Nduja

A spreadable type of air-cured salami from Calabria, in the south of Italy. Made from the same cuts as slicing salami – pork belly, shoulder etc – it might also contain offal. Although spices are included, it is unlikely you will taste much of them because nduja also features very hot, local chillies; thus it is essentially incorrect to describe nduja as ‘spicy’ because chillies are ‘hot’ rather than spicy, although the meaning of spicy has changed over the past decades also to mean hot.

Availability

Available in specialty shops, in some larger supermarkets and online.

Choose the best

The colour should be a dark red and the meat finely ground but with some texture discernible. It will have a strong (fermented) salami-style smell but should not be noticeably fatty or disturbing. Nduja sold in jars is usually diluted by the presence of olive or other oils, giving a less rich and possibly less hot taste.