What is 'Nduja, & how do you use it? - Helen's Fuss Free Flavours (2024)

FAQs

What is 'Nduja, & how do you use it? - Helen's Fuss Free Flavours? ›

'Nduja and Spanish chorizo sausage are both spicy preserved pork products. With a similar colour, both are traditionally fermented. Generally 'nduja is softer (although some chorizos are soft and spreadable. However, while chorizo can be spreadable it is usually firmer than 'nduja.

Nduja is a cured spicy spreadable sausage from southern Italy. It's made from pork, fat, herbs, spices and local Calabrian chillies, which give the sausage its heat and dark red colour. It doesn't require cooking and is often spread on toast, mixed into sauces and stews to add flavour, and used as a pizza topping.

With a spicy, savory flavor reminiscent of chorizo, 'nduja falls somewhere between a salami and a spread. In fact, it's both, making 'nduja an amazing addition to your charcuterie board to spread on bread or crackers, next to the creamy cheeses and salty meats.

The spreadable sausage is so soft it practically melts when warm, and there is a good chance you've had 'Nduja in restaurant dishes. You can add it to your eggs, put it on pizza, sprinkle it on pasta, or just spread it on a cracker or bread.

Yes, Nduja is absolutely safe to eat raw, as is. It's preserved, fermented, and smoked, all of which make it safe for raw consumption and one of the most shelf-stable Italian salume varieties.

It can be eaten as is, spread on a piece of sourdough (Cautiously ! It is very spicy). Try it in place of butter or oil when making a sauce or stew for a hot kick, or try fried eggs cooked in melted 'nduja. This 'Nduja comes in a jar and is shelf stable.

In some ways, the two products are similar, both being spicy preserved pork sausages. In terms of consistency though, 'nduja is much softer and is always spreadable, and you cannot slice it like a chorizo.

Nduja Sausage

This “peasant” sausage is made with pig offal such as tripe, lungs and liver. But far from a poor compromise, these so-called waste cuts are rich in mood- and energy-supporting vitamin B12 and iron, says Hodges, plus choline for brain health.

Nduja, is a type of spicy, spreadable Italian pork salami, so I suggest you substitute pepperoni or Italian sausage bits, or maybe a pork-based spicy paste.

Pairing considerations for Nduja sausage include balancing its spice and fatty texture with wines that offer complementary flavors and structure. Recommended wines include Rainwater Madeira, Rosso di Montalcino, Priorat, and Cirò, each enhancing the dish's bold flavors.

Does nduja contain blood? ›

Though modern 'nduja-makers might include other ingredients, at its simplest 'nduja contains little more than ground pork, salt, and a mouth-numbingly spicy dose of Calabrian chiles, which gives the salume its signature red glow.

The name nduja comes from the french word "andouille", which means "sausage". Nduja is made with pork meat, a bit of fat, salt and a lot of red pepper. In general, nduja is extremely spicy.

It might judiciously be stirred through cooked pasta, added to scrambled eggs or omelettes, dabbed onto a potato frittata, stirred into a savoury muffin mix, incorporated into bread or scone doughs or used in soups and stews of all kinds.

Regular Checks: Occasionally check your 'nduja for any signs of spoilage such as an off smell or visible mould. If either is present, it's best to discard it. Limit Exposure to Air: Each time you use 'nduja, try to limit its exposure to air.

Nduja, a sausage from Calabria in Italy, may bring a French variety, andouille, to mind when its name is pronounced correctly: en-DOO-ya. But there are differences. For one, the main ingredient in the French sausage is tripe. Nduja is made from pork and pork fat, has robust red-pepper spicing and a spreadable texture.

Thanks to its spicy taste, 'Nduja pairs really well with cheeses characterised by an intense flavour, such as Gorgonzola, Caciocavallo or smoked Provola. Try it with eggs and sausages, too, or with vegetables and legumes.

Nduja, a sausage from Calabria in Italy, may bring a French variety, andouille, to mind when its name is pronounced correctly: en-DOO-ya. But there are differences. For one, the main ingredient in the French sausage is tripe. Nduja is made from pork and pork fat, has robust red-pepper spicing and a spreadable texture.

It's spicy, smokey flavours have gained the attention of chefs and foodies as well as its versatility in an array of dishes. Nduja is incredibly nice on a nice fresh piece of bread if you're going simple and really want to experience what the flavour profile is like.

Nduja is a spreadable pork sausage paste from the Southern Italian region of Calabria. It is red in colour and either comes in a jar or vacuum packed in a bag. The flavour is hard to describe, you have to trust me on this one. It is super savoury and has a kick of chilli but not overly spicy if used sparingly.