The vastese Ventricina
The presence and a relevant consume of typical salted meats in Abruzzo is an old habit maintained till now.
Ventricina is unique and quite identifiable between Abruzzo's delicatessen and is produced, historically, in the hilly zone near Trigno and Sinello rives, called "Vastese".
This specialty is made in artisan way still nowadays; but recently, the look and the name "ventricina" is used by great delicatessen factories for similar products, to enlarge their offers. An example is the name of a village (Guilmi) used, with no rights, by a delicatessen factory, not in Abruzzo, to promote its kind of ventricina.
The factory-made ventricina looks like true Ventricina, but with a totally anonymous taste and a price lower about 50-70% than the artisan-made one.
These observations show that the moment is quite favourable for creating actions to preserve the true Ventricina.
Notes
The tradition of pigs killing and their transformation into salted meat is diffused all over the Abruzzo region.
In the hilly zone from Scerni-Cupello to Schiavi d'Abruzzo, including all villages of mountains communities called "of high and middle Vastese", the pigs killing has become, with time, a tradition with local distinctive features. For example, togheter salt, used to preserve pork since ancient egyptians, it was further used minced pepper as conservative spice. Pork is chopped exclusively by knifes and not by automatic tools.
As sacking are used pig's bladder.
The pigs-killing tradition is alive among peasant families. Note that the use of pigs belongs to great breeding factories reduce greatly the taste and the preservability of the home-made product. This fact induce some people to maintain old traditions.
So the pig must be buyed just weaned, in the former winter, breeded with care and let it grow until reaching the weight of about 180-200 Kg and over.
The feeding of pigs is based on bran, fruit and remnant of food; it is fundamental for the quality of meats and, then, of delicatessen.
Pigs are killed in the winter and the event is a great joy for peasants, a moment of social union. They choose a very cold days and more traditionalist prefer those of waning moon.
The pig is killed by jugular resection. After bleeding bristles it will be eliminated by fire, boiling water and blades and then eviscerated.
Afterwards it is left to became tender for almost a night. The cold climate of zones in which this tradition is still alive guarantees a good cooling. Then it will be boned and every little part used, as the old saying goes: "everything of a pig never wasted"