Jésus du Pays Basque Salami, Chorizo, Saucisse Seche and Saucisson des Aldudes
the beautiful Cochon Basque pig
From 140 000 pigs in 1929, the number of Cochon Basque pigs had dropped to just 20 in 1981 when it was designated an endangered species. A few years later, however, a group of Basque farmers from the beautiful Aldudes Valley led by Pierre Oteiza decided to save the pig from extinction and return to traditional methods of breeding and curing. Numbers of the pig are now back up to 8000 and it is in the process of obtaining AOC status
Pierre Oteiza with one of his sows
The pigs live outside all year round, foraging for food on the wooded hillsides of the Aldudes Valley, some 6km from the French/Spanish border. Their diet of nuts and roots is supplemented by a daily helping of grains and beans to ensure that the pigs don’t roam too far from the farms.
The sows come down to the valley to farrow. Each sow has a straw-covered hut to protect her from heat and cold and an enclosure where she lives with the piglets until they are weaned at 2 months and can head off to the hills. With Pierre working so hard to help local farmers stay on the land these hills are now thriving, the fate of the Aldudes Valley having been turned around over the past 20 years.
The view from Pierre’s production kitchen
We sell the range of excellent salami made by Pierre Oteiza from these Cochon Basque pigs:
- Chorizo
cured for 3 months and warmed by smoked paprika and chilli - Saucisse Seche
a delicate flavour with the subtle addition of Piment d’Espelette (the local chilli) and a firmer texture. - Jésus du Pays Basque
a larger salami seasoned with whole peppercorns and cured for up to four months. Deep, robust flavours with a lovely moist texture. - Saucisson des Aldudes
Smaller than the Jésus salami, the Saucisson des Aldudes is, however, made with the same mix of ingredients. Its smaller size and shorter ageing means that the flavour is milder.
Great salami, as you’ll discover when you try Pierre’s, is a world away from the plastic slices you get in the supermarket.
One of the farrowing huts in the village