Ciavàr, mad sausage

Sausage made from a pig’s less prestigious parts, the tongue, cheek, heart and head are typical of the Romagnolo side of the Apennines. In the best tradition, all the animal’s parts are used and by carefully evaluating the meat, pork butchers are always able to make excellent products. Ciavàr belongs to this category, it is a sausage whose history and tradition is preserved by people living in the Romagnolo valleys but its popularity has spread and it is eaten as far away as Forlì, Cesena, Rimini and other areas of Romagna. The name ciavàr is often replaced by the generic name ‘salsiccia matta’ (‘crazy’ sausage), which is given to more rustic sausages reflecting the poverty-striken past of some rural areas. Ciavàr has a sausage shape but a darker color which varies according to the type of meat used. It is prepared by mincing the meat cuts and offal (medium setting) and mixing with a seasoning of salt, pepper and garlic. Local Sangiovese wine is added to the mixture which is then stuffed into a pork casing. Wine and garlic help to soften the flavor of the meats and enhance the distinctive features of the sausage. Ciavàr is eaten all year round, mainly fresh, cooked on the grill or in the oven, but can also be slightly aged or preserved in oil if it does not contain readily perishable offal.: The last remaining producers are in the municipalities of Bagno di Romagna, San Piero in Bagno, Santa Sofia and a few other areas of the Romagnolo valleys.