Organic Sheep Salami 

Tratturo Salami. ASCA's historic innovation: 30 years ago, the idea of ​​valorizing sheep meat in cured meats was born, now included in the regional Atlas of Traditional Products.

The transhumant shepherd's salami, named after the UNESCO sheep tracks of Abruzzo: an excellence that has received numerous international awards.

Organic Sheep Salami from the Tratturo Farmhouse La Porta dei Parchi

Sheep salami Tratturo Salami of the ASCA Cooperative – Bioagriturismo La Porta dei Parchi of Anversa degli Abruzzi is the identity cured meat of the Cooperative: a historical creation of ASCA which in addition 30 years ago had thepioneering intuition to valorise sheep meat - until then almost exclusively used in traditional pastoral recipes requiring long cooking - in the form of raw cured salami. A real one food and wine bet which has given rise, over time, to a product of such excellence that it is included in the regional atlas of traditional products of the Abruzzo Region and to have received numerous awards and recognitions also at international level. The name “Tratturo Salami” It is neither casual nor poetic: it is a direct reference to the ancient sheep tracks of the Abruzzo transhumance —those grassy paths as wide as 111 meters which for millennia have connected the summer pastures of the Abruzzo mountains to the winter pastures of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, and which in 2019 they were recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The salami of the transhumant shepherd, therefore: compact, preservable, energetic food - exactly that “travel food” which for millennia has accompanied shepherds during their months of walking between the mountains and the plains, a small encyclopedia of flavors to carry in your backpack.
 
 
 

The roots of the Organic Sheep Salami Salamella di Tratturo lie in the transhumant civilization of Abruzzo.

I sheep tracks they are the core of the identity pastoral civilization of central and southern Italy: ancient grassy paths of transhumance, wide up to 111 meters (corresponding to one hundred Neapolitan steps, the ancient unit of measurement of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies), travelled for millennia by shepherds from Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia together with their flocks. Great Tratturo connected L'Aquila to Foggia crossing the entire Apennine ridge for approximately 244 kilometers; the The King's Tratturo connected Pescasseroli to Candela. In In 2019, Transhumance was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List., establishing the universal value of a practice that has almost disappeared today but is alive in the collective memory and in some experiences such as that of ASCA, which has kept it alive for almost 40 years. Along the sheep tracks, for millennia, the transhumant shepherds they had developed a poor, robust and portable kitchen, made up of a few fundamental foods: the cheese , ricotta cheese produced in the mountain pastures, the ancient grain bread preserved for weeks, the salted olives, some dried vegetables and — above all — the cold cuts: small, compact, high in calories, and able to be preserved for a long time without refrigeration. It was a pack food, to be consumed while sitting on a stone during a rest stop, a source of protein and energy to continue the journey. Tratturo Salami ASCA is the contemporary recovery of this ancient pastoral gastronomic tradition, reinterpreted with organic wisdom and superior artisanal quality: the same cured meat that — with more rudimentary techniques — would have accompanied an eighteenth- or nineteenth-century shepherd along the Tratturo Magno, today produced according to the best ICEA-certified organic standards.
 
 
 

Sheep + pork belly: the technical wisdom of balance

La Organic Sheep Salami recipe Tratturo Salami it is the fruit of a technical knowledge of cured meats refined over the years by ASCA's experience. The starting point is the organic sheep meat of the highest quality, coming from the Cooperative's flocks raised on transhumant pastures (summer grazing on the high-altitude pastures of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park; winter grazing on meadows rich in over 2.000 aromatic botanical species). The meat is boneless e freed from sheep fat —that fat with a "slightly strong" flavor typical of grazing sheep, which is not always appreciated by contemporary consumers, accustomed to less gamey flavors. At this point, the brilliant choice: the sheep meat comes enriched with selected organic pork bacon, which gives the finished product that greater softness e looseness that sheep meat alone - excessively lean because it comes from grazing animals - would not be able to guarantee (it would risk drying out too quickly during the seasoning process, resulting in an unpleasant taste from a kinaesthetic point of view). Meats balanced in this way are add salt e black pepper — the only ingredients needed to ensure the regular lactic fermentation , perfect maturation of the pasta. A small amount of White wine to enrich the aromatic bouquet (responsible for the presence of sulphites) and natural flavors. Everything is stuffed into natural casing and left to mature slowly in the cellar, according to traditional times. recipe for balance, where the sheep raw material reveals all its character without ever slipping into excess.
 
