Two — Now Three — Special IGP Foods From Marche A Salami and a Pasta; Now Add an Olive Oil

In addition to the three DOP products unique to Marche, there are two IGP foods made only here. (There is a different version of ciauscolo made in Umbria.)

(Read about the DOP classification system.)

News flash: on April 20, 2017 a third IGP was added: Marche Olio EVO IGP.

Il Salame Ciauscolo IGP

A pork sausage that dates back to at least 1700, when it was devised by the poor farmers as a way to use much of the hog. It’s made from the shoulder, the ham, the bacon, and the fat, plus wine, garlic, and pepper.

Traditionally, it was made in winter, when the tenant farmers had more time and the lower temperatures helped preserve the meat.

The meat is ground at least twice, making the mixture very smooth. It is put in casings and aged 2-4 weeks in a humid environment. Each sausage is 0.5 – 1.0 kg (1 – 2 lbs.) and about 30cm (12in) long.

The texture is soft and smooth, resembling a paté. It is sometimes called “il salame che si spalma“, the “salami that you can spread.”

It is produced in the inland areas of Macerata, Fermo, and Ascoli Piceno provinces and the southern part of Ancona.

There is a sagra in Moresco (FM) in early September.

Maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP

This pasta is fascinating in many ways. It’s made of only eggs and flour — no water — and entirely by hand, including cutting it VERY thin, like what we call “angel hair” but more so. I’ve seen pictures, like the one below, but I’m not sure how they manage it. I’ve read that the range of thickness is 0.3 to 0.7mm, an incredible 1/100th to 3/100th of an inch, and of width 0.8 to 1.2mm, or 3/100th to 5/100th of an inch. (Not surprisingly, it cooks in less than one minute.)

You can see some more good pictures of the making, cutting, and drying of the pasta.

The methods date back until at least the 1400s when it was made in a local abbey. Traditionally, it’s eaten with a meat sauce, but in a true marketing way, they say it’s delicious “with other sauces or simply with extra-virgin olive oil and a small spoon of Parmigiano.”

There is an annual sagra celebrating the Maccheroncini during the first ten days of August.

Campofilone is a comune of about 2000 people. The center of town lies a bit inland from the Adriatic, but there is a beachfront of about 1.5km.

L’Olio Extravergine di Oliva Marche IGP

This yellow-green olive oil can be grown and produced anywhere in Marche. It can be made from up to 12 varieties, 10 of which are native to Marche: Ascolana tenera, Carboncella, Coroncina, Mignola, Orbetana, Piantone di Falerone, Piantone di Mogliano, Raggia/Raggiola, Rosciola dei Colli Esini e Sargano di Fermo. Oil from these must make up at least 85% of the product. The other up-to-15% can come from two other varieties that have been grown in Marche for centuries: Frantoio e Leccino.

(These varieties show up in other Marchegian DOP/IGP products: Ascolana tenera is also the olive used for Olive all’Ascolana and Frantoio and Leccino are used in L’Olio EVO di Cartoceto.)

Olives have to be picked by December 15 and processed with 2 days of collection. It must stay under 30°C (86°F) during processing.

The flavor is described as mildly fruity, mildly bitter, mildly spicy. (All score 2 out of 7 on these scales.) There is a little variation toward a little lighter and a little more intense. The odor has a mildly herbaceous note and can have hints of almond or artichoke.

Sources:
Ciauscolo images: Lorenzo Vinci | https://lorenzovinci.it/magazine/recipe/ciauscolo-igp-delle-marche-storia-calorie-ricette-e-caratteristiche/
Maccheroncini being cut: Marche Tourism | http://www.turismo.marche.it/Turismi/Made-in-Marche/C1/2
Maccheroncini drying: Campofilone Tourism | http://www.turismocampofilone.it/2627/Maccheroncini_di_Campofilone_IGP.aspx
Olive oil: Pixabay: pau_noia0 | https://pixabay.com/en/olive-oil-green-olive-oil-food-850336/
Map icons: Maps Icons Collection | https://mapicons.mapsmarker.com

For more information:
Guida Vino (In Italian) | https://www.guida-vino.com/it/ciauscolo-il-salame-che-si-spalma/item/67-ciauscolo-il-salame-tipico-delle-marche-noto-come-il-salame-che-si-spalma.html