g (2.2 lb) flour and 15 g (0.5 oz) dry yeast in the mixer, mix for 1 minute on dry, then add 550 ml (19.4 uk floz) (18.6 us floz) water and mix for 7 minutes on first speed. Add 20/25 g (0.7/0.9 oz) of salt and the remaining water, mix for 4 minutes always on the lowest speed.

Then add the 30 g (1.06 oz) of Evo oil and mix for 5 minutes on the second speed. The finished dough should be at 25.5/26°C (77.9°/78.8°F) (min.

24°C/75.2°°F, max. 27°C/80.6°F). The times for each step may vary depending on the type of kneading machine.

Take the dough and place it on the workbench, let it rest for about 40 minutes and then portion the balls with the desired weight, place them in boxes and store them at a positive temperature for about 16/20 hours.

Take the dough out of the fridge, roll it out and place it well on the baking tray - even if cold - and top with tomato (or onion and Evo oil, or Evo and rosemary).

Leave to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled, pre-bake at a temperature of about 250/270°C (482°/518°F).

When pre-baking is complete, top. Here I present a topping with buffalo mozzarella DOP, grilled Speck, slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano aged 40 months, Evo oil.

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BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

The Pachino IGP tomato 26

The history of the Pachino tomato, the 'Red Gold of Sicily', is relatively recent. Although the first cultivations of classic tomatoes in the area date back to 1925, it was the new varieties planted in 1989 by an Israeli company - the Naomi cherry and the Rita cluster - that made the Pachino tomato an absolute success. The Pachino tomato is an excellent product that has entered the hearts and homes of Italians, who have since then commonly associated it with the classic ‘cherry’.

Since 2003, it has carried the PGI recognition, which identifies the entire production territory and is protected and promoted by the Pomodoro Pachino Protection Consortium IGP. The perfect symbiosis between this product and its ideal territory - i.e. south-eastern Sicily in a well-defined and delimited area where there is a mix of factors (soil, light, temperature, quality of irrigation water) that have a positive effect on the product, making it tastier, more resistant, more attractive, fragrant and consistent, along with the professionalism of the producers, tes-

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

PACHINO

tifies to how typicality can be even younger but certainly no less identifying.

The Pachino IGP tomato is round in shape and varies in size depending on the cultivar.

The smooth round one is small, green in colour and has a very pronounced flavour; the ribbed one is large and is characterised by its very dark, bright green colour; the cherry has small, red-coloured fruits on a cluster. The pulp of the Pachino IGP tomato is firm.

T H E CON SORTIUM The Consortium for the Protection of the Pachino PGI Tomato is a non-profit organisation recognised by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies with the mission of protecting the reputation of the authentic Pachino tomato on the markets and defending it against the countless attempts at commercial counterfeiting, by means of appropriate legal action, on a national scale and beyond. It works within the supply chain to guarantee an increasingly high-quality production of the product, from the control of the members and enforcing the Production Disciplinary. It also works for the valorisation and promotion of the tomato according to the territory

where it is from, in order to disseminate the close link that exists between the organoleptically superior qualities of the Pachino tomato and the climatic and geographical specificities of the territory of origin where it is grown.

The strong link between the char27 — acteristics of this tomato and the peculiarities of the territory of origin made it possible to promote the recognition of the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) quality mark, through a promoting committee, the ATPTP (Association for the Protection of Typical Pachino Products) and today the authentic Pachino tomato is protected by a distinctive mark that a Consortium of

and the protection consortium

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Protection endeavours to apply on the basis of precise production specifications.

The Consortium for the Protection of Pachino PGI Tomato was set up on 31st August 2002 in accordance with the national law on Protection Consortia, following ministerial recognition of the Protected Geographical Indication mark. With EC Reg. No. 617 of 04-04-2003, 'Pomodoro di Pachino' was recognised by the EU. Today, the Consortium brings together the major tomato-producing companies of the Pachino district, which includes the towns of Pachino, Portopalo di Capo Passero (in its entirety), the municipalities of Ispica and Noto in part, and is an important point of reference for the entire agricultural economy of the extreme south-eastern part — 28 of Sicily.

It comprises 145 producers and 32 packaging facilities, 19 of which are also producers. Its mission is to fight the numerous counterfeiting attempts on a national scale, as well as to monitor the supply chain in order to guarantee a qualitatively high production, through the application of the production specifications.

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

T H E P ROT ECT ED P RODU CT I ON ARE AS The production area includes the entire territory of the towns of Pachino (SR) and Portopalo di Capo Passero (SR), as well as part of the territory of the towns of Noto (SR) and Ispica (RG).

Today like yesterday since 1967.

1965 is an important date for the Torrente family. Giuseppe’s dream is finally realized and this led to what was to become one of the most important names in the canned food industriy of southern Italy. Over the years we have been commi�ed to being close to families and professionals in the sector offering cer�fied quality products. Our S. Marzano tomatoes from the Agro-Sarnese-Nocerino PDO are preserved with great care, processed within 24 hours a�er harves�ng to save the fragrance of the tomato from the lands of the Campania and Puglia regions. Red gems rich in sun, unpeeled with the tradi�onal process of steam blanching in boiling water and immersed in their juice, they fill the air with their fragrance every �me you open a jar of La Torrente Peeled Tomatoes.

Made with whole, fleshy and low water content tomatoes, they are ready to be dipped into any recipe bringing the flavor of summer to every season.

scopri di più

www.latorrente.com - info@latorrente.it

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RECIPES

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SALVATORE DE RINALDI

Salvatore De Rinaldi

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CASA DE RINALDI IN NAPLES “I was born and grew up in Naples, in my parents' venue. My mother was a cook, so I learnt to cook at a very young age.

Neapolitan pizza has always fascinated me, to the point of becoming an instructor for the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza Association) and a disseminator of it around the world. At the age of 20, I started travelling around Italy to enrich my professional background. So I arrived, in 1993, in Valle d'Aosta, precisely in La Thuile. After a few years of apprenticeship, I started a restaurant, together with my wife Rosa, which I decided to call La Fordze. In 2005 we decided to return to Naples, where we opened the current Casa de Rinaldi, with the help of my son Cristiano.

My piece de resistance is the authentic Neapolitan pizza, always made with self-produced sourdough. During the time I spent in Valle d'Aosta, I began my 'research' path: so I created the first doughs with stone-ground, cereal-based flours, with long and natural leavening (which I still offer today).

I love the 'short' supply chain, so I prefer local products. It is no coincidence that I am a Slow Food alliance cook and many of the products I use come from their presidia, which protect the production chain.

I always respect the tradition of Italian recipes, which often leads me to range with the use of typical products from the various regions. I know first-hand the small producers and companies, so I create a direct link with the end consumer.”