 
 

Choosing the organic sheep salami Salamella di Tratturo means choosing the identity and research of sheep meat.

The organic sheep salami Salamella di Tratturo offers the nutritional richness typical of great artisanal cured salamis, with the distinctive plus derived from the raw material of sheep grazing. pasture-raised sheep meat brings noble proteins high biological value — complete with all the essential amino acids in optimal proportions — particularly valuable for athletes, growing people and the elderly. It is also richer than the average intensively farmed meat. omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with recognized anti-inflammatory properties, Vitamin E antioxidant, bioavailable iron in heme form (optimal absorption, useful against anemia), Zinc, selenium, B vitamins (especially B12 and niacin). select organic pork bacon provides the fatty acids that balance the nutritional and taste profile of the salami. Since it is a raw cured meat, it's a high nutritional density food — to be consumed in the right quantities, as a condiment or a characterizing dish rather than as a daily food in large quantities. natural fermentation of the maturing process develops a noble bacterial flora which brings benefits to the intestinal flora, a characteristic shared with the great salamis of European tradition. No added nitrites or nitrates (unlike most industrial salamis), without flavor enhancers, without dyes, without polyphosphates: only organic raw materials and cured meat expertise. Gluten free of course. Contains sulfites (due to the added white wine): to be considered by those allergic to sulphites.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Organic Sheep Salami 

• SIGNATURE CUTTING BOARD WITH TRADITIONAL ITALIAN CURED MEATS
  The most used noble of the Salamella di Tratturo is the signature cutting board — thinly sliced ​​with a knife (preferably not with a slicer, to preserve the grainy structure of the artisanal salami) and arranged on a wooden cutting board alongside other great Italian cured meats. Splendid when compared to the Organic Black Pig Corallina Salami, with the Artisanal Capocollo  for a Lazio-Abruzzo thematic composition, with the Raw mountain ham from Tuscia. Pair it with cheeses from the same supply chain: Pecorino Pizzo Marcello for a fully Abruzzese grazing experience, the Goat Cheese from the Lingotto Coast for a delicate goat-sheep contrast, or with a Pecorino Romano DOP Organic aged for a traditional pecorino comparison. Splendid with Organic Pitted Leccino Olives, with bread Solina Organic Soft Wheat Flour (the ancient variety of Abruzzo wheat!) lightly toasted, accompanied by a glass of full-bodied red wine.
• GOURMET SANDWICHES, ABRUZZO FOCACCI, AND TRATTURO CUISINE
  The Salamella di Tratturo is an excellent ingredient for gourmet sandwiches and for traditional Abruzzo pastoral preparations. For the classic “shepherd's sandwich” reinterpreted: semi-wholemeal country bread + Sliced ​​Tratturo Salami + shavings of Pizzo Marcello Pecorino + rocket or radicchio leaves + a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil — the gourmet version of the food that Abruzzo shepherds have consumed along the sheep tracks for millennia. Splendid in Abruzzo focaccia (traditional durum wheat pizza) with stewed red onion + salami + black olives. Exceptional in gourmet pizzas: white pizza + stracchino + Sliced ​​salami + raw rocket + pecorino flakes. Splendid in signature sandwiches, in Romagna piadinas revisited with stracchino and salami, in puff pastry bites fillings for gourmet aperitifs.
• TRADITIONAL ABRUZZO FIRST COURSES AND CREATIVE CUISINE
  In the kitchen, the Salamella di Tratturo is an excellent ingredient for rustic and creative first courses. Try it in the spaghetti with pastoral style: diced Tratturo Salami browned in extra virgin olive oil + garlic + chilli pepper + crushed fresh cherry tomatoes, topped with shavings of Pizzo Marcello Pecorino cheese on top. The combination is splendid with Organic Senatore Cappelli Spaghettoni with Curve. For Abruzzo polentaSautéed salami + fresh porcini mushrooms on top of a creamy polenta Organic Bramata Corn Flour. Gorgeous in rustic omelettes (Salamella + courgettes + pecorino), in savory strudels with vegetables and wild herbs, in savory pies of the Abruzzo tradition.

