It's basically a requirement for anyone visiting Italy to investigate its culinary heritage and visit its incredible farmers’ markets, delicatessens and food halls. And when it comes to charcuterie and salumi you’ll probably notice a recurring word: ‘norcineria’. This term – referring to the art of artisanal pork butchery and curing – comes from the Umbrian town of Norcia, also known by its Latin name of Nursia.
An ancient pre-Roman settlement in the heart of Valnerina (a pristine mountain valley), Norcia also gave birth to St Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine monastic system. The beautiful basilica in the town was dedicated to him, but was almost completely destroyed by a terrible earthquake in 2016.
The surrounding woods have always been rich with wild boars and pigs and Norcia’s inhabitants became so expert in hunting and curing meats that the name of the town became a synonym for it. Since the times of Ancient Rome, local craftsmen – by then called norcini – were well respected for their mastery in cutting and curing meats; using wild herbs to add flavour, carefully balancing the quantity of salt and taking advantage of the fresh and dry mountain air for ageing, they turned almost every piece of pork – including fat and lean cuts, as well as offal or humbler cuts – into true culinary delights. They became so famous that communities from all over the Italian peninsula and beyond wanted them as both butchers and surgeons!
Of course, much has changed since then. Yet the Umbrian art of norcineria is kept alive by local butchers that continue to uphold the town’s reputation. The number of traditional salumi – a category embracing the wide range of Italian charcuterie mostly made from pork – is vast, including different kinds of hams, salami, sausages and more unusual cured meats. These are the most famous and peculiar ones.