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INGREDIENTS

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CREAM OF NEAPOLITAN STEAMED LONG PUMPKIN, PROVOLA OF AGEROLA, ABRUZZESE SLOW FOOD PRESIDIUM VENTRICINA, FLAKES OF PROVOLONE DEL MONACO, BLACK PEPPER GRANULES AND EVO OIL. For the dough I used a mixture of type 1 stone-ground flour and 00 national grain flour, prepared with LI.CO.LI 100% natural sourdough, leavened for 36 hours at a controlled temperature of 18°C (64.4°F).

Baked in a wood-fired oven at 450° (842°F) in the tradition of the Authentic Pizza Napoletana.

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BY DAVID MANDOLIN

Bresaola of Valtellina PGI 32

The term Bresaola, formerly brazaola, brisaola or bresavola, is of very uncertain origin. In fact, if the suffix 'saola' can easily be traced back to the use of salt in preserving the product, it is more difficult to identify a single, shared interpretation of the origin of the term in its entirety.

According to a first interpretation, the etymology can be sought in the Germanic word 'brasa', brace, since in ancient times braziers were used to heat and dehumidify the air in the maturing rooms, from which an aromatic smoke was released, obtained by throwing juniper berries and laurel leaves on burning coals of fir wood.

According to other interpretations, however, the origin of the name is to be found in the local dialect 'brisa', which indicates a highly salted cattle gland and even today, the expression 'Sala come brisa' refers to highly salted meat. With the passage of

and the Protection Consortium time, the original 'brisaola' was transformed into today's 'bresaola'.

The typical production area of this cured meat coincides with the entire territory of the Province of Sondrio in Lombardy, which contains two main valleys located in the heart of the Alps: Valtellina and Valchiavenna. Historical and literary tradition attributes the paternity of the product to the latter.

The unique climate of Valtellina and the particular conformation of the valley play a fundamental role in making Bresaola unique and inimitable. The air that descends from the heart of the Alps and in summer takes on the scents of flowers and herbs from the alpine pastures meets in the valley bottom with the mild Breva, the typical breeze that comes up from the Lario (Lake Como), creating an ideal climate for the gradual maturing of Bresaola.

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

BRESAOLA

RA W MATE RI AL A N D P RODUCTION PROCESS The culture of Bresaola of Valtellina has been handed down and consumed for centuries. A production regulation defines precise rules in respect of traditional processing, guaranteeing authenticity as well as health and hygiene safety, traceability and product quality.

The careful selection of the raw material is the fundamental prerequisite for obtaining a superior quality product. In fact, only the five most prized muscle cuts (Punta d'anca, Magatello, Fesa, Sottofesa, Sottosso – bottom sirloin, rump and leg - ed.) of cattle of selected breeds, aged no less than 18 months and never more than four years, preferably reared outdoors and grazing, and fed with selected foodstuffs, are used for the production of Bresaola of Valtellina PGI. It is a quality choice because all these factors contribute to ensuring better meat, both from an

organoleptic point of view (e.g. consistency, tenderness, taste, colour, leanness and absence of veins) and from a nutritional point of view (e.g. lower fat content). For this reason, producers belonging to the Consortium mainly use meat from European and South American farms, where the farming systems and controls at all stages of the supply chain guarantee meat that meets the high quality standards required for the production of Bresaola of Valtellina PGI.

P U N TA D’AN CA This is the most prized cut, corresponding to the part of the rump deprived of the adductor muscle.

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F ESA/ RU M P Corresponds to the posteromedial portion of the thigh muscles and includes the internal rectus muscle, the adductor muscle and the semimembranous muscle.

SOT TO F ESA Corresponds to the posterolateral portion of the thigh musculature and specifically to the vastus longus muscle.

M AGAT EL LO/TOP S I DE Corresponds to the posterolateral portion of the thigh muscles and more specifically to the semitendinosus muscle.

SOT TOS SO Corresponds to the anterior fascia of the thigh, consisting of the rectus anterior muscle and the vastus external, internal and intermediate muscle.

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Meat that passes the conformity check is sprinkled with a moderate amount of salt and natural flavourings. The salt solution is formed from the meat juice. Wine, spices, sugars (with the aim of promoting the microbial phenomena responsible for much of the product's maturation), nitrites and nitrates of sodium and/or potassium, ascorbic acid and sodium salt may be added. The type and dosage of flavourings used give the Bresaola nuances of taste and aroma and are a secret that every producer has handed down for centuries. Salting lasts at least 10 days and is interrupted by 'churning', i.e. massaging, to allow the salt and flavourings to migrate evenly into the meat.

After salting, the meat is stuffed into a natural or artificial casing and sent for drying in special cells. This is fol— 34 lowed by the actual curing process, where the bresaola rests and 'matures' at an average temperature of between 12 and 18 °C (53.6° and 64.4°F).

The maturing process, including the drying time, lasts between 4 and 8 weeks. The specifications prohibit accelerated dehydration of the product, but allow ventilation and exposure to the natural humidity of the typical production area. In this phase too, the operator's ability to make the right changes is fundamental.

THE E UROP E A N P GI MARK Only the matured product that passes the chemical, sensory and product controls foreseen by the Regulations can be put on the market with the PGI mark. If the requirements set out in the Regulations are not met, it is instead downgraded. The control is carried out at two levels, in addition to the control carried out by the health authorities: the producer's own control and the

BY DAVID MANDOLIN

control of the independent third-party certification and surveillance body, appointed by the MIPAAF to ensure objective compliance with the rules dictated by the Regulations and the Control Plan and to supervise the activity of recognised producers.

Tagliolini recipe Ingredients 400 gr (14 oz) of fresh tagliolini 120 gr (4.2 oz) of Bresaola of Valtellina PGI 80 gr (2.8 oz) of trevisan radicchio or rocket Cream to taste Butter to taste Grana Padano cheese to taste P REPARAT I ON Cook the tagliolini in plenty of salted water. Revive the roughly chopped salad in a high-sided pan. Add the cream and the bresaola cut into strips as wide as the noodles. Thicken with a wooden spoon and pour over the freshly drained noodles.

Serve with parmesan cheese and, if desired, add a pinch of nutmeg.

THE PIZZA BASES YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT With 100% italian flours • With Sourdough Over 24 hours leavening • High hydratation Indirect dought with “biga” method Worked and stretched out by hand

4 RECIPES Classic Noir with 100% italian black rice

Wholemeal with 100% italian ancient grain flour With cereals and seeds

3 SIZES Round Rectangular mono Rectangular maxi

GRECI INDUSTRIA ALIMENTARE s.p.a. Strada Traversante Ravadese, 58 - 43122 Parma, Italy - www.greci.com @greci_industriaalimentare @greciindustriaalimentare @greciindustriaalimentare

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BY CATERINA VIANELLO

Discovering rocket 36

The protagonist of a recent rediscovery, which made it one of the symbolic ingredients in the gastronomic fashion of the 1990s, rocket has had a turbulent history.

