More than a simple sausage, Sibiu salami is not just Romania’s best-known salami, but part of the country’s gastronomic heritage.
Delicacy
During the communist era, when food shortages were common because food was massively exported, the dry aged pork sausage was considered a delicacy, available only to the communist and Securitate elite most of the time.
But the history of this luxury salami is less well-known and far more interesting. It first came into existence 110 years ago thanks to an Italian bricklayer.
The expensive cold cut is made from pork, pork fat, salt and spices. It is coated with ‘noble mold’: every 100 grams has has 41 grams of fat and 475 calories. It is considered Romania’s tastiest and best salami, its fans say.
By way of tribute, it was the first Romanian meat product to obtain the prestigious distinction of Protected Geographical Indication from the European Union in 2016.
Italian inventor
Its inventor was Filippo Dozzi a bricklayer from northeast Italy who also had a passion for sausages. He noticed that the climate in the mountain town of Sinaia where he lived was favorable for the production of dry sausages.
In 1910 he began the production of the salami which quickly became a success. He sold his sausage under the name of salam de iarnă (winter salami), and for exports to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Transylvania wasn’t part of Romania then), it had the stamp “Customs of Sibiu” giving it its name Salam de Sibiu.’
The communists nationalized the company in the late 1940s and continued producing the prized and profitable product. In the 1980s, when Nicolae Ceausescu was exporting huge quantities of food energy and other goods, a massive 90% of the production (40-50 tons per month) was exported to countries like Austria, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and the Soviet Union.
Today, “Salam de Sibiu” is produced in Sinaia, Sibiu, Bacău and elsewhere. It retails for about 135 lei (27 euros) a kilogram.
History
In a new book, “Sibiu Salami: A Slice of Romania”, author Carmen Gavrilescu presents old documents and interviews people who have been part of the salami’s history.
The book aims to leave a valuable legacy for future generations, a press release sent to Universul.net said.
“This exceptional product accompanied by a captivating story, spans over 130 years and at least three generations. In this historical journey, we will mark the key moments that shaped the history of this emblematic product,”Gavrilescu, who’s president of the Association of Sibiu Salami Producers said.
Readers will find documents which certify the origin of Sibiu salami, stories of the sausage makers, and also the current history of the luxury salami.
National heritage
“For us, Sibiu salami is part of the national heritage. It is a European protected product, a product that we, the producers, treat with due respect,” said Angelica Șmil, the general manager of Salbac, a salami producer.
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