Considered a highly versatile ingredient, nduja is a spicy pork paste with a texture similar to that of pâté. A combination of pork fat, herbs and spices and Calabrian peppers, it provides an intense colour, meaty, spicy and umami palate, lending itself to jazzing up many dishes—from spreading it onto bread, enhancing pasta dishes to branching out and stuffing squid with it.
Nduja’s origins are in the southern Calabria region of Italy. It is filled with rich and smoky pepper flavours, and the Spanish are thought to have introduced it into the region when they were fighting the French in the 19th century.
Mercato Italiano stocks nduja from Gabriella Bellatone, a company with strong Italian family traditions. The company is based in Spilinga on the north side of Mount Poro, in the Calabria region.
Originally established as a weekly market stall, supplying high quality cured meats and cheeses directly imported by Ilaria using her Italian produce contacts, Mercato Italiano has become the go to destination for authentic pizza, coffee, cocktails and so much more in west Dorset and surrounding area.
Be sure to visit https://mercatoitaliano.uk and subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with events, tastings and exclusive offers, including the Marshwood reader discount on special events.
