Is mortadella just glorified baloney?

[luvs]

it sure as heck looks like it. i like to try all of the different Citerro Fresco products, but don't want to spend $7 on something that is none other than baloney w/ pistacios, you know?
what's the deal with this stuff?

 

[Ishbel]

Well, if it's real Italian mortadella, it bears little resemblance to the stuff called baloney - but then again, I only tried the B stuff once.... it was enough

 

[Andy M.]

Real Italian mortadella is supposed to be closer to a ham product than baloney. The stuff we get here is baloney with nuts.

 

[luvs]

thought so, andy; thanks. definately won't be wasting my cash on that stuff!

 

[buckytom]

mortadella is great fried with eggs and cheese on a bagel. it is fattier than regular american bologna, therefore much tastier...

here is some info on the real stuff:
http://www.baldosalami.it/en/c_mortadella.htm

http://www.italianmade.com/foods/subcat18006.cfm

http://www.mortadellabologna.com/

 

[luvs]

thanks, bucks. i read the links, and it seems just as i suspected. glorified baloney.
i'd rather just buy a half pound of regular baloney and throw a handful of pistaschios onto my sammich than buy mortadella.

 

[Constance]

balogna

I love good old American balogna...especially with mustard, a slice of American cheese and a slice of garden fresh tomato on whole wheat bread.
I seldom eat it anymore, though, because it's so full of fat, sodium and chemicals. Same way with hot dogs...I save them for a treat.

 

[Claire]

Can take or leave American bologna, love mortadella. Spicier, love those little globs of fat and pistachio, and eat it more as part of an antipasta than in a sandwich, where I agree it's differences could easily get smothered in mustard and disappear.

 

[lyndalou]

I put some on the muffaletta I made yesterday. Of course, I also had prosciutto, cheese and genoa salami with the olive salad . It was soooo good. I made too much, though. I may have to have another party today. I have couscous salad and black bean salad and 2 loaves of muffaletta in the fridge. Lots of beer and wine and soda. My friends say that I am like an oldfashioned mother, putting out the food like I'm afraid people will starve. Oh yes, I have homemade brownies also.

 

[Constance]

I hear ya, Lyndalou! My husband says I cook like a farmer's wife feeding the hired help. Can't help it.

My motto is "feed'em up and love'em up!"

 

[Claire]

Hey lyndalou, I'm on my way. I haven't made a mufaleta in ages. By the way, they freeze pretty good. I cut leftovers into wedges, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze. Then I nuke just barely long enough to bring to room temp (too long and the bread will turn to rubber) before eating. Not as good as the first time around, but still pretty good.

 

[foodaholic]

The good stuff is made from donkey thigh,wild boer and
pig..............and the rest is just balony...

 

[Robo410]

if you can get to a real Italian deli, it's worth the $$. If it's shrink wrapped at foodstore, I'd pass.

 

[Haggis]

Mmmm olive or pistachio mortadella with its rich slightly fattiness and garlic flavours. I think that mortadella is more than glorified bologna, it is a different cold cut. Ahh, now I'm hungry.

 

[mrsmac]

We have this great deli near us that has beautiful cold meats, its a small family one with homemade stuff as well.

 

[Piccolina]

There's a story that goes something along these lines...Much of the best mortadella came from a place in Italy called Bologna, and when Italian immigrants arrived on American shores they found it one of those things that they couldn't live without and either imported it to the States or made their own versions.

It quickly spread in popularity through beyond the Italian community and somewhere along the lines the name was shortened from Bologna mortadella to Bologna, which in turn became known as baloney, though by this time most of the characterises of traditional mortadella had been lost, replaced by the more familiar (hot dog-like) product we know as baloney today.

A little Italian urban legend for yah

 

[Haggis]

MrsMac whereabouts is this deli? Just checking to see if its round abouts my area, always looking for new sources of ingredients.

 

[mrsmac]

MrsMac whereabouts is this deli? Just checking to see if its round abouts my area, always looking for new sources of ingredients.

Pennant Hills, its called Relish.

 

[Haggis]

Yeah that would be a fair bit out of my way, but if I'm ever in the area I will drop in and take a look.

 

[Piccolina]

Hi all,

Having consulted the Italian hubby, he has informed me that in some regions (in Italy) they still use – shall we say less than common – meats in the production of mortadella, such as (forgive me for saying this, it bothers me too!) horse meat! But that this is supposed to be clearly labelled as such, and I do tend to think that the FDA would not allow that in American products!

Strange as it may be, I’ve seen horse meat mentioned in several Italian and European recipes, but thankfully hubby (who’s never eaten it) says that horsemeat usage has been in steady decline since the end of WW2. Thank goodness! To me that would be just like eating a dog or cat….