Known since ancient times, appreciated by the Romans, it reached an initial peak of popularity in the Middle Ages, only to experience a period of decline. It re-emerged after a few centuries, but it is only in the past few decades that the herb belonging to the Cruciferae family can be credited with achieving remarkable success.

Although we use only one term, it is useful to proceed with a clarification from the outset. There are in fact two types of rocket: wild rocket (Diplotaxis), which is a herbaceous perennial with small leaves and an intense flavour, and cultivated rocket (Eruca sativa), which is an annual with large leaves but a less pronounced flavour.

Wild, perennial rocket, which is widespread in fields and marginal areas of alkaline soils,

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

has small yellow flowers and bright warm green leaves, deeply notched and very thinly lobed, which are fleshy and have an unmistakable spicy, pungent flavour, which increases over the months and peaks in summer. The cultivated one has leaves grouped in a basal rosette, whitish flowers with purple veins and darker green leaves with larger, less incised lobes.

The flavour is decidedly softer than the wild one. It is annual and is harvested when the leaves reach 10-15 cm (4-6 in) in length.

There are different types belonging to the wild variety: diplotaxis erucoides, with a strongly spicy taste, narrower, darker leaves; diplotaxis tenuifolia, with a bitter, spicy taste, dark green, long, slender leaves; verdiana, more delicate, with lance-shaped leaves; and the olive-leaved variety, diplotaxis integrifolia, with a fresh, watercress-like taste and elongated leaves.

ROCKET

Among cultivated rockets, there are some varieties that are distinguished by the colour of the leaves (which tends to purple) and the colour of the midrib (which can also be red). The most cultivated rocket varieties are Astra, Fireworks, Dragon's Tongue, Athena and Saturn. Of these, the most interesting is certainly the Dragon's Tongue. It has narrow leaves like those of an oak, deeply lobed with serrated edges and distinct brown veins. They are generally harvested at 10-15 centimetres (4-6in) in length and have a crunchy texture and a flavour reminiscent of a mixture of peppery, herbaceous and vegetable aromas mixed with notes of hazelnut and spice. It has a more intense flavour than the other 37 — varieties because it derives from a cross with the wild variety.

Finally, there is a rocket with the PGI label.

This is the rocket from the Sele Plain, which was recognised by the European Commission in 2020 for inclusion in the register of protected geographical indications.

The denomination designates wild rocket leaves produced in the province of Salerno, in particular in the towns of Battipaglia, Bellizzi, Eboli, Pontecagnano - Faiano, Giffoni Valle Piana, Montecorvino Pugliano, Montecorvino Rovella and Capaccio-Paestum. The leaves are 2-5 cm (1-2 in) wide and 8-25 cm (3-10 in) long and have narrow, toothed lobes. The aroma is spicy and piquant, particularly intense and penetrating and the texture is crunchy. The recognition of specificity is based on environmental and historical factors. On the one hand, there are the peculiarities of a soil of volcanic-al-

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luvial nature, formed by the action of Vesuvius and the alluvial action of the Sele river. Rich in macro and micro elements, especially potassium, calcium and iron, it gives the leaves their typical aroma.

Added to this is also the climate, with the thermoregulating action of the Tyrrhenian Sea and that given by the Alburni mountain range, which protects the area from the cold of the Balkans. Historical evidence suggests that rocket cultivation in the Sele plain was already practiced in the mediaeval period (the 'Opere mediche' of the 'Scuola medica salernitana' confirms this), but it was only in the late 1980s that more structured cultivation

38

BY CATERINA VIANELLO

was achieved, so much so that it has now become specialised.

Common to both the domestic and wild variety is its richness in vitamins A and C, antioxidants, iron, vitamin K and folic acid. Arugula has aperitif and digestive properties due to its essential oil based on sulphur substances.

In antiquity, according to the theory of humours, it was considered hot and dry like all spicy herbs and was included in the composition of misticanze to balance the coldness and wetness of other plants such as lettuce, endive, purslane. Among the Romans, because of its intense flavour, it was considered an aphrodisiac food, a characteristic that was responsible for its oblivion in the medieval period, when it was all but banned from convent gardens.

Among the recipes from the past, some are worth mentioning. A recipe book from the 17th century contains two in particular, one for wild and one for domestic rocket. The first is a salad with blackberry grass, fennel, plantain, hypericum, fegatella, first flower and ginger.

The other sees rocket accompanying lettuce, borage, basil and sorrel. Also well-known was the recipe for 'rucchetta savore' prepared with the small seeds of the plant left to soak in white vinegar and then crushed with garlic and almonds.

Everything was then salted and diluted with more vinegar. A particularly interesting variant also added ginger, verjuice and saffron. Another interesting recipe was the 'preserving' flavour: the seeds were crushed with spices, almonds, saffron and honey.

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TOPPINGS, INGREDIENTS AND SPECIALITIES

The mixture was then placed in an earthenware container where it would keep for up to six months. When it was decided to use it, it was diluted with vinegar or verjuice and made into a sauce for fish.

Since the 1980s, rocket has undergone a period of 'rediscovery' that has made it one of the symbolic ingredients of the 1990s, particularly when used with meat (sliced, carpaccio, bresaola) or as a pizza topping. In reality, relegating it to a simple raw addition as a green joker placed on any dish, without gastronomic reasoning, means not only trivialising its value but also failing to make the most of its character, which proves to be absolutely versatile. Perfect for misticanze, rocket combined with other leafy greens (lettuces, radicchios and valerian) or boiled potatoes has the ability to enhance the flavour. The same goes for cheeses and meats with a delicate flavour: some combinations that have become classic are those with fresh

ROCKET

or mature cheeses (stracchino, primosale, tomino, ricotta or mozzarella, but also goats’ cheese, parmesan and feta) as well as those with thinly sliced raw meats (carpaccio) or cooked meats. To enhance it, however, sauces and dressings are ideal. So it can replace basil in the preparation of pesto, or as a condiment - again for pasta - in combination with very tasty fish such as anchovies or sardines. It also goes well with dried fruit such as pine nuts, pecans, almonds and walnuts, or with bulbs such as radishes and beets. It is excellent cooked in combination with spinach and Swiss chard, perhaps lightly sautéed.

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RECIPES

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Salvatore Gatta 40

SALVATORE GATTA

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PIZZERIA FANDANGO, POTENZA Guide, the citation as a case study in the "I was born in Filiano, more precisely in Scalera di Filiano, a small hamlet 38 kilometres (23 mi) from Potenza (city of Basilicata, Italian region ed.).

