Olli Salumi

Lately social media, Instagram in particular, has spotlighted Charcuterie boards – many posters confuse them with Cheese boards. To learn the expert’s take on the difference, check out this article at The Cheese Professor.

During the 2020 lockdowns, specialty food producers and retailers looked for contact-free ways to sell and serve cheese and charcuterie. I’m all for new and clever ways to present the specialty foods I sell. A couple ideas I liked combined cheese and charcuterie (and the good “stuff” that goes with both) on skewers and served it in paper cones and paper boats (similar to the individual cheese plates I serve at Sweet Combs of Honey). One “trend” I hate is this tacky (IMO) idea using canning jars as the serving “dish”; I find this a classless way that does not live up to the dignity worthy of specialty foods… please go away…

I have always been a fan of cured meats, particularly those crafted using Old world processes and ingredients: prosciutto and salumi. Prosciutto and melon is a summer staple here at The Manse. In 2011, while in the Parma region of Italy, our group toured a Beretta prosciutto factory. Miles and miles of hanging pig legs in various stages of aging. I eat meat; I enjoy meat but it’s hard to look at thousands of pig legs hanging off hooks… but I digress…

My relationship with Olli began in 2018 when I staged 2 grazing table events for American Cheese Month. Olli generously donated the cured meats for both events.

Olli uses only antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed pork and simple spices. No nitrites and no nitrates are used.  Fermentation of the meats takes place in temperature and humidity-control climates. In addition to climate, time, starter culture and sugar are the most important ingredients to produce their quality meats.

Currently at Sweet Combs of Honey, I carry two chubs from Olli Salumeria:

• Traditional to the smoked salami from Naples, Napoli Salami is smoked over Applewood giving it a complex, hearty flavor. Its mild taste makes it a great snack to pair with an assortment of wines, cheeses and beyond.*
• Genoa is considered to be the pork product capital of Italy and the butchers there are among the best in the world. It’s fitting that our salami is simply seasoned with just salt and white pepper, allowing the flavor of our premium pork to shine through.*

Both chubs have a dusty coating over the casing, which is easily removed. The meat is red and “healthy” looking. The taste is clean and fragrant. When cold, the meat is hard and I recommend letting it sit at room temperature for a half hour to make it easier to slice.

I serve slices of these chubs on my weekly cheese plates and my customers love the pairings. Showcasing the salumis on the plates has introduced many to the world of quality cured meats.

In addition to these chubs at Sweet Combs of Honey, I offer a selection of Olli products in my Amazon Influencer Storefront.

*taken from the Olli website

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission from any purchases you make through those links. I thank you for patronizing my amazon influencer store front. 

Cheese events at Sweet Combs of Honey will begin again in the next several weeks. Enjoy your summer vacation!!

 

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