Better salami or mortadella? This is the summer doubt that grips Italians in this hot season of 2022. As they say, there is nothing better than having your favorite foods available at home. However, as most people know, great convenience leads to weight gain.
In other words, if you want to follow a balanced diet, perhaps it is better to replace salami or mortadella with something lighter and healthier. When it comes to Italian cured meats, the debate is always heated. The cured meats are highly appreciated for their high quality meat and ease of use.
On the other hand, what could be better than consuming a stuffed sandwich, especially during the summer season? The meal is quick and easy to prepare, it is able to satiate at the right point and if consumed with a portion of fresh vegetables it allows to obtain a balanced meal. But it cannot be consumed every day! Inside the cured meats there are other substances, such as nitrites and nitrates, which are not exactly a panacea for our health.
Better salami or mortadella?
The most obvious answer to give is: it depends on taste. The answer from a nutritional point of view, on the other hand, cries out for mortadella di Bologna PGI. The salami is made with pork even if it more rarely contains guinea fowl or duck fat. Mortadella is also made with pork but it consists of two separate parts, lean and fat, which are then added together.
Among the two specialties, the leanest sliced is certainly mortadella. Those who love salami, however, do not agree and do not want to give up its particular taste. In fact, the choice is based more on a matter of taste than a healthy one because both cannot be consumed too often. Salami or mortadella should be eaten a maximum of once or twice a week.
The debate on salami or mortadella is quite ancient and mainly concerns a rivalry between regions. Salami and, in particular, “soppressa” is a typical Venetian dish while mortadella is part of the Bolognese tradition. They are both products considered excellent both for the quality of the meat and for the return of flavors.
But if we look at the meat from a healthy point of view, we discover that mortadella is much lighter and the presence of higher micronutrients. Instead, the protein intake is almost identical and therefore makes both cured meats suitable dishes for those who need to introduce this type of macronutrients.
The annoying presence for both cured meats, salami or mortadella, is that of nitrites and nitrates. Both are necessary for the preservation of meat and also give a delicate dark shade, however when they enter our metabolic system they turn into harmful substances. Therefore, green light for the consumption of both salami and mortadella but always with a certain awareness and thoughtful moderation.