Here I returned as an ice cream maker in the nineties and after a short time I opened Fandango, which started out initially as an Irish-style pub. Around 2010, the pizzeria project started without the traces of the previous pub disappearing, which remained with part of its gastronomic offer. It wass from this moment, however, that I began to have considerable success in the pizza world.

After winning the Olympics of the True Neapolitan Pizza, the Fandango project took a strong turn towards Basilicata and its traditions: from that moment on, with Fandango I was mentioned in the Espresso Guide as the best place in Basilicata, in the Identità Golose Guide, in the Slow Food Guide of Osterie d'Italia, which included it in the Alliance of Chefs Project and named Pizza Ambassador to the world, the 3 slices of the Gambero Rosso Guide, the 16th position in the world in the 50Top Pizza

book 'La buona pizza - storie di ingredienti, territorio e pizzaioli' (Good Pizza - Stories of ingredients, territory and pizza makers), and many television and radio appearances.

Fandango has succeeded in combining pizza, which traditionally in Lucania was linked to a peasant culture and closely linked to the bread-making ritual, with a territorial synergy and driving force with all the production companies involved; in addition to bringing the territorial culture that was the hallmark of the Scalera di Filiano restaurant, it also offers a traditional pizza, a sort of focaccia that retraces tradition by blending in new combinations and outof-the-oven toppings.

So there was a return of pizzas in the iron pan, breads with Lucanian cereals accompanying traditional chopping boards and side dishes and, last but not least and only at lunchtime, the Lucanian first courses in pentolacce (scafaree - clay or terracotta pots - ed.) or oven baked dishes. A project where, with Fandango, I put Basilicata, its traditions and old-fashioned values even more at the centre".

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INGREDIENTS

DOUGH: refreshed mother yeast 150 gr (110 lb / 17.63 oz)

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strong type 1 flour 200 gr (0,44 lb / 7.05 oz) type 0 flour water

400 ml (14 uk floz / 13.5 us floz)

olive oil salt

300 gr (0,66 lb / 10.65 oz)

2 tbsp

10 gr (0.02 lb / 0.35 oz)

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Pizza Capricciosa

REINTERPRETATION OF THE CAPRICCIOSA PIZZA A reinterpretation of a classic, the Capricciosa pizza in the round (baking tray).

After combining all the ingredients and forming the dough, let it rest for 10 minutes, fold twice and let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. After this time, roll out onto a baking tray and top with San Marzano tomatoes, cardoncelli mushrooms and mozzarella. Bake at 250/280° (482°-536°F) and out of the oven finish with black Lucano pork, baked Ferrandina olives and Filiano PDO pecorino cheese fondue.

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BY CATERINA VIANELLO

Italian hams: a journey through PDO and PGI 42 Many of Italy's gastronomic excellences were born out of necessity: in the past, before the advent of modern preservation tools, human ingenuity identified salt, smoke and exposure to air as valuable allies to prolong the life of food, to make it edible for a long time and above all pleasant to taste. Ham is undoubtedly one of the most illustrious representatives of foods born out of necessity and soon transformed into unique delicacy. To believe the etymology, it seems that the name derives from the Latin prae exustus, meaning 'well dried'. The origins of the preservation techniques are more certain. While referring to the Latin tradition of using salt, they also see the Celtic method of using smoke and therefore smoking. Exposure to air to improve its preservation and quality, and the use of fat and spices finally complete the history of Italian ham, which boasts excellent varieties spread across the regions.

Here is an overview of PDO and PGI-labelled products to discover and taste.

PDO PARM A H AM A rounded 'chicken leg' shape with no 'foot', a delicate and sweet flavour, with slices with an unmistakable pink colour in the lean part and white in the fatty part.

These are the distinctive traits of Parma Ham, which identifies part of a region - the province of Parma in Emilia Romagna - and whose production is further restricted by regulations to part of the Parma area. It boasts ancient origins: the earliest records date back to Cato (2nd century B.C.), but it was from the year 1000 onwards that ham began to gain importance, so much so that between the 13th and 14th centuries the Corporazione dei Beccai (Guild of Butchers) was founded in Parma. After slaughtering, the legs are trimmed and salted. This is followed by a second salting (at about 1 month) and a resting period of 60-90 days. Washed in lukewarm water to remove impurities, the ham undergoes pre-seasoning, is hung on the traditional 'scalere' and left to dry for 6-7 months, softened with a

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thin layer of lard, salt and pepper and then placed in the cellar to mature. The total processing time is 12 months. It is best tasted on its own or alongside Parmesan fried cake.

P DO MODE N A HAM There are 34 towns in the provinces of Modena, Bologna and Reggio Emilia where it is produced. Its origins are very ancient and it seems that on the banks of the Panaro river pig breeding began earlier than elsewhere in Emilia-Romagna. The thighs are trimmed to give the product its 'pear' shape. Then salted (twice), and left to rest for at least 60 days. Washed and dried, they are matured for a period of up to 14 months from the start of processing and then subjected to greasing. On the palate, it is savoury but not salty, with a pleasant, sweet and intense aroma. It is best served with the classic crescentina or tigella, in combination with other cured meats and soft cheeses or as a filling in traditional fresh pasta or to flavour white meats.

P DO TUSCA N HAM First the Etruscans, then Charlemagne, and finally the Medici: the production of ham in Tuscany has long been known and regulated. Trimmed in the shape of an arch, which gives a slightly protruding fleshy frame, the thighs are deprived of the foot, rind and inner thigh fat with a 'V' cut to facilitate salt penetration. Salting is dry; this is followed by greasing and seasoning, for a total of no less than 12-14 months. It has a rounded shape, arched at the top, and a bright-red colour, with little presence of inframuscular fat. It has a delicate, savoury taste, due to natural essences and flavourings (garlic, rosemary, juniper and myrtle) used in salting, and a characteristic aroma. The perfect combination is with PDO Tuscan bread.

ITALIAN HAMS

P DO CARP EGN A H AM Province of Pesaro-Urbino, Marche. The tradition of pig breeding in the territory of Carpegna dates back to the 15th century. The first historical document dates back to 1407: in it, Count Guidantonio of Urbino ordered that a market be held every Monday in the neighbouring town of Montecerignone, also forbidding the sale of 'pigs and salted meat' elsewhere. After slaughtering, the legs are subjected to two salting periods: one of 7 and one of 11 days.

