Finocchiona a symbol of Tuscan-ness

“Just as skillful hairdressers are able to make even the ugliest woman look attractive, so the aroma of Finocchiona is able to disguise the taste of even the most undrinkable wine.”

Who among insiders does not know this Tuscan saying, of Chianti origin? Probably no one, and it is from here that one understands the importance of this cured meat in the Florentine territory and throughout Tuscany.

It is said that peasants used the intense flavor of Finocchiona to cover that of table wine, sometimes of poor quality. Hence the term “infinocchiare,” to give the sense of a deception, a swindle undergone.

The history of Finocchiona is long and boasts an ancient tradition, so much so that its quality and fresh flavor enrich the table not only of Tuscans, but of all Italians. Its flavor is characterized by the wild, fresh taste of the fennel seeds and the sweetness of the meat, which is very soft on the palate. If you have had occasion to enter a Tuscan delicatessen, you will surely have noticed hanging from the ceiling or in plain view behind the counter, this excellent salume, typical of our gastronomy.

Finocchiona is a sausage with a vibrant red color, to the intensity of which the wine that mixes with the fresh pork contributes in no small part, and a soft texture. But its main characteristic is the irresistible aromas given off by its main ingredient, fennel seeds.

The culture of Finocchiona fits into the ancient Tuscan tradition in pig breeding, dating back to the Etruscan-Latin period, as witnessed by Pliny, among others. The Roman historian tells us how, in his time, it was customary from Etruria to send twenty thousand pigs to Rome each year for slaughter. Tuscany, then Etruria, was in fact the ideal land for raising pigs, particularly in the Maremma maquis, marked by vast territories that guaranteed perfect conditions for the pigs to live for the production of meat of unparalleled quality.

But how did such a distinctive name come about?

To find out, we have to go back in time to the Middle Ages, when norcini (pork processors) had to solve the problem of pepper, at that time in history one of the rarest and most expensive spices on the market. All they had to do was look around and observe what nature had put on hand, fennel seeds. The rest is history.

Its unmistakable flavor immediately conquered Tuscan tables, even the noblest ones with illustrious personalities such as Niccolò Machiavelli who, it is said, particularly loved this cured meat, so much so that they considered it welcome at every meal.

Linguistically, in 1889 Finocchiona gained the attention of the Accademia della Crusca, which included the name in its Vocabulary, emphasizing its connection to the Tuscan territory. In 1956 it was Treccani that gave it formal recognition, with the term Finocchiona gaining its place in the Italian Encyclopedic Dictionary, definitively emphasizing its importance in typical Tuscan charcuterie.

Finocchiona is the Queen of Tuscan cured meats, the one that stands out the most in Tuscan gastronomy for its flavor, aroma and uniqueness, thanks to the aroma of fennel, used in seeds and/or flowers in the mixture, and its soft texture. From the combination of the best selections of meats from certified Italian genealogy and the artisanal recipe of the consortium companies that combines spices and natural flavors comes the one and only Finocchiona IGP.

Eating a slice of it is like taking a trip to the most authentic and genuine Tuscany to discover peasant traditions, lesser-known villages and hidden glimpses. Taste it while sitting at the table of a vintner or a Florentine, Sienese, Arezzo or Lucca osteria; enjoy it with two slices of Tuscan Bread in the open air; bring it to your table and try to impress your friends with a salume that has no equal in the world with its fresh, appetizing flavor and unmistakable aroma.*

What are you waiting for? Your Finocchiona is just a click away and you can enjoy it on your table. The more curious on our site will be able to find a version that comes from the union with another excellence of the territory, the Cinta Senese.

*taken from: www.finocchionaigp.it

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