Mortadella

Mortadella di Bologna is an Italian sausage specialty of minced pork that is formed into large sausages of up to 100 kg with salt, pepper, sugar and coarse, fat bacon in art or natural casings and cooked in special hot air oven at 90 ° C. There are variations which additionally contain pistachios or other spices.

Mortadella is offered in three quality levels: extra, super and normal. With the quality trademark IGP ( indicazione geografica protetta, Protected Geographical Indication) provided mortadella must come from the province of Bologna and comply with rules established.

Mortadella di Bologna without the additional name may also have been produced with the addition of other meats. You must be labeled accordingly: S for pork, SB for pork and beef and SO for pork and lamb.

Mortadella is cut into very thin slices, mainly used as a sandwich filling.

German Mortadella is much smaller in diameter and is as smoked and scalded sausage. It therefore has a distinctly different flavor.

Before the widespread availability of black pepper in Europe mortadella was flavored with myrtle berries. Her original, Latin name was Myrtatella or Murtadum facirem.