|
|
 |
Luganega sausage
|
Description
Name: Luganega
Product category: Sausage
Ingredient: Pork products
Area of production: Primarily Trentino and Veneto in the north of Italy |
|
|
|
|
A traditional peasant product found throughout the Triveneto area in the north. "Luganega" sausage is also found in other northern regions, including Lombardy, where it is synonymous with sausage and commonly called "luganiga". There are an infinite number of variations in the many Italian dialects. For example, in the Brianza area in Lombardy they use the word "luganeghit" to indicate sausage, while the term "luganeghin" is reserved for cotechino, which is a larger 'sausage' style dish. It would be a mistake, however, to think that this sausage originated in Northern Italy, because judging from what ancient Roman writers such as Varrone reported, it would appear that the term was coined by the Lucanian people. They lived in what is now the southern region of Basilicata and were the first to create this delicacy, destined to endure down through the centuries.
Here we will be dealing with just two versions from the north of Italy: the Juganega from Treviso and Luganega from Trento, similar but not quite the same.
The first one used to be made exclusively from pork meat that came from the neck and cheeks, with the addition of salt, pepper and sometimes cinnamon or nutmeg. There are two kinds: one with a fattier composition and intended for stewing; and another that is leaner and meant to be roasted. Both kinds should be eaten within a couple of days from the time they have been prepared.
For the version made in Trento they use pork from the neck, shoulder and rib areas and when it comes to the spices, in addition to salt and pepper, they also add garlic.
Although, to tell the truth, each farmer tends to have his own individual recipe. The sausage mixture has a coarser texture than that of the juganega version, although, as with the spices, there are no fixed rules in this regard, either. The luganega is allowed to age for 3-4 weeks before being eaten, but it can also be left to mature for up to 4 months if properly ventilated, cool aging facilities are available.
It can be featured in an infinite number of dishes, both first and second courses. If you are able to get your hands on the aged variety, cook it with lots of onion over a very low flame, adding at the beginning of the process a generous splash of wine. Farfalle pasta are especially good with sauces made with luganega, as are Sedani Rigati or Mezze Penne, all of which tend to hold the sauce well.
People who are fond of winter dishes will be delighted with their infinite options, including hearty preparations like stewed sausage with beans or fried sausage with cabbage and vinegar. When it comes to the most appropriate wines, we would suggest a red wine called Schiava from the Trentino-Alto Adige region in the north of Italy or a Chardonnay to accompany the pasta course, and a nice red wine for the second courses, something like a Merlot from the Veneto, which is also in the north.
|
|
|
|
|
