Valais dry bacon

Valais dry bacon GGA / IGP

origin	Switzerland and Canton Valais
pork meat	Boneless pork belly
mild salting	rubbed with table salt
aromatic plants added to table salt	Basil, savory, tarragon, clove, garlic, coriander, lovage, bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme, juniper, etc.
Air dry aging	at least three weeks
Weight loss compared to the fresh product	at least 30 percent
Certification	GGA / IGP since May 6, 2015

Valais dry bacon ( Valais German Schpäkk , French lard sec du Valais ) is a Swiss specialty made exclusively from salted pork belly pieces that have been air-dried and preserved, which are never smoked or cured and which are consumed raw. "Walliser dry bacon" is a Protected Geographical Indication (GGA, French indication géographique protégée, IGP ) of the canton of Valais .

Manufacturing

The Valais dry bacon consists exclusively of pieces of belly from pigs from Switzerland . It is always processed in the canton of Valais, whereby the meat surface is rubbed with table salt. The subsequent air drying, which takes at least three weeks, on average eight weeks, removes 30 to 40% of the water content of the meat. Traditionally, Valais dry bacon was hung on strings in cool and well-ventilated wooden stalls or attics, but nowadays it is mostly dried in butcher shops in air-conditioned rooms. This gives it a long shelf life and a very special aroma.

Marking and certification

Every manufacturer of Valais dry bacon must prove that, on the one hand, the pigs were born, fattened, slaughtered and butchered exclusively in Switzerland and, on the other hand, that the relevant belly meat with or without cartilage, but without bones, was salted and dried exclusively in the canton of Valais. The relevant labeling must bear the note "Protected geographical indication" or GGA / IGP and the corresponding logo.

history

In order to survive the cold season, the people of Valais - as elsewhere - were dependent on storing durable supplies. Thanks to the dry climate and the winds of the Swiss Rhone Valley as well as the ingenuity of the Valais, the methods of alpine salting in and alpine air-dry maturation emerged. Depending on the region, air drying can be carried out in the Valais Alps from 800 to 1000 meters above sea level.

The etymological remarks refer to the Roman and Germanic cultures, which both date back a good two thousand years. The oldest surviving documents that describe the drying technology of meat products in Valais date back to the 14th century.

Properties and tasting

Valais dry bacon has a firm texture. The fat tissue is white and streaked with muscle meat. Its unadulterated taste and aroma are harmoniously matched to the salting and aromatic plants. The following herbs are primarily used: basil, savory, tarragon, clove, garlic, coriander, lovage, bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme and juniper. The use of other plants is permitted, provided that they do not dominate. The variety of dry bacon is great in Valais. The Valais dry bacon differs depending on the traditional recipes of the Valais butchers and the spice mixes used.

Web links

Valais dry bacon PGI protected October 2, 2015, the Federal Council, the portal of the Swiss government, accessed on October 21, 2017

Individual evidence

↑ Raw bacon in: Culinary Heritage of Switzerland , accessed on October 21, 2017.
^ Agro Wallis, publication by the Upper Valais Chamber of Agriculture (OLK), November 2, 2002, accessed on October 21, 2017 (PDF).

[1] Raw bacon in: Culinary Heritage of Switzerland , accessed on October 21, 2017.

[2] Agro Wallis, publication by the Upper Valais Chamber of Agriculture (OLK), November 2, 2002, accessed on October 21, 2017 (PDF).