Ciauscolo Marchigiano — Spreadable Salame of the Interior

Macerata and Ascoli Piceno provinces, Marche interior. Ciauscolo is specifically documented in the mountain foothills of the central Marche, where the combination of mountain cold for curing and the pork tradition of the rural economy produced this distinctive salume. IGP status granted in 2010.

Ciauscolo (or ciavuscolo) is the unique spreadable salame of the Marche interior — specifically the provinces of Macerata and Ascoli Piceno. Unlike a conventional salame (which is sliced), ciauscolo is a finely ground pork sausage (pork belly, shoulder, and liver in the traditional recipe, heavily larded) that, after a short curing period (15-20 days), is spreadable at room temperature — the fat content is high enough that the texture is like a dense, spreadable pâté rather than a sliceable salame. The flavour is intensely porky, slightly smoky (it is cold-smoked in some versions), with garlic and black pepper. It is eaten spread thickly on warm crescia or country bread.

Ciauscolo spread thick on warm bread is one of those preparations that requires no accompaniment — the garlic and black pepper season a rich, clean pork fat flavour, slightly smoky, deeply satisfying. It is the morning food of the Macerata countryside, the antipasto of the hill towns, and one of Italy's most honest salumi.