Ventricina is produced in the province of Campobasso, and the one from Montenero di Bisaccia is particularly renowned.The cured meat is made using pieces of lean meat coming exclusively from the leg of the pig to which pieces of hard fat are added. One of its secrets is to use only pigs raised locally and fed mainly on cereals and dried legumes; this diet provides the meat with above-normal leanness and the fat with a special texture. Adult sows ranging in weight from 150 to 200 pounds are generally used. The meat is seasoned with salt, sweet paprika, fennel flowers and, in the spicy version, a pinch of chili pepper. It is left under flavoring for about 24 hours and then stuffed into the pork bladder. Maturing the product takes about 15 days, in heated and ventilated rooms; curing takes about a year and a half, after which the ventricina is covered with melted lard that protects and preserves it from the summer heat.
