Mortadella is one of the world’s best-known cured meat and boasts a long and deep tradition: its production is a true art that requires passion and constant commitment. How can you recognize the best quality mortadella? Beyond personal taste, some aspects can guide us to easily recognize the quality of a mortadella.

How to recognize a quality mortadella?

Here are the factors that determine the quality of a mortadella:

  • the colour, which must be pink for the lean part (made from the shoulder of the pig) and white for the fat (made from the cheek), which must be evenly distributed
  • the scent of the best mortadella is unmistakable and fragrant, but must not be overly intense
  • the texture, which must be compact and crumbly

Let’s not forget the most important aspect of all: the taste, which must be velvety and balanced.

Another useful tip when choosing mortadella is the size of the cured meat. The best mortadella are the bigger ones because they need a longer cooking process, which contributes to exalt taste and flavor. The duration and temperature of cooking play a fundamental role in determining the aroma and taste of mortadella.

Speaking of size… did you know that Veroni has been holding the record for the world’s largest mortadella for 25 years? This is the largest mortadella ever produced, measuring 7 meters in length, 2.3 meters in diameter, and 26.80 quintals of pure goodness.

Moreover, the taste of mortadella has some variations, which strictly depend on the raw materials used to enrich the product (the one with pistachios is very appreciated). It will be opportune to consider them to choose the mortadella that best suits your taste.

Mortadella Veroni recipes

This delicious cured meat is very flexible in the kitchen and can be used to create delicious combinations. All the recipes are in our dedicated section.

Subscribe to our newsletterGet our authentic Italian recipes and all our news directly to your inbox!