Finocchiona

This delectable Tuscan salami is made from finely ground pork flavored with wild fennel seeds (finocchio means 'fennel'), garlic, salt, and pepper; a little finely ground beef can also be mixed in with the pork when making finocchiona. Finocchiona is aged anywhere from seven months to one year before it's marketed, and it has a soft, melting texture; it's best sliced not too thinly and served with saltless Tuscan bread. Finocchiona is rather imposing in size, measuring up to 10" in diameter, and often appears as part of the classic Tuscan antipasto platter along with chicken liver crostini, Prosciutto, fett'unta (the Tuscan name for 'bruschetta'), other types of salami, olives, and mushrooms marinated in olive oil.

A typical pork salami from Tuscany.