And only one salami would prevail.
The winners of the 2016 Salami Festa, held last weekend, were Footscray real estate agent Michael Sanz and Brunswick doctor Josh Butt, otherwise known as ‘Saddleback’.
The secret ingredients to this duo of friends’ winning recipe include a pig raised in Gippsland, chilli from the garden of Josh’s neighbour, garlic, salt, pepper, fennel and a nice splash of red wine.
Coming in at second place were last year’s victors, ‘Team HomeGrown’, captained by Doreen duck breeder Barbera Marshall.
Third place was snapped up by a team whose name gives a pretty good indication of their origins: ‘Forza Puglia’.
Joe and Pina Cerulla are a husband and wife team from Thomastown, who have been “working” together to produce scrumptious salami for over two decades, experimenting with different techniques and ingredients and both northern and southern recipes.
This year was the Cerullas’ first time competing in the Salami Festa, a community event which continues to attract more visitors and contestants from all over Australia with each year.
The 2016 People’s Choice Award went to the ‘Palermo Family’, who have participated in the contest since its inception five years ago, and were crowned champions in 2013.
This Greenvale family has already taken home the People’s Choice Award in 2014, and last year they scored second place for both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice Awards.
The key to the Palermos’ success is a longstanding family tradition kept alive by Remo and his wife Anna, who religiously repeat the techniques learnt by Remo as a child when he watched and helped his family prepare the pig for a day of salami-making.
The suburb who boasted the most entries, and therefore won the 2016 Suburb of Origin Award, was Reservoir.
The Festa continues to grow in terms of both contestants and spectators thanks to its relaxed atmosphere, complete with good music and even better food.
