Mortadella Bologna PGI

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The word “mortadella” dates back to the Roman period. According to some sources, it derives from “Mortarium” (mortar), an instrument which was used to mash pork. The production of Bolognese sausage, however, can be located in an area of great Roman influence and which extends from Emilia Romagna to the region of Lazio. In fact mortadella is the most well known cold-cut of the Bolognese tradition, with historical origins dating back to the 16th century. In recent times the original production area has extended also to neighbouring areas. As from the late Renaissance period, the presence of mortadella on Italian tables is widely evidenced by the many literary and historic witnesses. A rather picturesque curiosity is linked to cinema: Mario Monicelli's film “La Mortadella” shot in 1971, where Sophia Loren, a Neapolitan country girl goes to New York to meet her boyfriend. She is stopped at the airport because of a chunk of mortadella, whose importation in America was prohibited.

How it is consumed

The Bolognese sausage can be eaten in many different ways. It can be sliced in little cubes and served with fresh vegetables and cheese, or it can be finely sliced and used as a stuffing to flavour typical dishes which are meat-based or rustic timbale.

How it is conserved

As all cold-cuts, if sliced the mortadella must be eaten in a short period to avoid that it becomes dry. If purchased air-tight it is necessary to preserve it in a refrigerator to maintain its aroma and colour.

How it is produced

The production technique for the Mortadella Bologna is unique: it starts as mashed meat, treated according to a specification recognised on a European level, and which is mashed and reduced to a creamy emulsion following different phases in different meat grinders (the last type of grinder is significantly called “extermination”). Cubes of fat are then prepared, mainly from gullets, which supply the most hard and prized of fats. The result is packed in desired measures (mortadella is available in all sizes: from 500 grs to 50 Kg) in natural or plastic packing and which then undergoes a boiling phase. This phase is the most delicate, which gives the mortadella its characteristic aroma and its typical softness: the process also foresees the use of dried air furnaces, with cooking times which can last a few hours to a whole day. What follows is a cold water shower and a period in cold cells, which allows the product to stabilise itself.

How it is known

The real mortadella di Bologna is labelled with the consortium's mark and the community's Pgi label.

Product report