During the economic boom times of the fifties and sixties, Italians were eager to embrace a more wealthy and leisurely lifestyle with little concern about abandoning old traditions. After all, Italy had just came out from a deep and black poverty so who could criticize them.
However, as a result many traditional recipes and even farm animals came close to being lost for good! Mora Romagnola was one of them. Mora Romagnola was (and today thankfully still is) the typical pig of the land around Romagna. It’s quite different from the "large white", the English pig which today has spread all over the world. Mora Romagnola resembles a little wild boar, with its brown thick coated skin and the pointed hear.
However, the Mora Romagnola is a less cost-efficient pig when compared to its big pink brother, so it was abandoned to its fate after the importation of the large white. But today, some farmers are beginning to breed them again and there numbers are growing every day.
Fausto Zavoli, with his son Andrea, is one of these traditionalist pioneers. He is the first such breeder in Rimini where he breeds three More Romagnole and prepares very tasting products such as sliced ham, sausage and bacon fat.
He lives with the family in Saludecio, a small medieval town on the hills around Rimini and Riccione. From his house you can see the green hills and, at the very end, the blue and bright sea. “It’s only the passion which drive us in this work - says Andrea - These animals aren’t more productive and give us less meat than other pigs, but we do this as a mission. We’re very happy that Mora Romagnola lives again!â€.
The family business was set up by Fausto’s grandfather as butcher, but it was Fausto that started with Mora Romagnola. Today, there are very few place where you can taste the gorgeous savour of this typical pork meat, Fausto Zavoli, is one of these!
