Salame d’oca ecumenico (literally “ecumenical goose salami”) is an extremely old speciality of Mortara, in the province of Pavia. The term ecumenico was added to the name of this salami by the National Institute of Rural Sociology in order to reflect the historical context from which it came: Its production was introduced by numerous Jewish communities residing in Mortara at the time of the House of Sforza. It was also known as salame della pace (”peace salami”) because it was not made from pork meat, which meant that it could be consumed by the observers of the three monotheistic religions: Catholics, Jews, and Muslims. With the proclamation of 1462, Ludovico Sforza (also known as Ludovico “the Moor”) officially authorized the production of this salami.
The geese, which were already widespread at the time of the decree, live around the rice fields of Mortara and are mostly a cross between the Embden and Romagnola breeds. The salami is made from lean goose meat, the fatty parts of the animal having been removed after deboning. The meat is chopped with a knife into small pieces along with the skin and then covered in salt, spices, and natural aromas and stuffed into the skin of the neck, which has been stitched by hand. In this way it obtains its typical elongated and thin conical form. After being briefly dried, maturation maturation takes place over a period of 3-5 months. This artisanal production usually takes place between October and January.
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