Ventricina
Ventricina is delicatessen item commonly found in the Abruzzo Region of central Italy. It is most similar to what Americans refer to as "cold cuts". It is made by taking the best meats of a pig and encasing them in the animals intestines or stomache while they cure. There are two principal types of Ventricina, those of the area in and around the city of Teramo, and others coming from the area of Vasto.
Teramo Ventricina
This version of ventricina is made from pork meat with added pork fat, the latter encompassing approximately 50-60% by weight of the finished product. The meat and fat are finely ground together and various spices are then added to the mixture. Most often these include garlic, salt, ground black and white pepper, hot and bell peppers, orange peel, rosemary, bell pepper paste, and fennel seeds. Other spices are sometimes added according to the taste of the producer. Traditionally, this mixture would be encased in the bladder, stomache, or intestines of the swine. More recently, synthetic casings have been employed or the mixture is simply stored in glass containers. Ventrincina is often hung to cure in a cool dark place for several months before it is eaten.
Vasto ventricina
In comparison to the Teramo Ventricina, that found in Vasto contains much lower percentage of fat, typically in the neighborhood of 30% or so. The meat in this ventricina is cut into larger cubes of about two centimeters. Spices include bell peppers, hot peppers, fennel seeds and ground pepper.