After a resting period, the legs are washed, dried and the excess fat removed. This is followed by pre-curing, characterised by tying with a rope passed tightly around the upper part of the leg, and greasing. The curing period, from salting to marketing, lasts no less than 13 months. It has a rounded shape (so-called “ornament”), tending to flat, and a salmon-pink colour. The taste is delicate, sweet, and aromatic. 43 — The dish par excellence is risotto with PDO Carpegna Ham. P DO SAN DAN I EL E H AM It owes its name to the town of San Daniele del Friuli (Udine) in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It has Celtic origins and the chronicles in which it is featured are illustrious: during the Council of Trent, the Patriarch of Aquileia sent 12 hams to the prelates, while other documents attest to its presence in the courts of France and Austria and on the tables of the Doges. Weighed and trimmed, the thighs are salted (the rule is one day per kg of weight), then cleaned of salt and pressed for 24-48 hours, obtaining the typical guitar shape.

Washed, dried and greased, they are placed to mature (minimum 13 months): here it is the microclimate of the area (the San Daniele hill) with cold air from the north and warm air from the Adriatic, combined with the Tagliamento river to regulate the temperature, that gives the

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product its uniqueness. The shape is 'a guitar’, with a foot. The colour is uniform pinkish-red, with streaks of white fat. The aroma is intense, the taste sweet and delicate, more persistent as it matures. It is eaten alone or accompanied by fleshy fruit or as an ingredient.

P D O V E N ETO B E RI CO-EUGANEO HAM 15 towns on the southern border of the provinces of Padua, Vicenza and Verona, for a ham that owes its characteristics to the alternating dry and humid climate. The trimmed thighs are massaged and salted.

The salter's skill lies in knowing when to remove the salt, between the tenth and fifteenth day. Pressed and kept for 75 to 100 days, to allow the salt to dry and penetrate, the ham is washed, trimmed, dried naturally

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and covered with a mixture of cereal flour and pork fat. The curing period varies from 12 months to 18/24 months. It is pink in colour, slightly marbled. Soft and fragrant, it is delicate and sweet, a perfect appetiser.

PDO CU N EO RAW H AM We are in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Turin, in the Piedmont region. Here, the origins of pork leg processing date back to at least the 17th century, as evidenced by a 1618 document referring to the work of Piedmontese pork butchers. From the second half of the 19th century, ham from the Cuneo plain became more and more important: the new bourgeoisie elevated ham and its processing to a true art, while the nobility and clergy, attached to tradition, wanted customised recipes from master butchers. The trimmed legs are dry salted for at least 12 days, then rested for at least 50 days. This is followed by curing, which lasts for at least 10 months from the start of salting and during which greasing takes place, done either all at once between the fifth and seventh month, or in several stages, between the fourth and eighth month. It has a rounded shape, without a foot. The colour is uniform red in the lean part and white in the fatty part. The texture is soft and compact, the aroma sweet and fragrant. Excellent as an appetiser or main course, it goes well with other local cured meats and cheeses.

JAM B O N DE B OS S ES P DO Here we are in the Aosta Valley and in particular in the town of Saint-Rhémyen-Bosses, at an altitude of 1,600 metres (5250 Ft). The first news of production can be found in the Contes de l'Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard of 1397, where tybias porci produced in the territory of Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses are mentioned.

Fame soon spread beyond the borders and the Great St. Bernard Pass became one of the most frequented Alpine passes

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in the late Middle Ages, as a privileged route for trade with Western Europe. The trimmed legs are salted with the addition of peppercorns and ground pepper, sage, rosemary, garlic, juniper, thyme and bay leaves. Allowed to rest for 15-20 days, they are then washed and dried.

Afterwards, the femur head and exposed muscle surfaces are covered with coarsely ground pepper to prevent oxidation.

Maturation lasts from 12 to 30 months.

The ham is semi-pressed and retains the foot. When cut, the slice tends to be wine red, the fat firm and shiny, sometimes with pink tones on the outside. The taste is delicate and slightly salty, with a hint of sweetness, an aromatic undertone and a delicate vein of wild. It goes best with traditional rye 'black bread' or with mountain butter, honey and nuts.

P GI A MAT RI C IAN HAM There are 22 towns in the province of Rieti where it is produced. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages when it was used either as a trade commodity or as 'currency' to pay taxes to feudal lords. In 1811, the Statistica del Regno di Napoli (Statistics of the Kingdom of Naples) even mentions a pig industry in the Rieti area that was able to export its hams as far as Naples. With their classic pear shape, the legs are processed and salted. Salting is twofold. First they are massaged, rubbed with sea salt on the rind and salted by sprinkling with sodium chloride. After 4-6 days, the legs are subjected to a 'repassing'; the remaining surface salt is removed and the rind is rubbed and sprinkled with salt again. After a rest period of 8-14 days, this is followed by greasing and maturation, for at least 12 months from the first salting. The result is a product that varies in colour from bright pink to red when cut, with the pure white of the marbling fat. Savoury but not salty, it has an intense aroma, sweet and soft.

Excellent eaten on its own.

ITALIAN HAMS

P GI SAU RI S H AM We are in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the small town of Sauris, in the province of Udine. The peculiarity of the local ham is the smoking process, the origins of which are very ancient and capable of giving life to an art that combines the Nordic custom of smoking meat (in fact, it seems that the community of Sauris was founded in the 13th century by some families of Bavarian origin who had settled in the valley) with the Latin custom of preserving it with salt. The trimmed thighs are cured with a mixture of sea salt and/or rock salt, pepper and garlic. This is followed by smoking, in rooms between 15°C and 20°C (59°F and 68°F) and humidity between 50% and 90%, for which beech wood is used and which lasts a maximum of 72 hours. The subsequent curing lasts at least 10 months. Sauris ham is round, without a trotter, with a uniform golden-brown rind and orange hues. Slices are redpink, with white, pinkish-white fat.

45 — Delicate and sweet, it has a pleasant smoky note. Excellent with bread, it can also be served with dried fruit.

P GI N O RCI A H AM The province of Perugia, in Umbria, is the birthplace of PGI Norcia ham (the towns are those of Norcia, Preci, Cascia, Monteleone di Spoleto and Poggiodomo). Pork processing in the area was already known in Roman times: described by Cato the Censor in his 'De Agri Cultura', it has remained virtually unchanged since then.

The trimmed legs are salted in two stages. Desalted, they are left to rest for 2 ½ months. Washed, dried and passed through a greasing process, they are matured for 12 to 18 months. Rounded pear-shaped, it has a pinkish-red colour, a savoury taste and a slightly spicy aroma, given by the small quantity of pepper used in the greasing process. It is eaten on its own or with cheese, unsalted bread and some fresh seasonal fruit.

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RECIPES

R

CAMELIA RUSU

Camelia Rusu

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Camelia Rusu, winner of the pan pizza competition at the World Championship 2022, describes herself as stubborn. Camelia is a clear-minded, determined pizza maker with a seemingly simple but difficult professional goal to conquer day by day: to constantly grow and learn.

