Pork Products

Pezzenta is a salami made with the less valued parts of the pig - lung, liver and other offal - flavoured with garlic, fennel, spices and a preponderance of chilli. The name comes from pezzente, the Italian for ‘tramp’ or ‘miser’, so it’s definitely a poor man’s salami. The best lucanica (mildly spiced sausage) comes from Latronico and dates back to Roman times. When fresh it is either roasted or grilled, or crumbled to use in ragus. Lucanica is available smoked and dried, too. Good prosciutto and capocollo (the cured neck or shoulder of pork) are also made in Basilicata. And Lagonegro e Lauria produces an excellent soppressata, a salami made from a mix of pork meat and fat, and spices like fennel and chilli.