Few dishes in Italy have such a marked difference from region to region. Also in their names. We’re talking about sausages, the poor man’s dish par excellence, the one that has always been street food – before we even knew what street food was. But keep in mind: we’re talking about the sausage that needs to be cooked (we’ll save the topic of dried or cured sausages for another time).

From Mantua’s salamella to Umbrian sausage up to Monza’s luganega; the tour of Italy should also include sausages from Naples and Calabria, which claim to have the best fresh sausage in all of Italy. Let’s call it a challenge, one that’s hard for even the most experienced connoisseurs. Here’s a survey of the Italian sausage scene.