There’s something to suit everybody’s fancy! An educational journey to discover the different types of guanciale from our selection. Sweet, sapid or smoky... which one is right for you?
⏱ 3 MINUTES READING

A new year always brings something new, like this new column, where I’m going to tell you about our sales training. Valsana strongly believes in the importance of in-depth study of the product through training:  indeed, this objective has been added also in its statute. The training meetings, 6 a year plus on site visits to producers, involve the entire sales network. 

In this training appointment we will focus on the differentiation of the guanciale in our catalogue, to guide you in choosing the one that best suits your needs. In the following table you will find listed, in an intuitive and immediate way, the main characteristics of the several guanciale in our assortment.
guanciale
ABOUT GUANCIALE
Product born because of necessity, when in the countryside the first butchers learned to value fatty cuts: lard, guanciale and pancetta (Italian bacon). These cuts were considered less valuable but capable to turn into high energy and easy-to-preserve foods. A popular food. The triangular or rectangular shape allows you to recognize at a glance whether it is a product obtained, respectively, from the cheek or throat of the pig.

Each guanciale brings with it different characteristics that make it unique. The choice of the raw material, with the right lean veins with precious fat, the salting process, the seasoning with pepper and various spices, the possible smoking and the level of ageing, ensure that each guanciale develops to the palate different aroma intensities.

THE TASTING
Guanciale tasted in this training: Guanciale di Colonnata, Guanciale al pepe and Guanciale affumicato Zahre.
Guanciale di Colonnata is sweet with a spicy aroma, ideal for cooking, with a regular slice and with a proportionate ratio between fat and lean.

The following is a product with an important contribution of pepper: Guanciale al pepe di Lusetti. It melts in the mouth, it’s sweet and slightly savoury; among the best sellers. We recommend to lightly clean it from the excess pepper before using it.

Last taste: Guanciale Affumicato Zahre. From the heart of the Carnic Alps, it is smoked with beech wood, as per mountain tradition. A very sweet and melting slice, very seductive, with a delicate note of smoke accompanied by aromas of cinnamon and pepper. The product of Jolanda De Colò, very similar, is also available.
An honourable mention goes to the Guanciale di Suino Nero dei Nebrodi, a Slow Food Presidium from pigs raised in the Nebrodi National Park. The pigs feed on what they find in nature: chestnuts, acorns and tubers. The slice has a greater fraction of fat, excellent on hot toasted bread, it delicately melts in the mouth.
Tabella Guanciale

                                      Francesca Marini
Sales manager