Step by step to Speck Alto Adige

Speck Alto Adige PGI is made exclusively from pork. More precisely, it comes from the leg of the pig, i.e. the haunch. Beef plays no part in the production of Speck Alto Adige whatsoever. 

Many factors must be carefully coordinated to turn the leg of pork into this speciality. This starts with the animals being reared and fed in a species-appropriate way, continues with the selection of the raw material, and ends with gentle processing and maturing. Every step follows clearly defined specifications. 

Only lean, full-flavoured pork legs from controlled European farms are used. Speck Alto Adige producers have been carrying on this artisanal tradition for generations, and they guarantee the quality of their product with their name. It is only through the interplay of selected pork, traditional seasoning, gentle smoking and slow maturation in the dry, clear mountain air that Speck Alto Adige PGI develops its unmistakable character. 

The result is a protected speciality whose origin, raw materials and production process are clearly defined and fully traceable.

Speck Alto Adige PGI is produced exclusively from pig leg. This cut is particularly well-suited to producing speck, as it has an ideal balance of lean meat and fat, and is also perfect for slow maturation. This cut forms the basis for the typical structure and characteristic flavour of this speciality. 

Only lean, full-fleshed hind legs are used in the production process and are selected according to strict quality criteria. Even the raw materials are subject to clear specifications: The meat comes from controlled European farms; live animal imports and deep-frozen meat are excluded. Transport conditions are also strictly regulated to ensure quality from the outset. After delivery, the legs are cut using traditional methods and labelled with the production start date. This labelling enables complete traceability and forms the basis for checking the prescribed maturing time. 

The careful processing of this high-quality meat, combined with gentle smoking and slow maturation in the fresh mountain air of the Alps, gives Speck Alto Adige PGI its distinctive texture and mildly spicy flavour.

Speck Alto Adige PGI is smoked as this has been an integral part of its traditional production process for centuries. 

Originally, smoke was used primarily to preserve the meat before more modern methods became available. In combination with salting, it protected the speck from spoiling, enabling it to be stored for many months — a significant advantage in rural South Tyrolean culture. Over time, however, smoking evolved from a purely preservative method to become an important flavouring technique. Unlike heavily smoked ham specialities, Speck Alto Adige PGI is only mildly smoked. Low-resin wood, usually beech, is used for this purpose. The smoking temperature is kept deliberately low, at a maximum of 20°C, to allow the smoke to slowly penetrate the meat. The smoking process alternates with phases of air-drying in the fresh mountain air. 

This balanced interplay gives the speck its characteristic flavour: mild, delicately spicy and harmonious. The principle of "little salt, little smoke and lots of fresh mountain air" ensures that the smoke enhances the natural flavour of the meat rather than overpowering it.