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January 21, 2013

Our latest release: 'Nduja brings a little heat this winter

The Smoking Goose is bringing a little heat to this cold winter. We'll warm you up from the inside out with 'Nduja, our latest limited release with a spicy kick.
The kick comes from the toe of the boot...geographically speaking. In southern Italy's region of Calabria they've been layering heat with local peppers and pork to make a soft, spicy salame with a long history.

Some say the short & stout salame was influenced by the French centuries ago while others are sure it was roving Spaniards who inspired early Calabrians along the coasts. It's hard to argue the origins with our mouths full, but maybe the biggest clue is it's name. The locals in the old country call this salame 'Nduja -- pronounced kinda like in-do-yha -- which brings some of the same sounds as andouille, the French salame that some hungry historians are sure inspired 'Nduja.

With the original 'Nduja as our inspiration, we're making our own all-local Indiana version. Like the traditional Italian salame, we started by grinding and blending pork shoulder, belly and jowl. We spike the rich, soft mixture with dried Calabrian peppers then stuff natural casings that are about 3 or 4 inches wide, like the Italians use. Here's where we made it our own: our 'Nduja saw the inside of our gravity-fed cold smoker for 10 days before dry curing for 8 weeks.


That layer of sweet smoke rounds out the delicious bite of hot, floral, and earthy Calabrian peppers for a slice that's spreadable and layered with even more intense and complex flavors.
Stop by Goose the Market in Indianapolis to claim your portion and watch our facebook and twitter updates for local businesses across the country (and near you!) who bring in our 'Nduja by contacting our wholesale reps, Josh and Andy!