To understand where Pistume comes from, we must first know the history of rice and piles.
Cultivation brought to our areas by the Gonzagas which has spread thanks to the characteristics of the territory rich in water. PILADOR/PILOTI This word has been used in documents since the 18th century, hence the name of the dish that the laborers piled up rice, or "pilots". Since the work in the "piles" was carried out continuously, there was not much time to devote to the preparation of lunch and this technique made it possible to prepare the rice without having to follow the cooking process. Originally seasoned with vegetables, sautéed onions, fish etc. and probably only in later and more recent times, on the occasion of slaughtering also with the mixture of fresh meat obtained for the production of salami, browned separately and subsequently combined with rice cooked with this technique, making it dry and grainy, in practice it becomes a sort of accompaniment that accompanies some foods as happens in oriental or Arab regions, just think of taj rice.
History of home pig slaughter
The pig was the main source of protein in the diet of most of the population of our provinces, it was fed with the family's food waste, bran, rotting fruit and vegetables, cereals and "broth" which was nothing but water used for cooking and washing dishes (there were no detergents at the time). On the occasion of the slaughter, a real "party" was organized which lasted up to two / three days. This event was really felt like a ritual, almost a sacrifice… the loss of someone who sacrificed himself for the good of the family, pain and joy together. Currently there are intensive industrial type farms especially in the vicinity of dairy industries as the waste from milk processing, the so-called whey or scaròn, is used to fatten the pig, in which a standardized type of pig is obtained, more suitable for needs of the slaughtering industries, and even some small artisanal breeding, with semi-wild pigs fed on grains and legumes more suitable for a niche market.
Product name description
The name – pisto, pistume, pistùm, erroneously translated into current Italian as pesto , has two probable derivations, either from garlic “pounded” together with salt or from the salami paste that was tasted after the first salt, also called pista, pistada… In fact, in Veneto the same product is called tastasal.
The current product derives exclusively from freshly butchered and never frozen meat, all noble cuts are used, carefully trimmed of nerves or cartilage (including ham, coppa or capocollo, shoulder and under-shoulder, loin and tender fats such as bacon and bacon). , is flavored with spices, pepper, wine and above all, as mentioned before, garlic. Why so much garlic in the Mantua area and in some neighboring provinces (Verona, Rovigo, Ferrara) compared to other areas with a good salami tradition? It was thought that garlic kept away malaria and plague in our marshy and unhealthy areas. From salami paste, over time it has been transformed into a different product, with different flavorings and conceps compared to the origins, the doses of salt have decreased as the product must not age and the flavorings have also been calibrated in this sense. Another particular feature is the absence of preservatives as it is a product that must be consumed quickly before the start of natural fermentation, its durability or schelf life is about ten days if stored well or/+2 degrees. If, on the contrary, it was salami, it is better to use them as they help control the development of some bacteria (clostridia) which can be extremely dangerous in canned food, such as botulinum toxin as well as fixing the color of the product as these molecules bind to iron contained in the hemoglobin of lean fibers. In current processes, the use of antioxidants is tolerated (vitamin C in fact the famous E300 E301) which slow down the natural oxidation of the meat by acting only on the lean fibers.
Current production
The current production regulations follow the dictates of the Codex Alimentarius (defined by the FAO in 1963 and updated by the commission annually to safeguard consumer health and correct international trade). Each food company through a self-control system, H.A.C.C.P. (HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CONTROL CRITICAL POINT) ultimately guarantees the wholesomeness of its products through a whole series of procedures and responds to the competent authorities as each product is marked by an acronym recognized at European level and international. CE. therefore a preventive analysis of the possible troubles.
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