"I consider myself a simple girl, quite humble and with a strong sense of responsibility.

Resourcefulness and determination are sometimes combined with stubbornness, which helps me to passionately pursue goals.

I started very young in the family business.

My mother-in-law and my rock, Elena Rusu, introduced me to the world of pan pizza and thanks to her I learnt the skill comprehensively. When the pandemic struck, I met Tony Scalioti, who became my second teacher, collaborator, mentor and above all friend.

Thanks to him (and with him) and many training courses, I was able to express my love and passion for this job."

I

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INGREDIENTS

DOUGH: Ingredient

1 kg (2,2 lb / 35.27 oz)

Ingredient

1 kg (2,2 lb / 35.27 oz)

Ingredient

1 kg (2,2 lb / 35.27 oz)

Ingredient

1 kg (2,2 lb / 35.27 oz)

Spring Essence

ESSENZA PRIMAVERILE Method

The pizza that took me to the top step of the podium of World Pizza Championship 2022 is called Spring Essence.

I used an indirect dough with a pre-dough method. For the latter, I used a 380W strength flour with a 48% hydration and 1% yeast.

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I fermented the pre-dough for 18 hours at a temperature of 18/19°C (64.4°/66.2°F). I then completed the dough by working with 75% pre-dough and for the remaining 25% I added whole-wheat flour, combining it with a bran part.

Then I completed the dough by adding 0.8% malt, 25% salt and 30% oil with a final hydration of 87%.

When the dough was finished, I waited until it had almost doubled in volume, then I closed the balls, never forgetting to keep an eye on the time and timing of the various steps of my competition.

Topping: For the topping I used balanced and decisive agri-food products of excellence. In detail, I put female courgette blossoms, julienne mozzarella, buffalo stracciatella, Cinta Senese wild boar lard cut and cheek mousse, timut black pepper and bergamot oil."

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BY EDITORIAL TEAM

Parma Ham

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Parma Ham (from the Latin perexsuctum, literally dried) is a healthy and genuine product. No preservatives or additives have ever been used and the result is a tasty and completely natural product.

Two other ingredients are added to the pork leg and salt: time and the wind of the Parma hills. The uniqueness of this territory - an extremely limited area in the province of Parma - is precisely that it has the ideal climatic conditions for natural curing, which gives Parma Ham its unmistakable sweetness and flavour. This is an extremely controlled PDO product, linked to a long and rigid production process that ends with a careful examination and the ducal crown branding. This mark is the unmistakable sign that distinguishes it; a guarantee and security for the consumer, certifying the absolute excellence and genuineness of the product.

The Parma Ham Consortium was established to guarantee the unmistakable sweetness of Parma Ham. In pursuit of this aim, it has dictated a precise methodology to the producing companies in full respect of tradition: Parma Ham must successfully pass all the production phases that end with the careful examination and subsequent "crowning" with the well-known brand. An essential condition to obtain Parma Ham is that the entire production process takes place in the 'typical area': an extremely limited area that includes the territory of the province of

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and the Protection Consortium Parma located south of the Via Emilia at a distance of at least 5 km from it, up to an altitude of 900 m (2952 ft), delimited to the east by the Enza river and to the west by the Stirone stream. Only in this area are all the climatic conditions ideal for drying, i.e. the natural curing process that will give sweetness and flavour to Parma Ham. The air in the Parma hills is perfumed: the sea breeze from Versilia, once it has acquired the aroma of the pinewoods, rubs against the karst mountains of the Cisa, losing all its saltiness, and finally rolls over the scent of the chestnut groves; a dry air, therefore, ideal for curing hams.

PARMA HAM

P RO DU CT IO N P H AS E S I SO L AT I ON One selected for Parma Ham is a very special pig: born and bred in 10 regions of Central-Northern Italy, exclusively of the Large White Landrance and Duroc breeds, fed with quality food (maize, barley, whey derived from the production of Parmigiano), over 9 months old and weighing on average 160 Kg (352 lb). Only in the presence of these requirements, certified by documentation and the tattoo affixed by the breeder, can it be introduced into the Parma circuit.

COO L I N G The fresh leg rests for 24 hours in special cooling chambers until it reaches a temperature of 0 C° (32°F), so that the meat firms up with the cold and can 49 — be trimmed more easily.

During the cooling phase, the product undergoes an initial weight loss of approximately 1%. The legs used for the production of Parma Ham must not undergo any preservation treatment, except refrigeration, including freezing.

T RI M M I N G It is used to give Parma Ham its characteristic rounded shape. Trimming is carried out by removing part of the fat and rind, also for technical reasons, as it favours subsequent salting.

With trimming, the thigh loses fat and muscle to the extent of 24% of its weight; during this operation, thighs with even minor imperfections are discarded.

SALT I N G Salting takes place in different ways: the rind parts are treated with wet salt, while the lean parts are sprinkled with dry salt.

This operation is extremely delicate and

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must be carried out on legs at the right and uniform temperature; a leg that is too cold in fact absorbs little salt, while a leg that is not cold enough may suffer deterioration. The leg is then placed in cold storage at a temperature of between 1 and 4 C° (33.8°F-39.2°F), with about 80% humidity. After a week in this cell, known as the 'first salt' cell, it is taken back, cleaned of residual salt and finally subjected to a light salt rub. It then returns to a new cold store, known as the 'second salt' cell, and remains there from 15 to 18 days, depending on its weight. At the end of this salting period, the weight loss is around 4%, as the meat gives up some of its moisture, slowly absorbing the salt.

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RE ST Once the residual salt has been removed, the leg remains for periods ranging from 60 to 80 days in a special cell known as a 'resting cell', with a humidity of around 75% and a temperature of between 1 and 5 C° (33.8°F and 41°F).

During this phase it must 'breathe' without becoming too wet or dry. Air exchange in the cells is very frequent. The absorbed salt penetrates deeply, distributing itself evenly within the muscle mass, and the weight loss at rest is approximately 8/10%.

W AS H I N G-DRYI N G The leg is then washed with lukewarm water to remove any salt crystals or impurities. Drying takes place either by taking advantage of the natural environmental conditions, on dry and windy sunny days, or in special 'drying rooms' where the convective movements of the air are duly exploited.

PRE-S E ASON I N G - GRO OM I N G Hung on the traditional 'scalere', the hams dry naturally in rooms with opposite windows. The windows are opened according to the humidity conditions inside, both in relation to the external climatic humidity and that of the product. This operation must allow the product to dry gradually and as steadily as possible. The weight loss at this stage is 8/10%.

SU GN ATU RA - GRE AS I N G The uncovered muscular part is covered with “sugna”, a mixture of ground pork fat with the addition of a little salt and ground pepper and sometimes rice flour.

