(map) Norcia, Umbria
This traditional Umbrian salami is part of the Easter Sunday breakfast, a true central Italian tradition. Mandatory white table cloth, lilac flowers, and a specific menu: Torta al Formaggio, hard-boiled eggs (symbolizing renewed life in accordance with Easter) plenty of sliced Corallina, and red wine.
Corallina is famed for its delicate taste and unique aspect: slender and often reaching even one meter (3 ft) in length; choice cuts of sweet pork meat are very finely ground, stuffed in a natural casing along with larger squared pieces of pink (and very tasty) fat, salt and whole black peppercorns. The aging of this particular salami is not long, and this is reflected in Corallina’s soft texture and exquisite aroma.
Who knows how many miles of Corallina were eaten this weekend alone!
-- Contributed by Eleonora Baldwin (see bio), Bi-lingual food & wine connoisseur, home cook, freelance writer, film industry script supervisor and travel enthusiast Lives in Rome with her 4 year old son, where she is currently editing her Italian cookbook/lifestyle manuscript. Eleonora is the author/editor of three popular weblogs: AGLIO, OLIO & PEPERONCINO, a food/lifestyle blog which focuses on Italian cuisine, food history, travel musings and local hang-outs. FORCHETTINE written in Italian; an Italian food-lover’s online guide in which the author reviews restaurant facilities and regional specialties in Italy. ROMA EVERY DAY a daily photo blog of the Eternal City.
April 6th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Yum, Yum!!!!
Thanks for the tip.
April 6th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
A savory hello from Frog Hollow Farm, and you know that I love my savories. This sounds like a perfect breakfast – corallina, hard boiled eggs, red wine and torta al formaggio! Yummmmmmm! What a lovely tradition, I need to get more traditions like this into my life! Ciao, bella!
April 6th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Thanks for this trip back to my childhood. This was a tradition my grandparents did every Easter Sunday morning. They were always invited to someone’s house for the Easter Feast, but they refused to leave their house until all of their children and grandchildren(including the family that was having them for dinner) had gone to their house and taken part in this wonderful ritual. Even the little kids were allowed to have a thimble-sized taste of sweet Vermouth. Sadly, they have been gone many years now, and this tradition died with them. So, sad. But, my memories keep them close to me. Thanks, again, for inspiring me to relive this beautiful memory.
April 13th, 2010 at 4:45 am
Oh how this reminds me of my childhood! My grandma always had a plate full of hard boiled eggs with salami around the edges and she made the best Easter Pizza (with eggs, cheese, ricotta OR eggs, cheese, ham). I’ve never heard of any other family besides ours that had that tradition.
April 20th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Gale and Patty,
I’m so happy this little note revived old family and eating traditions. We still do it, every year. That and painting the eggs and having them blessed at Sunday Mass.
Thank you for your heartfelt comments!