The origins of Salame "Zia ferrarese" are ancient and mainly date back to the late Renaissance period: the first references to preparations similar to the current product can already be found in the recipe books of Cristoforo da Messisbugo, steward at the court of the Dukes of Este. It is one of the traditional and characteristic cured meats of the Ferrara countryside.
Its mixture, made entirely from pork, is flavoured with salt, pepper and fresh garlic, previously left to macerate in white wine. The addition of this ingredient, which has always been successfully cultivated in the Ferrara countryside, clearly and unmistakably links the paternity of the product to the Ferrara territory.
It is stuffed into a special medium-thin, rounded casing called "Zia" which, once tied with a fine string, is put to mature in cool, damp cellars for five to six months.
