The first documents containing the word "
speck" date back to the 18th century, although it can be traced back as far as the year 1200 where, under different names and definitions, it is mentioned in the butcher regulations and in the accounting records of the Tyrolean princes. Initially, this particular sort of ham was produced with a view to preserving the meat for a long time and it was intended for family consumption. It was a method that provided families throughout the year with meat from the pigs butchered around Yuletide. In time Speck became one of the main courses for feasts and banquets and today, served with bread and wine, it is still the gourmet “star” that reigns supreme on South Tyrolean snack platters.
Speck Alto Adige is manufactured truly under the motto “the best of two worlds” following two traditions: that of smoking as in Northern Europe and curing according to Mediterranean tradition. In this way South Tyrol (or as the Italians say Alto Adige) has created a typical Italian gourmet product with a unique taste and unique production method based on the ancient recipe: “a little salt, a little smoke and a lot of fresh air”.
