Italian appetizers from north to south: cured meats first!

It is a very Italian tradition to anticipate intermediate and evening meals with convivial moments of "gastric accommodation." The so-called antipasto is nothing more than a gradual approach to lunch or dinner, so the value of "anti" should not be conceived as something "against," but rather decisively "pro."

The antipasto is a decisive moment for our digestive system in which the first gastric juices are produced and our organism is prepared for the subsequent meal. Therefore, its meaning and value should not be underestimated, nor should the type of food that is chosen.

There are regions in Italy where the antipasto is a full meal. Try going to Puglia and ask for the antipasto in a restaurant: you will receive at least ten to twelve portions of small tastings of everything that the land and the sea has to offer. And then, of course, it becomes difficult to continue with the first and second courses. The opposite happens as you move north, where the metropolitan Milanese antipasto is called "lounge," where glamorous environments and electronic music round out atmospheres that often have to compensate for what is not found on the plate. I am obviously exaggerating, but sometimes I just have to look at the faces and sad eyes of my southern friends in front of a selection of appetizers from some "cool" spot on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. Eyes that reminisce about the mythical counters filled with deliciousness at the bars on Via Toledo in Naples or in Piazza Pretoria in Palermo.

But can we have an antipasto of cured meats that satisfies everyone? Yes, it is possible with a bit of imagination and compositional creativity, but above all, with a lot of authentic Italian substance. You cannot miss the great Italian cured meats, and here you can have fun. We can move from the large knife-sliced hams of Friuli, San Daniele and Cormons, to the sweeter hams from the Po Valley, such as Parma or the Veneto Berico Euganeo.

If you want to increase the flavor of the dish, you can travel down the boot with the Tuscan cured meats, the Toscano DOP, some delights from Casentino with grey pig legs or the great cured meats from Norcia. For some southern delicacies, don’t miss the cured meats from Calabrian black pigs like Silano or the wild black pigs from the Nebrodi Mountains in Sicily.

Ideal for a tasty and delicate appetizer is always the Bresaola from Valtellina IGP, a very lean, flavorful cured meat that many pair with creamy cheeses or cheese spreads. And if you want to stay with lean meat, what better than a speck of medium aging, sliced or even better, cut by hand or cubed in the Alto Adige style?

If we want the antipasto to be more substantial and ideal for colder seasons, we delve into the galaxy of salamis, which in Italy offers an embarrassment of choices. From the realm of Venetian soppressa—the most famous and certified being Sopressa Vicentina DOP—to the lean salamis of Mantova, the "zia ferrarese," the spicier Calabrian soppressate like 'nduja or finocchiona toscana, which is perfect with sweet and sour vegetables.

There is a cured meat that more than any other is particularly suitable for a fancy antipasto based on cured meats. Its nature often intimidates the female audience: we are talking about seasoned lard. Don’t panic; the fat in lard is a source of multiple nutritional principles beneficial to our body. It is more beneficial than you think! Colonnata, Arnad, and many other places in Italy have devised techniques for aging and preserving lard, making them places of pilgrimage for Italian gastronomy worldwide. The lard should be sliced thin, at room temperature, preferably by hand. It is excellent on warm or toasted homemade bread. Its creaminess is captivating, and the sensory breadth and complexity of aromas and flavors it releases on the palate and aftertaste are remarkable.

The art of composing an antipasto based on cured meats lies in mixing seasonality, “regionality,” and combinations of flavors and aromas that are sometimes unexpected. The more you experiment, the more emotions you can evoke. But at the core of it all remains the long Italian butchery tradition.

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M