Speck Alto Adige PGI
Encyclopedia
Speck Alto Adige PGI is a dry-cured
, lightly smoked ham
(prosciutto
in Italian), produced in South Tyrol
, northern Italy
. Its production is regulated by the European Union
under the protected geographical indication (PGI) status.
" date back to the 18th century, although it already appears in the butcher regulations and in the accounting records of the Tyrolean princes in the year 1200 under different names and definitions.
Initially, speck was produced in order to preserve the meat for a long time. It was a method that allowed families to have access throughout the year to the meat of the pigs butchered around Yuletide. Most importantly, speck was the only opportunity the poorer echelons of society had of eating meat and of acquiring lipids. Over time it became one of the main courses for feasts and banquets. Today it is still the star of the South Tyrolean “snack” served together with bread and wine.
Speck is a product typical of South Tyrol and originates from the merging of two different meat conservation methods: curing, typical of the cured ham of the Mediterranean area, and smoking, typical of Northern Europe. As a location at the crossways between northern and southern Europe, and thanks to its unique climate, South Tyrol has blended the two methods to produce speck according to the rule of "a little salt, a little smoke and a lot of fresh air", consisting in light curing and in the alternation between smoke and fresh air.
Initially, speck was produced only by individual farmer families. Later on, its production was taken up by the workshops of local butchers and in the 60’s it became an industrial product.
hind quarters followed by an approximately 22 week long curing period and the application of a special crust of salt that must never exceed 5% of the final product.
The element shared by all small and large speck producers is their compliance with the "a little salt, a little smoke and a lot of fresh air" rule and the dedication and care in creating this internationally renowned specialty.
Production consists in five phases: selection of raw materials, salting, smoking, curing, inspections and quality marking.
To produce Speck Alto Adige PGI only lean, firm pork thighs coming from renowned farms of a State member of the European Union are used. The hind quarters are selected according to the criteria defined in the raw materials specifications and trimmed following traditional methods. They are branded with the date of production start, as an inerasable guarantee and as reference for later inspections.
The speck hams are salted and flavoured with a special mixture of aromas (salt, pepper, juniper, rosemary and bay). They are then dry-corned
for three weeks at controlled temperatures and turned over various times to help the corning penetrate. The final salt content must never exceed 5%.
Then the hams are exposed alternately to the smoking and to the drying phases. The smoking phase is light and is done over low-resin wood so as not to give the speck too strong a flavour, and the smoke temperature must never exceed 20°C.
In the final phase, the hams are cured by being put up to dry in rooms pervaded by fresh air. The ageing period is defined considering the final weight of the ham, and usually lasts about 22 weeks. In this phase, a natural layer of aromatic mould forms on the hams and is then removed at the end of the ageing process. The mould layer finishes off the characteristic taste of the speck and prevents it from becoming excessively dry.
The speck that meets the production criteria imposed by the production standards and that has passed controls is fire-branded in 4 different places of the rind with the specific seal.
" brand that stands for "Protected Geographical Indication". This status is assigned only to selected products obtained according to traditional methods and in specific geographical areas.
To guarantee the quality and authenticity of Speck Alto Adige PGI, the quality consortium Südtiroler Speck Consortium, together with the independent control institute INEQ (Istituto Nord Est Qualità), has developed an inspection system applied to all production phases, from meat selection to the finished product.
"Brettljause" is the local name of the snack ("Marende" in South Tyrolean dialect), a custom originating from the farmers’ folklore and still found in the mountain farms and huts. The snack consists of a wooden cutting board loaded with speck, sausages, local cheeses and pickled cucumbers, served together with farmers’ bread and wine. In the "Brettljause", the speck must be well seasoned and served in a single piece about 3 cm wide, then cut into smaller pieces.
mountain range. The Südtiroler Speckfest, in 2010 at its 8th edition, is an event organized together by the Villnöß tourism association, the Südtiroler Speck Consortium quality consortium and the EOS - South Tyrol Export Organization of the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano. Each year, at the festival, Hans Mantinger "Gletscherhons", a master in the art of slicing speck, presents his surprise creations.
Dry-cured ham
Dry-cured ham originated as a meat preservation process. Through dry-curing, the ham can be stored for several months. The processing technology is based on traditional knowledge passed from one generation to the other...
, lightly smoked ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
(prosciutto
Prosciutto
Prosciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
in Italian), produced in South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Its production is regulated by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
under the protected geographical indication (PGI) status.
History
The first documents containing the word "speckSpeck
Speck is a distinctively juniper-flavored ham originally from Tyrol, a historical region that since 1918 partially lies in Austria and partially in Italy...
" date back to the 18th century, although it already appears in the butcher regulations and in the accounting records of the Tyrolean princes in the year 1200 under different names and definitions.
Initially, speck was produced in order to preserve the meat for a long time. It was a method that allowed families to have access throughout the year to the meat of the pigs butchered around Yuletide. Most importantly, speck was the only opportunity the poorer echelons of society had of eating meat and of acquiring lipids. Over time it became one of the main courses for feasts and banquets. Today it is still the star of the South Tyrolean “snack” served together with bread and wine.
