Description
The Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI is made using meat from pigs of the Mangalitsa, Cornwall, Berkshire, Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and Pietrain races and their crosses. A mix of salt and sodium nitrate and spices (white pepper, sweet paprika and allspice) are added. Only male castrated pigs and non-breeding females are used, weighing more than 150 kg and more than one year old.
Production Area
The production area of Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI is located in Budapest, within 1 km of the Danube.
Production Method
The meat and the fat are chopped, spiced and mixed, using a mechanical process. The resulting salami paste is vacuumfilled by machine into an intestine casing, the ends of the individual salamis are vacuum-closed and tied. Afterwards, the salami is smoked over a smothered hardwood fire for a period of time of 12 to 20 days. The next stage is fermentation and drying of the smoked product which takes place in a special facility with a temperature of 10-14°C and relative humidity above 86%, where the present natural microflora allows the formation of a mould that deposits on the surface of the salami. No starter cultures are used. The process of fermentation and drying lasts two-three months; so the total time needed for the salami from filling to being ready for cutting is at least 90 days.
Appearance and Flavour
The Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI is long and cylindrical in shape, with a diameter from 4 to 8,5 cm. The casing is evenly covered with a greyish-white noble mould. It has a light consistency; it is compact yet elastic and easy to slice. The inside has mixed light brown/red meat granules and pale fat granules. It has a spicy taste with the flavour of the allspice dominant.
History
The beginning of the production of the Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI goes back to the end of the 19th century and was taken place only in the winter as it was not yet possible to cool drying rooms or regulate the humidity of rooms artificially.The damp air in the vicinity of the Danube was used for mould formation and drying, ideal for the development of the mould coating which characterizes the product. Whilst in the past, this product was produced by a number of companies, the only salami manufacturer still operating there today is the Herz Szalámigyár Zrt. founded by Ármin Herz and sons.
Gastronomy
The Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI is best kept in a cool dry place or depending on the packaging, in the refrigerator.
Marketing
The product is sold as Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI. It is sold whole or sliced. Whole salamis arwrapped in cellophane and sold in four different sizes: approximately 54 cm long (normal), approximately 33 cm long (midi), approximately 19 cm long (tourist) and approximately 16 cm long (mini). Slice salami is sold in trays wrapped in vacuum foil or protective gas atmosphere packaging.
Distinctive Features
Other than the special smoking over the smothered hardwood fire, the microclimate that forms over the surface of the Danube providing dampness from the continuous evaporation of the water, allows the development of a combination of moulds (a mixture of various types of Penicillium and Aspergillus in a fixed proportion) which are characteristic of the Budapesti Téliszalámi PGI.
