Salame Felino

Salame Felino (Felino salami) is a dry-cured pork sausage from the province of Parma, named after the village of Felino and protected as a PGI since 2013. Lean pork and the front of the belly are minced medium-fine, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and a splash of white wine, stuffed into natural casing and ripened for at least 25 days.

Two salami are carved in the stone of the Baptistery of Parma, built between 1196 and 1307. The specification lists them alongside other clues: pork salting in the area since the 1300s, helped by the Salsomaggiore salt mines, and a 1766 census that called the marquisate of Felino the busiest pig market.

The pig is a heavy one: Landrace and Large White, Duroc and their crosses, about 160 kg (±10 %) and at least 9 months old. Boars, sows and frozen meat are banned. The mix uses the front of the belly (testa di pancetta) and meat from under the shoulder.

The meat goes through 6–8 mm holes and gets 2–2.8 % salt, whole or cracked pepper and ground garlic, plus up to 4 litres of dry white wine per 100 kg if the maker wishes. Natural pig casing is tied by hand with twine, never netting. Then come 4–6 days of drying at 13–24 °C, followed by fermentation and ripening at 12–18 °C for at least 25 days, as set out in the 2023 regional amendment text.

The slice is firm but not springy, ruby red, with a mild and delicate taste. Outside, the stick is whitish-grey and slightly powdery: a thin layer of local mould that is part of the product description. The page Noble mould on dry sausages explains it in detail.

Compared with Salame Piacentino, Felino has a finer grind (6–8 mm against 14–18) and a shorter ripening (25 days against 45). Salamini italiani alla cacciatora weigh up to 350 g, while Felino runs from 200 g to 4.5 kg and 15–130 cm long. Unlike Salame Cremona, it is not soft and goes only into natural casing. Protein is at least 23 %, and, the specification stresses, there is no lactose or milk powder.

You can spot the shape from afar: a cylinder with one thicker end, tied with a single string at wide intervals. The label reads «Salame Felino», «Indicazione Geografica Protetta» and carries the EU symbol. It is sliced and packed only in Parma province, home of Prosciutto di Parma. Slices turn brown in the air, so cut them just before serving.

Why this matters to you: the white coat on Felino is not a sign of spoilage but part of its passport, so there is no reason to throw the stick away. And this Salami is a fine way into dry-cured sausages: pig, salt, pepper, garlic and wine, nothing extra.