Salami, salamelle, coppa and pancetta are some of the sausages from Valle Camonica that come from an ancient peasant tradition, which is still lively and active.
Strinù is the most typical Camunian sausage, which is cooked over flames or grilled and can be found at every party and festival.

HISTORY
Pigs were the largest resource available to the population of the past and were raised with care.
The processing of salami was a ritual that involved the entire family and was done in the cold months, either in November or December; people used to say: "From the moment flies disappear until they return", to avoid flies from laying eggs on the salami.
Salami was an important source of protein and calories for the whole year, and it helped survive through the winter, giving nourishment and energy to overcome fatigue and cold.
The salami was hung on the baldachì, horizontal poles on which it was tied one by one to avoid each piece touching the others. It had to hang at a low height for several days, at about one metre from the floor, until mould form on it. Only then was it raised and hung from the ceiling.

CHARACTERISTICS
The choice of parts that best fit salami, the grinding of the meat, the type of bowel, the art of tying, the ability to find the best solution to cure it, are the secrets of the butchery art that are handed down from generation to generation.
The characteristics of Valle Camonica salami are very renowned, such as the texture and colour of the fat, its homogeneity and a 45-day drying and curing.

SEASONALITY
Salami must be consumed in a certain order, based on its storage time: the smaller salami needs at least 18 days of curing, followed by the larger salami.

ANECDOTES
In Ossimo in 2002 "the longest salami in the world" was produced: a record that still stands, year after year.
Every year, Comunità Montana organises a competition for the best "Salame di Valle Camonica", in collaboration with the National Organisation of Salami Tasters.