Zuzzu: an ancient Sicilian pork terrine that uses everything but the oink

Sicilian pork terrine sliced on a bed of leaves

Zuzzu, liatina, gelatina... Many names for this Sicilian preparation in which nothing gets wasted from the pig.

In Italian cooking, no part of a pig is left to go to waste. Gelatina di maiale (also known as zuzzu or liatina) is an ancient Sicilian pork terrine recipe using parts of the pig that we often discard, including the head and tongue.


IN THIS EPISODE
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  • Understand the cultural significance of pork processing for Italian Australians
Pigs have long been seen as valuable assets by Italian cooks and farmers. In medieval times you could even measure land in “pigs” - determined by the number of animals the area could support.

There are many traditional recipes that use all different parts of the animal, nothing is left to waste. The Sicilian terrine known as gelatina di maiale or zuzzu is one example.
Marisa Raniolo Wilkins in her kitchen.
Marisa Raniolo Wilkins in her kitchen.
Marisa Raniolo Wilkings was born in Sicily and now lives in Melbourne where she curates her blog All Things Sicilian and more.

Marisa remembers gelatina from her childhood and she has recreated it for this final episode of season 2 of 'Scarrafoni in Cucina - The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine'.

The recipe was a hit with her friends, but Marisa's advice is to keep quiet about how the dish is made and just share the final product. Listen to the episode to hear how the meal preparation went down.
You end up with this squish, your hands are like playing with this soft, squishy playdough!
Marisa Raniolo Wilkins
Listen above, or follow The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine in the SBS Radio app or your favourite podcast app, to hear all episodes in the series.

Find a collection of recipes featured in the first series on the SBS Food website, including this recipe for Sicilian pork terrine (Zuzzu).

Listen to the Italian version of this episode.

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Zuzzu: an ancient Sicilian pork terrine that uses everything but the oink | SBS Italian