Spring 2009 Newsletter
Main feature:
Trip to Emilia Romagna. December 2008
Emilia Romagna, the northern Italian region that is home to Parmesan and Parma ham is made up of 2 districts, Emilia and Romagna. These 2 areas became one administrative region during Italian unification in 1859-1861 but they have remained very different: the Emilians themselves are peace loving and calm while the Romagnols are well known for being rebellious and fiery. Emilia’s dishes call for butter and cream and delicate flavours while Romagna’s are rough and simple, full of strong earthy flavours like chilli, garlic, herbs and olive oil not butter.
A visit to our new suppliers
Our regular trips to Emilia Romagna for Parmesan and Parma Ham rarely take us outside of Emilia but we heard a rumour about 2 young brothers making free range charcuterie in Romagna so at the start of December we traveled to the hills inland from the coastal holiday resort of Rimini to visit Matteo and Fausto Zavoli who breed pigs that live in the beech woods on their land and who make charcuterie that is gaining renown throughout the region.
Matteo and Fausto keep 2 breeds of pig. The Mora Romagnola is a rare breed black footed pig native to the Romagna hills. In the years following the 2nd world war its slow growth, high fat ratio and unsuitability to intensive farming deemed it uneconomical and the Mora was replaced by the commercial Large White, Landrace and Duroc breeds. By the early 1980s, in a story almost identical to that of the Cochon Basque, there was only a handful of the pigs left. Now, however, financial support from the Slow Food movement has given a handful of breeders the chance to revive the race and the public the chance to taste how fabulous the meat is. Numbers of the pig are steadily growing. Alongside the Mora, Matteo and Fausto also breed a Large White/Duroc cross to make a less expensive range of free-range charcuterie.
The Zavoli brothers represent a new generation of Italian breeder/ producer that is eschewing modern production methods in pursuit of quality and tradition. They slaughter just 5-6 animals a week and the charcuterie the brothers make from these pigs is fabulous. We tried salami, prosciutto, lardo, pancetta, coppa and spalla: all aged slowly and naturally with just salt, pepper and a range of different spices.
We met all the pigs and even got to see the runt of the last Mora litter – a four week old piglet being bottle fed by Matteo’s wife in their spare room! Their charcuterie isn’t cheap - this kind of extensive farming never is – but it is sustainable, humane and delicious. We will be receiving our first order in time for Easter.
Visiting our Parmesan producer
The day after visiting the Zavoli brothers we had breakfast in Rivalta watching Umberto making our Parmesan. It was bitterly cold and the view from the ridge where Umberto has his farm was misty and white with snow. Inside the dairy the 2 steaming, copper cauldrons where he was making the cheese kept us warm.
Prosciutto di Sant’Ilario
Massimo in his packing area. Talking about ham, no doubt...
From there we drove gingerly down into the valley to Cose Buone di Una Volta where Massimo Fortini hand selects Parma Hams and mountain culatello for us. For the rest of the day we talked food, ate Parma Ham and drank Lambrusco together. Massimo was very excited for us to try Sant’Ilario Parma Ham.
Within Italy Sant’Ilario is to prosciutto what Rolls Royce is to cars: a name that guarantees quality and exclusivity. This reputation is reflected in the price and also the fact that it is virtually impossible to get your hands on any. Massimo has managed to get a small supply and it was so fragrant and sweet that agreed to take some.
We’ve got through 6 Sant’Ilario hams since our return and, while they are not hand selected by Massimo, they have been consistently elegant and delicious and we have ordered another 40. Phil will be selling some of them at the market and they are definitely worth trying.