It’s the perfect time of the year to gather together inside the walls of a chilly garage and embark on a journey of cutting, resting, mincing, spreading, seasoning, filling, tying, hanging and preserving.
It’s salami-making time.
One man who knows this process all too well is founder and director of the Melbourne Salami Festa, Carlo Mazzarella.
Born in Melbourne to Italian parents, Mazzarella grew up surrounded by the aroma of fresh meat, paprika and chilli as his family crowded into the garage to craft delectable salami during the bitter months.
“I’ve been making salami with my family since I was born and for me Christmas and Easter are two times of the year that the family gets together, and the other two times are for making tomato sauce and salami.
“To be able to learn how to make your own food is an important part of life and it gives you more of an appreciation of food and where it comes from,” Mazzarella said.
While Mazzarella’s parents met and married in Melbourne, his mother originates from Naples, and his father - who taught him everything there is to know about salami - hails from a small village in Basilicata.
“Back then food was scarce so they had to make the most of what they had, and one animal could feed a family for the whole year, so it was a very important thing.
“My dad used to tell me that as a kid he remembered that the whole village would get together and everyone would work as a community to make the salami, and then once it was all over they would have a big celebration…they’d get the food going, the wine flowing, music, dancing and all sorts of things,” Mazzarella said.
While the age-old tradition of salami-making has followed Italian migrants to Australia, the festive component has been left behind.
Mazzarella noticed that while families were still producing salami, they weren’t uniting as a community for arguably the best part of the tradition: celebrating the fruits of their labour.
And so a seed was planted.
In 2009, at a salami session at his parents’ home, Mazzarella joked with his friend Marco Finanzio about how each Italian family fervently claims to be the creator of the perfect salami.
Amid the laughter, Mazzarella’s mother unknowingly came up with an idea that would change the Melbourne food scene and the Italian-Australian community forever: a competition to find the best salami.
Mazzarella and his friends sat on the suggestion until 2012, when they got together over a few beers and decided to breathe life into the idea.
The group wanted to create a “mirror of what used to go on in Italy back in the day, when all the community came together”, and so the Melbourne Salami Festa was established.
While the Festa’s main purpose is to unearth the best salami in Australia, it also aims to celebrate Italian culture and promote the Slow Food Movement and sustainable living.
Mazzarella and his team started out with one big idea and no budget, and they organised the first Festa with hopes of around 100 participants.
Word spread like wildfire, and the outcome exceeded all expectations, with 52 competitors entering out of nowhere.
“We had a small social club booked in Thornbury and over 2000 people tried to get to the event, but the venue could only hold about 400!
“We were totally unprepared and we were blown away by the response,” Mazzarella said.
Following the success of the first Festa, Mazzarella moved the event to the Northcote Town Hall and maximised his advertising background to back it up with an even bigger and better experience in 2013.
The Festa has continued to expand, and with the introduction of the Friday Night Market last year, over 6000 people came along to enjoy a weekend of all things salami, while 82 competitors from all over Australia battled it out for the title.
The Festa is back this October for its fifth year, and with extended hours - including a traditional Farmers’ Market on the Saturday - and a larger space, Mazzarella is hoping to break the record again for numbers.
Mazzarella looks forward to seeing regular competitors from the “community of makers” return with their treasures, including 2015 champion, Barbara Marshall.
Marshall made history by becoming the first female to win the Judge’s Choice Award, sparking some controversy with her unique salami recipe that was the first to include a meat other than pork.
“Her recipe was a duck and pork salami, so the mixture of meat was delicious and it was more of a French-style salami…the judges loved it,” Mazzarella said.
A Salami Festa wouldn’t be much of an occasion without the salami, and for Mazzarella “the real heroes” of the weekend are the makers.
“I get a real buzz when I see the makers getting praised, and we’ve even had makers approached and asked for autographs which is incredible…they love it,” Mazzarella chuckled.
This year the Festa will be judged by a range of journalists and chefs, including Festa patron Guy Grossi, Frank Camorra from MoVida, and Rosa Mitchell from Rosa’s Canteen.
And in true Festa spirits, the judging panel will be headed by a “nonna” from the community, to be announced closer to the date.
The highlight of the event will be the opening night party, which will see Spain and Italy battle it out in an “aperitivo versus tapas” style duel, with Frank Camorra in Spain’s corner and Tony Nicolini from D.O.C representing Italy.
“On the night there will be music from both countries and people will be able to sample food from MoVida and D.O.C, voting for either Spain or Italy. It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek salami battle royale,” Mazzarella laughed.
A handful of new stallholders will also grace the “Grand Salumi Hall”, bringing with them Spanish and French influences to add to the gastronomical goodness.
This all-inclusive Festa has something to offer everybody in the community, of all ages and from all walks of life.
It may be the one place in the world where it seems natural to find yourself standing between an Italian nonna and a twenty-something hipster, sharing a mutual appreciation for one thing.
After all, in the words of Mazzarella, “Everyone loves salami!”
The Melbourne Salami Festa is now officially accepting competition entries. For more event information, including entries and ticket sales, go to the Festa's website or Facebook page.
