Salsiccia di Calabria

This spicy sausage formed into a distinctive shape of a horseshoe is one of the most popular meat delicacies of southern Italy. Salsiccia di Calabria is made from a well-balanced mix of lean pork shoulder meat and bacon that are ground and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds. Depending on whether Salsiccia is seasoned or not with peperoncino Calabrese chili pepper, this Calabrian sausage comes in three varieties: bianca (no chili), dolce (sweet chili) or piccante (hot chili). After seasoning, the meat is stuffed into natural casings and left to mature for at least 30 days. It is traditionally hanged and air-cured, but sometimes it can be preserved in glass jars immersed in olive oil. Salsiccia has a fat content of at least 15-20% and quite an intense aroma with a pleasantly piquant taste.