Originating in the region of La Marche, Ciauscolo is a lightly smoked, lightly aged sausage made from flavorful cuts of meat and simple seasonings. The meat is minced very finely with extra fat before seasoning is added to it, and sometimes a drop of wine. Then it is put in a casing, usually of pork intestine, and cold smoked with juniper wood, or simply hung near the kitchen chimney, for a few days. It is typically left to age for only a short period of two weeks.
The most credible theory suggests that the name Ciauscolo comes from the Latin cibusculum, meaning “small food,” referring to the way the sausage is eaten—as little bites, atop slices of bread. It is chopped or ground very finely and therefore has a texture much like a pâté—it can almost be spread. Ciauscolo is most often eaten this way, as a snack or small bite; delicious on its own or with bread.
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