Pork

Pigs are raised all over Italy, and every region boasts characteristic pork products. Traditionally, pigs grew fat in the autumn, on harvest leftovers and from the nuts and acorns falling off trees. In the winter, when nutritious waste was not readily available, the farmer had to choose between feeding pigs valuable foods or slaughtering them and preserving their meat. Because pigs do not provide labor as cows do, the farmer often opted for slaughter. The techniques of curing pork and sausage-making were developed to use all parts of the pig efficiently. In areas where meat was too scarce to be consumed fresh, most of the animal was dedicated to cured products. As Capatti and Montanari explain in Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History, “No part of the pig should be thrown away” is an ageless saying in Italy that reflects the importance of the animal to the culture.