Mazzafegati

Mazzafegato is an Italian salami, a dry-cured sausage hailing from Umbria. A combination of coarsely ground pork liver and pork meat is mixed with spices and seasonings, and it is then left to age before being stuffed into natural gut casings.

Thought to have originated in Norcia, this meat specialty is defined by a dark red color and a strong, aromatic, and rustic flavor. Consumed fresh or matured for a couple of months, the sausage is usually enhanced with fennel flowers, and it typically comes in two versions: sweet and savory.

The sweet version calls for seasoning the sausage mixture with sugar, pepper, pine nuts, raisins, and orange peel, while the savory version uses salt, pine nuts, pepper, and some garlic. The name of this Umbrian salami has been linked to two possible meanings: mezzo fegato or half liver, which is probably a reference to its composition of pork liver, and ammazza fegato, meaning to kill the liver, which is believed to be related to its rather pungent flavor.

Traditionally prepared in the cold winter months, mazzafegati are typically served with fresh homemade bread and a glass of fine Italian red wine on the side.