The function of this “sugnatura” (greasing) is to soften the superficial muscle layers, preventing them from drying out too quickly compared to the inner ones, while still

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PARMA HAM

allowing further moisture loss. Pork fat is not considered an ingredient under Italian law, as it is a product of slaughtering, and therefore completely natural and without any kind of preservative.

C URI N G At the 7th month, the ham is transferred to the "cellars" of the factory, which must be located in the typical production area, where the particular environmental characteristics have an influence on the curing process, during which important biochemical and enzymatic processes also take place, and together determine the characteristic aroma and flavour of Parma Ham. During curing, the weight loss is about 5%.

SURV EY At the end of the maturing process, the sampling operations are carried out, an olfactory examination that involves the penetration in various points of the muscle mass of a needle made of horse bone, a material that has the particularity of absorbing the aromas of the product and then losing them again very quickly.

The needle is 'sniffed' by experts trained to recognise and evaluate the olfactory characteristics, in order to establish the good progress of the production process and the respect of the peculiar sweetness.

B RA N DI N G After a minimum of twelve months, and after appropriate checks carried out by external inspectors, the 5-pointed crown firebrand mark is affixed, which identifies Parma Ham and guarantees absolute respect for the traditional processing. method.

AN U N M ISTAKAB LE S IGN ATU RE : H O W TO RECO GN IS E PAR M A H AM

The branded 'crown' that distinguishes Parma Ham is not the only mark on 51 — the rind of the ham. The quality of the PDO product is guaranteed by the 'signature' left by each component of the chain, so that it is possible at any time to trace and verify all the steps in the production chain. Careful examination will therefore reveal the entire journey of each individual leg.

A special indelible tattoo is placed by the breeder on both legs of the pig, with its own code of identification and month of birth of the animal.

The slaughterhouse, which 'inspects' each fresh leg, then affixes a firebrand stamp. This will permanently identify the leg by means of the acronym PP Prosciutto di Parma and the identification code of the slaughtering plant.

Month and year in which curing began are embossed, together with the initials C.P.P. Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma - in the metal seal consisting of a circular crown.

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At the end of this lengthy certification process, after a careful examination that verifies the regularity of the previous phases and the achievement of the unmistakable organoleptic requisites peculiar to Parma Ham, the firebrand mark is affixed, consisting of a 5-pointed crown with an oval base in which the word PARMA is inserted and, below it, the abbreviation identifying the company where processing was carried out.

For presentation, Parma Ham must be prepared properly. After removing the rind, it should be defatted according to taste and requirement. However, not all the fat should be removed before cutting. It helps to preserve the unmistakable flavour of Parma: and for those who prefer little fat,

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we recommend leaving at least half of it.

The first slices must be taken from the side until the bone is reached. And boning it will be an important process, with a ritual that requires care and attention.

Prosciutto di Parma must always be cut with a slicing machine. And each slice must be as thin as a sheet of paper. This is the only way to enhance sweetness and uniqueness of taste.

Ask that it be sliced freshly in front of you: if sliced hours in advance and not stored properly (i.e. vacuum packed), it may lose some of its taste or even spoil.

How to store it De-boned and packaged, Parma Ham can be stored for up to 6 months in a suitably refrigerated environment at between 4 and 8°C (39.2°F and 46.4°F).

Only Parma Ham on the bone can be hung.

In this case, preservation involves other times: up to 12 months, in a room with a temperature between 17 and 20°C (62.6° and 68°F), once started, it can be kept in the refrigerator for a month, taking care to cover the cut part with cling film.

ORGAN O L EP T I C AN D N UT RI T I O N AL AS P ECTS Parma Ham has a balanced combination of organoleptic characteristics and nutritional properties. Thanks to its low fat content, high mineral salts, easily digestible vitamins and proteins, it is a food suitable for everyone, including children, the elderly and athletes.

It is highly digestible due to its high-quality protein content and the natural proteolysis that occurs during maturing (the breakdown of proteins into smaller molecules and individual amino acids).

It helps sportsmen and women thanks to the detoxifying and anti-fatigue action of free amino acids (which make up more

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than 20% of the total protein share) and help repair muscle damage due to the wear and tear the muscle undergoes during movement.

It helps fight and inhibit the action of free radicals, the main cause of ageing and degenerative diseases, and restore the body's physiological balance, thanks to the presence of natural antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium.

It protects against cardiovascular disease due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids (64.9 %), those good fats that are good for your health, such as oleic acid (45.8 %), a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil.

Eating Parma Ham means contributing to the recommended daily intake levels (RDA) of B vitamins, but also providing a good share of valuable minerals with high bioavailability, i.e. easily absorbed by the body, such as iron.

T H E CON SORTIUM The Parma Ham Consortium was established in 1963 to protect and enhance Parma Ham worldwide and offer consumers guarantees and assurances on the quality of the product. Since then, it has been engaged in numerous activities including: • Management and safeguard of the production specification deposited with the European Union for the recognition of the "Parma Ham" Protected Designation of Origin • Management of the sector's economic policy, including the formulation of strategies, guidelines, macro-economic policies for the Parma Ham sector • Protection of the designation 'Prosciutto di Parma' and its mark (Ducal Crown) worldwide and to suppress any illicit use

PARMA HAM

• Supervision of proper compliance with legal provisions • Product promotion and valorisation in Italy and worldwide • Assistance to member companies to facilitate and improve the production and marketing in Italy and abroad of Parma Ham. Today, it can count on an organisation of 140 companies, all located in the typical production area, which continue to use and preserve the traditional processing method, following the same production specification deposited with the European Union.

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BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

San Daniele:

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Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO takes its name from the small town in the province of Udine that is home to its production, whose main economic activity in the area is based on the ham production chain. It is profoundly linked to the place where it is produced: the geographical position and composition of the microclimate make San Daniele del Friuli a unique place for curing the sausage, the result of the encounter between the cold breeze from the northern Alps and the sea breeze from the Adriatic Sea. In 1961, the Prosciutto di San Daniele Consortium was established, which today has 31 producer members, to protect and promote this territorial excellence throughout the world.

TH E RAW M AT ERI AL Let's start with the main raw material of San Daniele PDO: the pork legs. These are entirely produced and processed in Italy, in a limited geographical area. In fact, we are talking about a production chain consisting of 3,799 farms and 116 slaughterhouses, embracing no less than ten regions in the north and centre of the Peninsula (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Abruzzo, Marche and Umbria).

