A little over a month after the CE mark was activated, we visited Tramonti di Sopra in Val Tramonti, in Friuli Venezia Giulia region - north east of Italy - to meet Roberto and Xiaolei, owners of Borgo Titol. Over the last 17 years, they have brought the namesake small village back to life: from the ruins they bought it into a splendid historic village, with care and determination. This is where the company takes its name from: Borgo Titol.
They wanted to create a farm dedicated to cheese production and agritourism. They started with a small sheep and goat herd, but they did not make the leap until they encountered the original and unique story of Pitina. The story captivated them and convinced them to move from cheese production to cured meat production, thanks also to the mentorship of Filippo Bier, who has been our reference producer for Pitina for years. 

THE PITINA

Today, Borgo Titol is part of the Pitina IGP consortium, along with only three other companies. Borgo Titol's pitina is made from fresh sheep meat, 90% of which comes from their own herd of adult Biellese and Bergamasca sheep, and pork lard. It is processed in the same way as salami, but the big difference lies in the curing process and the fact that the mixture is not stuffed into casings but simply sprinkled with cornflour.

During the curing process, which lasts at least 30 days (preferably 40), a light smoking process also takes place in the same room, giving the pitina its character and linking it to mountain products, where smoke was often used as a preservative. The unique character of this cured meat is immediately recognizable on the palate: the sheep meat is very sweet and well-balanced, accompanied by a slight smoky note that softens it. Each piece weighs approximately 140 g and is vacuum-packed.

THE PINDULIS

And then, at the end of our tour of the factory, we happened to see the Pindulis, strips of dried and smoked pork, still in a developing phase at that time. We couldn't resist and thought they might be interesting. And here we are, you can now find them in convenient 150 g vacuum-sealed packs with a shelf life of 5 months. Perfect for an aperitif or as a protein snack!