Abruzzese sausage is a spicy, dry Italian sausage made with raw pork, peppercorns, herbs, smoke, and chili peppers. Look for a solid sample with medium grain and thick texture, and avoid cooked, irradiated, or frozen sausage. True Abruzzese sausage should be firm and slightly difficult to cut, with a craggy-looking skin covered in powdery white mold. Some products are not made using traditional techniques, which changes the taste of the meat.
The Abruzzese sausage is a type of dry Italian sausage, known above all for its spiciness. A true Abruzzese sausage contains raw pork, black and white peppercorns, and herbs, and is seasoned with smoke and chili peppers. To purchase the best product, look for a solid sample with medium grain and thick texture. The sausage should be wrinkled and discolored and may show white mold growing on the surface, but it should never have brown spots, air pockets, or a hard surface. Avoid cooked, irradiated or frozen sausage, which is inferior in taste.
This type of sausage is also known as Abruzzo salami, Abruzzo dry sausage, or sweet Abruzzo and comes from the Abruzzo region in eastern Italy. Most sausages labeled as Abruzzese are made outside this region and may not use the same ingredients or techniques as the traditional product. The seasoning used in this type of sausage means it is sometimes sold as a kind of salami.
The Abruzzese sausage is prepared with fresh, raw pork minced to medium fineness, as well as black and white peppercorns and a mix of spices that varies from one producer to another. The mixture is placed in a natural casing, then tied by hand or machine. The Abruzzese sausage then cures through exposure to air and internal fermentation, but is also partially smoked with wood and chili peppers, which gives it a distinctive smoky and spicy flavour.
True Abruzzese sausage should be firm and slightly difficult to cut, with a craggy-looking skin that may be covered in powdery white mold. The presence of mold on the surface of the sausage is a natural part of dry curing and does not indicate spoilage, but there should be no mold inside. Never buy dry sausage that is soft, has air pockets inside, or is very hard on the outside, as this can indicate contamination by bacteria or other microorganisms. Store sausage in a cool, dry place before cutting and in the refrigerator after breaking the skin.
Not all meats labeled as Abruzzo sausages are produced using traditional techniques. Some products are cooked, frozen or irradiated to remove potential contaminants and to better comply with food safety regulations. These techniques change the taste of the meat, however, and are shunned by traditional sausage makers. Proper curing methods produce a safe sausage with no bacteria or other contaminants inside without interfering with the flavor.
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