Each leg is obtained from selected animals of the Italian Large White, Landrace and Duroc breeds only. Pigs of the basic traditional Large White and Landrace

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how a small town in Friuli gave birth to the excellence of Italian ham

SAN DANIELE HAM

breeds, either pure or derived, as improved by the Italian Herd Book, are also permitted. And animals derived from the Duroc breed, as improved by the Italian Genealogical Book. Or pigs of other breeds, crossbreeds and hybrids, provided they come from selection or crossbreeding schemes compatible with those of the Italian Herd Book. The genetic types envisaged are characterised by the achievement of high weights: the Specification requires an average weight of 160 kg (352 lb), with a variable range of 10%.

On the other hand, all pigs not belonging to the breeds indicated above or not suitable for the permitted genetic types are absolutely excluded from the production cycle. The creation of a pig DNA database guarantees an additional 55 — control action on the supply chain for anti-fraud and anti-counterfeiting purposes of the genetic type: through a DNA test on the finished product, the use of compliant breeds is reliably certified.

T H E W EI GH T O F P ROSCI UT TO DI SAN DAN I EL E AN D T H E FAT L AYER After an initial skimming carried out in the slaughterhouses, the specialised operators of the San Daniele ham factories select the individual pieces for production. Each leg must meet the minimum weight standard of 12.5 kg (26 lb) and must not exceed 17.5 kg (38 lb), with a constant ratio of lean mass to fat layer.

The latter must meet specific parameters regarding its thickness and consistency: on the outside of the freshly trimmed leg, the fat layer, measured vertically at the femur, must not be less than 15 mm (2/3 in), including the rind.

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S E A SALT The second ingredient is added to the thighs selected and sent for processing: salt, strictly of the dry, sea type. Again, this is an Italian raw material, coming from the central-southern area of our country.

After being sprinkled with salt, each leg is left to rest at a temperature of between 0°C and 3°C (32° and 37.4°F) for a number of days corresponding to the kilograms of its weight. At this stage, the ham begins to release moisture and subsequently dehydrate. The next step is pressing, which allows the salt to penetrate the meat and flavour the entire ham.

In accordance with the latest Production Regulation issued, the amount of salt used has been greatly reduced, so as to also reduce the environmental impact

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of the San Daniele ham production cycle.

The third ingredient of San Daniele PDO is the microclimate of San Daniele del Friuli, which gives the ham not only its typical flavour, but also its organoleptic qualities.

Thanks to its geographical position, the breezes that come up the Tagliamento River from the Adriatic Sea meet the cold winds that descend from the Carnic Alps along the riverbed. This generates a light and constant breeze, to which the hams are exposed during curing. Added to this is the presence of the Tagliamento itself, which flows not far and laps the town in Friuli. The watercourse acts as a natural regulator of temperature and air humidity, guaranteeing an ideal environment for the production of hams. It is for this reason that the 31 consortium ham factories are based exclusively in San Daniele del Friuli.

THE PRODUCTI ON PROCESS Within 120 hours of slaughtering, each leg arrives refrigerated at the San Daniele ham factory. Here, the individual pieces are selected for processing. Each leg must meet a minimum weight standard of 12.5 kg (27 lb) and must not exceed 17.5 kg (38 lb), with a constant ratio of lean mass to fat layer. If it does not meet these parameters, the leg is rejected.

Once it has passed the initial inspection, a stamp is affixed to it certifying the date on which processing of the ham began.

This is in addition to those already present on the rind, which show the initials of the province and the identification code of the farm, the month of birth of the pig and the identification code of the slaughterhouse. After the first skimming, the legs are taken to a cold room to allow them all to reach the same temperature, between 0 °C and 3 °C (32° and 37.4°F).

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SALT I N G The second step is salting. The selected legs are sprinkled with dry sea salt from central and southern Italy. They are then left to rest in this condition for a number of days equal to their weight in Kg. At this stage, the ham begins to release moisture and dehydrate. The next crucial step is the pressing stage, which allows the salt to penetrate the meat and flavour the entire ham. It is here that the ham begins to take on its classic guitar shape.

Once they have been cleaned of salt, the legs are gently massaged and placed in frames, enclosed in other cold rooms. In this new environment, with a temperature of between +4 °C and +6 °C (38.2° and 42.8°F), the drainage of liquids reaches its peak, thanks also to the humidity of between 70 and 80 %. At this point, they are ready to be sent to the next processing steps in preparation for curing, which will turn them into unique hams.

C URI N G The hams enter the chambers around the fourth month after the start of the production process. And they remain there until at least the thirteenth, as laid down in the Production Regulations. Prosciutto di San Daniele therefore needs time to become such, and it only becomes so after a long period of rest. The particular climatic conditions limited to the territory of San Daniele del Friuli are characterised by gentle ventilation and low humidity: two elements that create an amalgam 'notoriously considered ideal for curing hams'.

These environmental conditions produce 'further elements of characterisation through the conveyance of microflora, which determine the typical aromatic traits of the product'.

SAN DANIELE HAM

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PIZZA E PASTA ITALIANA Monthly food and food culture magazine Published by PIZZA NEW S.p.A. With permission of the court of Venice n. 1019 del 02/04/1990 n. 6/bis, June, 2022 English Issue Repertorio ROC n. 5768

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Massimo Puggina EDITOR Antonio Puzzi EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Caterina Orlandi ADVERTISING David Mandolin, Caterina Orlandi PROJECT MANAGER David Mandolin EDITING OFFICE 30021 CAORLE (Venezia) via Sansonessa, 49 Tel. +39 0421 212348 Fax +39 0421 83178 E-mail: redazione@pizzaepastaitaliana.it follow us

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GRAPHIC DESIGN Manuel Rigo, Paola Dus — Mediagraf lab ILLUSTRATIONS

by Giulia Serafin PRINTING OFFICE MEDIAGRAF SpA Noventa Padovana (Pd) - ITALY EDITORIAL AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Marisa Cammarano, Alfonso Del Forno, David Mandolin, Caterina Orlandi, Virgilio Pronzati, Caterina Vianello.

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Since 1990, Pizza e Pasta Italiana has been the Italian magazine of reference for professionals working in the pizza sector. As the organiser of international events such as the Pizza World Championship, Pizza e Pasta Italiana magazine tells the story of pizza over time, in Italy and in the world, through scientific articles, interviews with professionals, thematic insights on toppings, ingredients and specialities, processing techniques and new trends, with a constant spirit of service towards the restaurateur.

Slices is a print and digital publishing project that continues to grow by looking into some of the basic raw materials to make pizza to perfection.

"Slices" of culture for professionals only, offering them a practical and immediate tool to progressively contribute to spreading knowledge of raw materials, processing techniques, technologies and the most suitable tools to prepare, with passion and love, one of the most loved dishes in the world. /Grains- Part 05 Second edition:

/Toppings, ingredients and specialities - Part 6 Upcoming publications:

/Preparation and cooking: equipment and tools - Part 07 /Mozzarella, cheeses and ingredients - Part 08

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