Our salami carries the Ardèche PGI label, what’s that? Everything you need to know about the Ardèche PGI!

It’s true that when we talk about the “Ardèche PGI”, we tend to think immediately of the vineyards near the Côtes-du-Rhône and the Rhône Valley. While the region does indeed produce typical wines made from grape varieties such as Syrah or Grenache, the Ardèche PGI also covers other products, notably salami. In this article, we will explore in detail what the PGI involves and dive into the specifics of dry-cured sausage from the Ardèche in southern France with PGI status.

What is a PGI?

The acronym PGI stands for “Protected Geographical Indication”. It is a European certification, valid in France, that applies to products whose quality is directly linked to a given terroir. To understand PGI certification better, it helps to compare it with the AOP label.

The PGI refers to know-how rooted in a territory. In other words, PGI products must be processed and made, at least in part, within a clearly defined geographical area. Ardèche PGI salami reflects the skill of the master charcutiers of the Ardèche, and the products must be made within the department. The ingredients, on the other hand, do not have to be of local origin, but they must meet strict quality criteria.

By contrast, AOP (protected designation of origin) or AOC (controlled designation of origin) refers to the origin of the products and to the various stages of their production. So when we speak of AOP chestnut flour from the Ardèche, it must come from fruit harvested in chestnut groves located in that territory, from clearly defined tree varieties. It must also have been made in the same department.

The AOP and PGI designations cannot be combined. In other words, a product cannot be certified both PGI and AOP. But if you come across a product bearing one of these labels, it means that it comes from the artisan tradition and the know-how of the terroir concerned. PGI certification is granted by the Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO), and the specification for each product is approved by the standing commission of the national committee responsible for PGIs.

What is the Ardèche PGI?

The Ardèche PGI is a product whose production is carried out entirely or partly in the Ardèche terroir. It may be regional wines, or other things such as Ardèche PGI salami, the real subject of this article.

The Ardèche PGI, charcuterie of the terroir

To earn the PGI label, the Ardèche charcutier must comply with a strict specification. Here are a few examples:

• The slice of sausage is reddish in colour, with pork fat cut into grains.
• Certain spices, such as pepper, may be visible.
• The sausage has a pronounced meaty taste, slightly salty and spicy and may also show a slight acidity if the casing is thick.
• The charcutier must use exclusively natural casings, salt and spices for seasoning, and saltpetre for preservation.
• And of course, the sausage must have been made in the Ardèche. In other words, the processing business must be located in the terroir concerned. This is not exactly the department, but the area corresponding to the old Vivarais, which therefore covers 326 communes. Some communes in the south of the department, which are closer to the Gard region in climatic and cultural terms, are excluded.

Ardèche PGI dry-cured sausage expresses all the geographical character of the region. The know-how of today’s artisans is inherited from the traditional techniques of the tuades. What is more, the mountain climate, along with that of the plain, the hillsides and the plateau, is particularly well suited to the drying and fermentation of sausages.

Ardèche sausage and its variations

Ardèche sausage follows the same basic recipe, but comes in several variations depending on the type of casing used.

• Dry-cured sausage : it may be straight or curved, stuffed into a pork casing 30 mm in diameter or more. It weighs at least 200 g.
• The small chaudin : it is stuffed into a curly, defatted pork casing, that is to say the chaudin, also called the “suivant”. This casing helps give flavour to the sausage, which weighs roughly 200 to 600 g.
• The chaudin : slightly saltier, the chaudin can be more or less wide depending on the size of the casing. Its weight varies between roughly 600 g and 2 kg, and it can be tied by hand.
• The large chaudin : the mixture can be shaped beforehand, before being placed in the wide chaudin. It is also possible to use strips of defatted, peeled and de-veined chaudin. The large chaudin weighs more than 2 kg and can be dried flat. Because of its size, it undergoes a long maturation and has a slightly acidic flavour.
• The rosette : the mixture is stuffed into the rosette, a natural casing with a wider end. It therefore takes this shape, with a diameter that broadens and a swollen tip. Because the different parts mature differently, it has a distinctive taste. It is at least 40 cm long, with a dry weight above 1 kg.
• The jésus : this large sausage weighs more than 400 g. Coming from traditional home charcuterie, it is encased in the sac, or caecum, a wide casing shaped like a large egg. It has a slightly acidic flavour because the thickness of the casing leads to a long maturation

How is Ardèche PGI salami made?

Ardèche PGI salami follows a very demanding production process, starting with the selection of the meat. This must come from pigs raised for charcuterie or from heavy-carcass pigs/sow meat.

The meat used to make Ardèche sausage must be fresh, of at least EU origin and from pigs fed on cereals, without growth additives. Noble cuts are required: shoulders, bellies, loins, fatback and hams.

Mincing is done coarsely, at a minimum of 6 mm. The lean and the fat are then mixed and seasoned. The authorised condiments and spices are: salt, sugars (sucrose or dextrose), herbs, spices, wines and spirits, as well as pepper. This mixture is then pushed into a natural casing. The products are then tied and, where appropriate, bridled.

The products, once tied, are warm-fermented for a length of time that depends on the diameter of the casing. Then comes the maturing phase in the drying room. This step ensures the maturation of the sausage. The drying time also varies according to the size of the sausage. After that, all that is left is to slice and enjoy!