Salame Morenico Deco

Salame Morenico is the cured meat symbol of the moraine area of Lake Garda — that hilly landscape of glacial deposits lying between the Po Valley and the Garda lakeshore, representing perhaps the most productive and identity-defining agricultural zone of the province of Mantua and the eastern Garda area. The word 'Morenico' refers to the moraine — the glacially transported deposits that form at the snout of glaciers — and in local language designates the entire hilly area east of Lake Garda between Lonato, Castiglione delle Stiviere and Volta Mantovana. These hills, with their fertile soils from glacial loess, have favoured pig farming for centuries: the oak forests on the moraine ridges provided food for the pigs, the mild lakeside climate favoured the ageing of cured meats, and the trading traditions of the Gonzaga lordship made the products of this zone famous throughout northern Italy. Deco is a producer who has developed this tradition in a medium-grain salami reflecting the typical balance of moraine norcineria: balanced meat-fat ratio, seasoning with white pepper, rosemary and garlic, natural fermentation and ageing in cellars with the microclimate of the Garda moraines.

• Whole: hanging at 12–15 °C; up to 5 months
• Once cut: wrapped in wax paper in the fridge; use within 3–4 weeks
• Allow 15 minutes at room temperature before serving

In the kitchen: On a Gardesano board with Grana Padano, Bagoss and Bergamasco Salamella. In tramezzini with Provolone and rocket. As antipasto alla mantovana with lard and Mostarda di Mantova. In pasta al forno alla gardesana. Pairing: Lugana PDO or Valtenesi Rosso — the classic territorial pairing.

Salame Morenico Deco is produced according to the traditional recipe of moraine norcineria, in compliance with European food safety regulations for fermented meat products, with pork from controlled farms in the Garda moraine area. It is recognised as a PAT of Lombardy.

Product information

• Allergens: pork; garlic; white pepper; rosemary
• Gluten: absent
• Lactose: absent
• Pregnancy: with caution — raw aged meat
• Vegan/vegetarian: not suitable