CHARCUTERIE

However, national organisations such as Germany's CMA, a marketing organisation for the country's food and drink, are very anxious that authenticity should be preserved, and the Italian Trade Centre also guards the identity of such products as Parma ham. Both maintain that the UK, in the past, has been sold an inferior export alternative rather than the real product. Traditionally served as a starter, restaurants and other caterers are now recognising the potential of the wide variety of products available.

There have been charcutiers in France for over 500 years, and regional specialities have gradually been absorbed into national recognition, including the famous saucissons secs and hams, both originally preserved for eating in the winter months when fresh meat was hard to come by.

In French restaurants a plate of charcuterie will nearly always be on the menu, served as a substantial starter, with the addition of gherkins and, of course, bread. Cooked sausages are also regional and more likely to be served as a main course, or as part of a cassoulet or choucroute, but garlic sausage of various strengths has become internationally popular.

RANGE

One supplier of French charcuterie is Socafoods, based in London. Its portfolio includes products such as jambon Bruni, a smoked ham with a black skin, and jambon Miche or country ham, a traditional ham without additives. A more specialised product is the Jesus saucisson from the Lyon area, which has a distinctive rugby-ball shape and a flavour of pork with spices.

In country areas of Brittany and Normandy, stretching further north to Flanders, pÆ'tés are made from mostly pure pork. Coarse cut is served sliced as a starter and the smoother pÆ'té has now travelled across Europe to be eaten with toast or crispbread.

V Benoist stocks a selection of speciality French charcuterie, including foie gras moussettes from the Jean Larnaudie range, which only need to be sliced to serve as a special starter. All these are vacuum packed to remain in top condition for 45 days.

The secrets of Italian traditional cured meats are jealously guarded by special official bodies, guaranteeing standards of hygiene and the health of the pigs selected. According to the Italian Trade Centre in London, prosciutto is the ‘king of Italian cured meats' and has been around for more than 2,000 years.

CURING

Meat is from special pigs, slaughtered at 10 months to ensure consistency and maturity, with each leg weighing 12-14 kg. These are sent to curing plants in specific areas, salted, dried and preserved. Up to 12 months are required for the prosciutto to mature. True Parma ham is produced exclusively in the hills around Parma and the trade mark of a ducal crown is fire branded onto the rind.

According to Rick Pott of Leathams Larder, caterers are often confused by prosciutto and Parma, and the former can be "produced from any EC pig, and country of origin will be very much dependent on price". He rates San Danielle as currently the best on the market, which is reflected in the price - this is produced from pigs in the San Danielle region - branded SD.

The customer is not likely to see the trade mark, so there can be confusion between the Italian hams and the French Bayonne ham from pigs in that area - and if they live (and die) across the Pyrenees in Spain they become Serrano ham.

Other European countries whose ranges of charcuteries are available in the UK include Denmark and Switzerland.

Charcuterie from Germany, forcibly backed by the CMA, produces as much literature about the products, and serving suggestions with point-of-sale material, as any caterer could wish for. Germany claims to have at least 1,500 sausages (wrst) and they are not just served as starters, but as an evening meal, with cheese at breakfast, or as snacks with different types of bread.

TRIAL

Brian Bennett, managing director of supplier Continental Fine Foods says that caterers prefer smaller sizes of charcuterie products which are now available for the UK market "This encourages trial, and ensures that the meat will not dry up," he says. The current trend for "shaved" meats is continuing and widening to take in other flavours, and Bennett sees the variety of choice as a trend to explore products from lesser-known countries.

He has noticed a rise in sales of Spanish meat, especially the 2-3lb slicing Chorizo sausage stick, 10-12lb pieces of Serrano ham, and Salchichon, a pure pork air-dried salami.

Further east in Poland, also renowned for its distinctive bacon, cooked meats and sausages, and according to supplier Ridpath Pek which deals specifically with Polish delicacies, there have been a host of imitations. Traditionally smoked sausages such as Krakowska are seasoned with spices - it is a slicing sausage produced from coarse-cut cured ham and beef, flavoured with garlic, nutmeg and pimento. Krajana is a roasted ham sausage, with no garlic. These are best served cold but Ridpath Pek also produces a slicing sausage for cooking, such as Wiejska, a ring made from pork and beef.

Another advantage for caterers is that dried sausages such as salamis and any air-dried products have a shelf life of around 56 days. Other charcuterie products are usually sold vacuum-packed. According to CFF's Brian Bennett, although all the company's cold meats are distributed at 5ºC, air-dried products have nowhere for bacteria to grow. Cooked meats with no preservative have a three-week shelf life, with preservatives slightly longer - either vacuum packed, or in controlled atmosphere packaging.

There are now many specialist suppliers for lesser-known products once confined to the European mainland. There is little,if any, wastage, and shelf life is more adaptable than for many cheaper cold meat alternatives full of preservatives and water. o