These are established excellences of our agriculture and our farms now in great demand by the markets around the world. Among these there is one, the Soprèssa Vicentina DOP , which before dealing with the market must however deal with the palates of gourmets; yes, because the annual production of this local delicacy - about 100,000 quintals - is difficult to satisfy everyone.
And it is precisely on the Soprèssa Vicentina DOP that the spotlight of VenetoAgricolturaChannel , the multimedia channel of the regional agency, has been positioned this week, which for some months has embarked on a virtual journey among the Veneto agri-food denominations. Every week a new product is presented on the social channels of Veneto Agricoltura (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and today it is the turn of Soprèssa Vicentina DOP, the star of the gourmet table.
"We are talking about a typical sausage from Vicenza - underlines Marco Fantini , coordinator of the Association of Producers of Soprèssa Vicentina PDO - obtained exclusively from Large White , Landrace and Duroc pigs , born and raised in the province of Vicenza. The area The production of this extraordinary product therefore affects only and exclusively the entire territory of the province of Vicenza and in particular the area between the Small Dolomites, the Asiago Plateau and the Berici Hills ".
As highlighted in the technical sheet accompanying the focus (downloadable here: https://youtu.be/M9Gm0f8cwHI) the Soprèssa Vicentina PDO has a solid and ancient link with the territory of origin, just think that the painter Jacopo Da Ponte (known as Jacopo Bassano) represented it in 1577 in the painting "Christ in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus", now preserved in Houston in the United States.
From a production point of view, the Soprèssa Vicentina PDO is obtained following the traditional methods handed down through the centuries by the Vicenza farmers. Specifically, only the finest parts of the pig are used, such as thigh, coppa, shoulder, bacon, throat fat and loin.
The selected cuts of meat are ground to medium-coarse grain. Previously mixed salt and pepper are added to the minced meat and the traditional consa, a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, rosemary and, sometimes, garlic. Everything is well blended so that the fat is mixed with the lean up to the limit of the "honeycomb", that is to say the loss of consistency.
The resulting mixture is stuffed using natural bovine casings with a minimum diameter of 8 cm. The product is then tied with non-colored twine, placed vertically and horizontally. The sausages are left to drain for 12 hours, at temperatures between 20 and 24 ° C; then they are dried for 4-5 days and finally left to mature for a period that varies according to the size (minimum 60 days for the size between 1 and 1.5 kg up to a minimum of 120 days for the size included between 3.5 and 8 kg).
Soprèssa Vicentina PDO has a cylindrical shape and dimensions varying from 15-20 cm to 40-50 cm in length, with a minimum diameter of 8 cm. The external surface is covered with a light patina that develops naturally during the aging phase. The paste is compact and tender at the same time; the slice appears pinkish in color tending to red; the perfume is spicy with possible fragrance of aromatic herbs with or without garlic; the flavor is delicate, slightly sweet and peppery.
The custom has it that the Soprèssa Vicentina PDO is stored in a cool and dry place, hung from the ceiling, where it can be kept for about 12 months.
Finally, we come to the advice and suggestions. Once cut, after having removed the casing, it is advisable to place the soprèssa in the lower part of the refrigerator, wrapped in a cloth, protecting the cut part with cling film. As an appetizer it is excellent raw (pan and soprèssa) but also accompanied with pickles and biscuit bread. Roughly cut and seared on the grill, it can be served with Asiago DOP cheese and roasted polenta (perhaps with Marano corn). It also goes well with "vegetable cota": spinach, chard, pisacan (dandelion) and ravisse (turnip leaves).
