Ventricina from Vastese
This typical cured-meat from the north of Vasto, today is still produced in a very hand-made way. The identity of a territory can be defined by its historical factors, its culture, its politics or its geographical aspects, in the case of the territory of Vasto, its identity is found in its gastronomic product : “ the Ventricina Contadina”.
A lot is rooted in this cured-meat which throughout time has become a symbol of Vasto, which is an appropriate academy chosen to defend its splendour and its nobility from the vulgar imitations of the cured-meat industry which they attempt to put onto the market every year.
Ventricina
In the standardization and globalisation of many food related situations, taste is one of the most evident features. A lot depends on the exchange of reference value and in addition to this, the amount of money a consumer has available to spend on food. At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, the percentage of one’s salary spent on food was approximately 40% - 50%, today the percentage is only 15% - 20%, it is a constant race to find the lowest prices offered, and because of this, we do not know very much about what is actually going into our mouths.
Those who package the “ventricina” escape from all of this, the “ventricina” is a philosophy of life, it is a slow process and the treatment of the product is like that of a mother, during these months which starts with the slaughtering of the pig, a well-known ritual of Vasto, then the seasoning and then it is sold. The “ventricina” must almost always be eaten as a starter or as a second dish, the side dish that accompanies it, is always fresh ripe tomatoes as a salad. Carrots and fennel can be alternative side dishes.
Sensorial Aspects
The “Ventricina” from Vasto has a vibrant pomogranite colour as soon as it has reached ripeness. As the seasoning process continues, it becomes more of an orange-red colour and tends to become more brown.
For the prince of all senses, you can smell the peppers and a hint of fennel.
The exaltation occurs when you taste it. The lean part, opportunely mixed with the fat, gives a light acidic taste due to the finely chopped pepper, but it immediately changes thanks to the sweet taste of the fat that when mixed all together, leaves a fresh cheese after taste. We can eat the “Ventricina” until we are full, accompanied by tomatoes that are almost ripe as a side dish. The suggested wines are: a light white sparkling summer wine and also red wines, the most suitable is the “Montepulciano D’Abruzzo” during the autumn or winter.
For further information about the adoption of a pig bred in the open air, please consult the following website: www.ventricina.com. For your information, 57 pigs have been adopted thus far from all of Italy and some have even been adopted from abroad.