A trip to Spilinga, the city of ‘Nduja

The fame of Calabria ‘’spicy land‘’ has now conquered the whole world!

Merit also goes to the ‘Nduja di Spilinga, the region's most famous and loved sausage, starting from Spilinga, a small town in the province of Vibo Valentia overlooking the Costa degli Dei.

Not only can Calabrian ‘nduja now be found in the legendary Hard Rock Cafe's of Rome, Florence and Venice, declined in special “chilly menus”, but it is even proposed as a daring ingredient in cocktails, such as the Apple Chilli Martini.

Would you like to try it too? Follow us on a spicy trip to discover the ‘Nduja di Spilinga, from its origins to its processing, including traditional recipes and a visit to the territory of origin.

What are the origins of ‘Nduja di Spilinga, Calabria's most famous sausage?

Let's start with the name: the word ‘nduja seems to derive from the Latin word “indùcere”, or “to stuff”, referring to the act of filling the pig's gut with meat and other ingredients, as is done for all Calabrian PDO cured meats.

Born historically as a poor man's dish, in order to utilise the pig's waste and fatty parts, Calabrian ‘nduja is prepared with the addition of hot Calabrian chilli pepper, stuffed into a blind casing (orba) and smoked.

The best way to enjoy ‘Nduja di Spilinga is to warm it up slightly (even in special “nduja warmers”) and spread it on a slice of lightly toasted bread, accompanying it with a good glass of red among the Calabrian DOC and IGT wines.

However, its versatility and the fact that it picks up for a long time without any additives, thanks precisely to the abundance of chilli pepper, make ‘nduja di Calabria perfect as an ingredient in many recipes: a tasty soffritto to be used as the base of a meat sauce or a simple tomato sauce with garlic; to garnish pizza, to accompany aperitif platters, combined with delicious Calabrian PDO cheeses (mature and semi-mature), in omelettes and even in desserts.

The small capital of Calabrian ‘nduja is Spilinga, a village in the Vibo Valentia area that we suggest visiting in summer, on 8 August to be exact, when the much-awaited “Festival of the 'Nduja di Spilinga" is held.

The small town can be visited in a short time, passing through some symbolic places: from the 17th century Church of San Giovanni Battista to the Church of Carciadi, which peeps out from the highest point of the town.

Just outside the built-up area, there are some very suggestive places, such as a series of religious buildings set in the rock and surrounded by the green Vallata Ruffa, the torrent that flows between the cliffs of Capo Vaticano, a nearby seaside resort that should definitely be visited. 

Among the sacred places, the Shrine of the Madonna della Fontana (or delle Fonti) stands out. It was built in an ancient hermit cave, where, according to legend, the Madonna manifested herself to indicate the construction of the place of worship.

Several other hermit caves dot the valley, such as the Grotta di San Leo, whose interior picks out fragments of frescoes dating back to the 16th century.

Trekking enthusiasts will find very interesting the walk along the course of the Fiumara, which is home to a rich variety of fauna and flora (including a rare tropical fern, the Woodwardia radicans), the well-preserved remains of the mills that, until the 1950s, still constituted an important item for the local economy, and a rural aqueduct from the Murattian period.

Experienced hikers can take the opportunity of a trip to Spilinga to venture along the paths of Monte Poro, the mountain that protects the back of the scenic Costa degli Dei, where the PDO pecorino cheese is produced.