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Mortadella of Campotosto
History
Historical documents witness the production of this cold cut in the area of Campotosto since 1796. The main feature characterizing Mortadella of Campotosto is the local climate: the mountain chains surrounding the area, the nearby lake, and the orography of the territory create a particular climate providing the ideal factors for the maturation process, characterized by the cold north winds. The producers have decided to preserve in the processing of their mortadella the country tradition, in order to safeguard its identity; as a matter of fact, mortadella of Campotosto is not only a foodstuff or an economic product, but it also represents a tradition handed down through usages and knowledge. In order to preserve and enhance this precious cold cut, the producers of mortadella of Campotosto joined in 2008 in an association, whose members follow precise production technical specifications focusing on handmade processing.
Current Production Area in the Park: The processing and maturation area of Mortadella of Campotosto involves the whole Municipality of Campotosto in the Province of L'Aquila, within the territory of Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
Description
A traditional product of Regione Abruzzo, mortadella of Campotosto is usually sold in pairs. It has the characteristic sub-ovoid shape, deriving from the manual processing of the mixture that can be contained in the palm of the hands: for its particular shape, the cold cut is called "Coglioni di mulo" (donkey balls). It is about 15-20 cm long, with a diameter of about 8-10 cm and an average weight of about 210-250 at the end of the maturation process. Brown color with slight whitish shades. It has a slight homogeneous white feathering, of natural origin and development, and in some cases a slight greasiness.
Product Availability: Mortadella is prepared in autumn and is ready after a maturation period of 60 - 90 days. Given the limited production, the supplies end in the first months of the year.
(photo by PN Gran Sasso)
(photo by PN Gran Sasso)
(photo by PN Gran Sasso)
