“Italian heritage, Hungarian pride” The Italian roots of Hungarian salami production

Salami production is still one of the leading sectors of the Hungarian food industry, yet we know little about its true origins.

Where did salami come from? The beginnings of large-scale Hungarian salami production and the production technologies used in the era can be attributed to Italian families who settled in Hungary. At that time, a new industry based on local raw materials, salami production, developed, which provided employment opportunities not only for hundreds of Italian (primarily Friulian) salami makers, but also for Hungarian workers. At the same time, Hungarian salami became accepted and even highly sought after among consumers, thanks to which it became a product known not only on the domestic market, but also worldwide.

The exhibition focuses on the Vidoni Salami Factory in Debrecen, which was founded in 1886 by members of a family also from Friuli, the Vidoni brothers. But other factories founded by Friulian industrialists will also be presented, such as Del Medico, Dozzi in Budapest, Forgiarini in Szeged and Boschetti in Debrecen, as well as the largest non-Friulian-founded factories that also employ Italians, such as Pick and Herz. In addition, one of the most significant companies in today’s Hungary, the Italian-owned KOMETA 99 Food Industry Zrt., which also deals with salami production, will also appear in the exhibition.

The exhibition’s literary basis was provided by Dr. Barbara Katalin Blaskó’s publication: Salamucci!, which can be purchased at the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Hospitality.

Curators: Dr. Barbara Katalin Blaskó, Dr. Dobos Dóra Hajabácsné, Krisztián Hegedüs