Food

Discovering Speck Alto Adige IGP

speck
Written by EFW Staff

Speck Alto Adige IGP: taste of mountain and tradition

Speck Alto Adige IGP is a typical product and an excellence of the Italian mountains. It is subjected to a strict code of conduct that control the production and the making process of one of the most precious products of Italy, certified with an important European label.
Speck Alto Adige is a high quality pork ham, produced on site, among the green grazing lands of Alto Adige that give it a unique taste and aroma.

The real secret of Speck Alto Adige IGP

Why is this product unique? The producers of Alto Adige use the same smocking and ageing methods for centuries to assure a high valuable meat. Their secret is to mix two different methods coming from different geographical areas: the smoking technique typical of the countries beyond the Alps together with the Italian open air seasoning method. Thus, Speck is flavoured, smoked and seasoned thanks to methods that combine together innovation, modernity with the ancient peasant traditions.

How is Speck Alto Adige IGP produced?

The raw material

Speck is produced only after a careful selection of Italian pigs thighs. Producers choose the thinnest thighs and cut them with traditional methods. After the meat passes the quality controls, the thighs are selected and branded.

Spicing

We all remember the savoury taste of Speck Alto Adige with its perfumed external dark shell that gives taste and flavour. This mix of spices is made of salt, pepper, bay tree leaves, rosemary and juniper, besides red garlic, coriander or cumin. Each producer has its own spicing mix and technique, to make each speck unique!

Smoking

Smoking is an important stage in the production of Speck Alto Adige IGP. It foresees little smoke and a lot of mountain air to give it the typical delicate and particular taste. Producers use beech wood, and all the pieces of ham are subjected to smoke and open air to obtain a unique balance of flavour.

Seasoning

The seasoning phase lasts an average of 22 weeks when the ham dries in fresh and dry environments. During the process a mould grows on the external surface; it will be removed at the end of the seasoning to protect the meat and giving it that typical delicate taste with notes of walnut and spices.

How to recognize it

speck Alto Adige IGP
The real Speck Alto Adige IGP is labelled with a symbol recognized by the Consortium for the Protection of Speck Alto Adige. You should look for the green label on the packaging with the name of the product and the sign Sudtirol.

The best way to eat Speck Alto Adige IGP

You can taste it in thousand ways: raw, cooked, mixed in sauces and stuffing. But the best way, in our opinion, is to eat it in all its simplicity: cut thin slices and pair with black bread of Trentino and Malga cheese. Or you can try it in the typical recipes such as Canederli with broth, risotto with Red chicory and Speck. It is perfect as a seasoning as well or mixed with aged cheese to prepare potatoes gnocchi.

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About the author

EFW Staff