The Producer: La Porta dei Parchi Organic Farmhouse — ASCA Cooperative

The ASCA Cooperative of Antwerp of the Abruzzi (AQ) It is one of the most fascinating experiences of Italian organic agriculture: founded in 1977 by Nunzio Marcelli, developed since 1982 together with Manuela, it almost counts 40 years of extensive organic pastoralism in the highlands of Abruzzo. Certified ICEA Organic, inserted into the circuit Slow Food and Taste Workshops, famous for the pioneering project “Adopt a sheep, protect nature". The Tratturo Salami represents themost famous historical innovation by ASCA: the intuition to enhance sheep meat in cured meat, over 30 years ago, gave rise to a product awarded numerous international prizes and recognitions e included in the regional atlas of traditional Abruzzo productsAlongside the sheep salami, there are other emblematic innovations of the Cooperative: the Sheep Mortadella, the smoked ricotta with juniper and a collection of 15 varieties of sheep and goat cheeses.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Organic sheep meat*, organic pork meat* and fat* (selected bacon), natural flavours, white wine* (contains SULPHITES), black pepper, salt, natural casing.

*From ICEA-certified Italian organic farming. Sheep meat from extensive transhumant farming (summer grazing on high-altitude pastures). Organic pork meat and bacon. Contains SULPHITES (derived from the white wine used in production). Gluten-free. Lactose-free. No added nitrites or nitrates. No polyphosphates. No flavor enhancers. No colorings. No artificial flavors. Listed in the Regional Atlas of Traditional Products of the Abruzzo Region.
 
 
 

Food container

Store in cool and dry place (ideally in the cellar at 12-15°C) or in refrigerator (4-8°C) In the original packaging until consumed. Expiration date shown on the packaging. Once sliced salami, it is advisable wrap the remaining part in baking paper or a cotton cloth (avoid plastic film in direct contact with the pasta, which would prevent the salami from “breathing”) and store it in the refrigerator, consuming within 10 15-days. For the ideal service, it is recommended to slice the Tratturo Salamella with a knife with a long and well-sharpened blade, obtaining slices about 3-4 mm thick: knife cutting preserves the meat better than the slicing machine grainy structure typical of artisanal cured salamis. The slices can be remove from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before consumption to allow the aromatic components to fully express themselves at room temperature. natural white mold on the casing It is not a defect but rather an indication of natural seasoning: the casing can be removed before consumption or left in as desired.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(indicative average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy: approximately 1.660 kJ / 400 kcal
• Fat: approximately 32 g (of which saturated fatty acids: approximately 12 g)
• Carbohydrates: <0,5 g (of which sugars: <0,5 g)
• Protein: approximately 24 g
• Salt: approximately 4 g

Nutritional values ​​are indicative and estimated based on the average values ​​for artisanal cured salami made from mixed sheep and pork. As this is a naturally cured artisanal product, slight variations in weight, nutritional value, and organoleptic characteristics are possible due to the artisanal production process, the seasonality of the raw materials, and the changing production seasons. These variations preserve the integrity of the product and demonstrate its authentically traditional nature. 
 
 
 

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