Speck is a product typical of South Tyrol and originates from the merging of two different meat conservation methods: curing, typical of the cured ham of the Mediterranean area, and smoking, typical of Northern Europe. As a location at the crossways between northern and southern Europe, and thanks to its unique climate, South Tyrol has blended the two methods to produce speck according to the rule of "a little salt, a little smoke and a lot of fresh air", consisting in light curing and in the alternation between smoke and fresh air.
Initially, speck was produced only by individual farmer families. Later on, its production was taken up by the workshops of local butchers and in the 60’s it became an industrial product.
Production
Speck Alto Adige PGI is a unique product manufactured in a unique way. Its production protocol provides for the light smoking of salted porkPork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
hind quarters followed by an approximately 22 week long curing period and the application of a special crust of salt that must never exceed 5% of the final product.
The element shared by all small and large speck producers is their compliance with the "a little salt, a little smoke and a lot of fresh air" rule and the dedication and care in creating this internationally renowned specialty.
Production consists in five phases: selection of raw materials, salting, smoking, curing, inspections and quality marking.
To produce Speck Alto Adige PGI only lean, firm pork thighs coming from renowned farms of a State member of the European Union are used. The hind quarters are selected according to the criteria defined in the raw materials specifications and trimmed following traditional methods. They are branded with the date of production start, as an inerasable guarantee and as reference for later inspections.
The speck hams are salted and flavoured with a special mixture of aromas (salt, pepper, juniper, rosemary and bay). They are then dry-corned
Salting (food)
Salting is the preservation of food with dry edible salt. It is related to pickling . It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and two historically significant salt-cured foods are dried and salted cod and salt-cured meat.Salting is used because most bacteria, fungi and other potentially...
for three weeks at controlled temperatures and turned over various times to help the corning penetrate. The final salt content must never exceed 5%.
Then the hams are exposed alternately to the smoking and to the drying phases. The smoking phase is light and is done over low-resin wood so as not to give the speck too strong a flavour, and the smoke temperature must never exceed 20°C.
In the final phase, the hams are cured by being put up to dry in rooms pervaded by fresh air. The ageing period is defined considering the final weight of the ham, and usually lasts about 22 weeks. In this phase, a natural layer of aromatic mould forms on the hams and is then removed at the end of the ageing process. The mould layer finishes off the characteristic taste of the speck and prevents it from becoming excessively dry.
The speck that meets the production criteria imposed by the production standards and that has passed controls is fire-branded in 4 different places of the rind with the specific seal.
Inspection and quality brand
Speck Alto Adige PGI is protected by the European Union through the "PGIPGI
PGI can denote:* Parking guidance and information* Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, also known as Phosphoglucose isomerase* The Portland Group, Inc., a software company providing compilers and programming tools...
" brand that stands for "Protected Geographical Indication". This status is assigned only to selected products obtained according to traditional methods and in specific geographical areas.
To guarantee the quality and authenticity of Speck Alto Adige PGI, the quality consortium Südtiroler Speck Consortium, together with the independent control institute INEQ (Istituto Nord Est Qualità), has developed an inspection system applied to all production phases, from meat selection to the finished product.
Nutrition facts
Speck Alto Adige PGI has a high protein content. The nutrition facts per 100 g serving are:| Energy | 1395.95 kJ (335.31 kcal) |
| Protein | 31.37 g |
| Fat | 23.30 g |
| Carbohydrates | < 0.50 g |
Speck as key element of the South Tyrolean snack
In South Tyrol, speck was traditionally a farmers’ fare, a source of energy during their work in the fields. Over time, it became one of the main courses in banquets for festivities and welcoming ceremonies. The latter function has reached our modern times, when speck, together with bread and wine, is served as the typical South Tyrolean "snack", offered as a sign of hospitality."Brettljause" is the local name of the snack ("Marende" in South Tyrolean dialect), a custom originating from the farmers’ folklore and still found in the mountain farms and huts. The snack consists of a wooden cutting board loaded with speck, sausages, local cheeses and pickled cucumbers, served together with farmers’ bread and wine. In the "Brettljause", the speck must be well seasoned and served in a single piece about 3 cm wide, then cut into smaller pieces.
Events linked to Speck Alto Adige PGI
The most famous event linked to Speck Alto Adige PGI is the Südtiroler Speckfest, namely the traditional speck festival held each year in fall in St. Magdalena, Villnöß, at the feet of the DolomitesDolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
mountain range. The Südtiroler Speckfest, in 2010 at its 8th edition, is an event organized together by the Villnöß tourism association, the Südtiroler Speck Consortium quality consortium and the EOS - South Tyrol Export Organization of the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano. Each year, at the festival, Hans Mantinger "Gletscherhons", a master in the art of slicing speck, presents his surprise creations.