HISTORY

The name mortadella can be traced to Roman times. Some sources claim that it derives from “Mortarium” (mortar), a utensil that was used to press pork meat.

The mortar appears in a bas-relief of a funerary stone that is preserved in the archaeological museum of Bologna. Other sources deem that the word derives from “Murtada” (dripped with myrtle, a typical plant of the Mediterranean patch). The mortadella producing district was formerly under Roman influence, and stretches from Emilia Romagna to Lazio. Starting from the late Renaissance period, this product can be traced to several literary and historical sources over the ages.

In 1661 Cardinal Farnese issued a act, which encoded mortadella production, thus providing an early example of a regulation that resembles the current trademarks PDO and PGI. Warranty seals were manufactured  and applied by the Corporation of Salaroli (workers who salted meat to   cure it), one of the most ancient corporations in Bologna that, already in 1376, had the emblem of a mortar with the related pestle.

Starting from ’800, mortadella has recorded a growing presence in both Italian and foreign markets as a result of the flourishing early industrial pork meat processing activities, which absorbed and consolidated the recipe and tradition of this cured meat as non-renounceable heritage. The versatile nature of this product has contributed to its unwavering success over the past 2,000 years and, to date, ensures its extensive acknowledgements and excellent future prospects.