After decades of being absent from most deli counters in the U.S., mortadella is making a comeback. In fact, the global market size for mortadella is expected to hit $1.4 billion by 2033.¹ For restaurant operators, this is an opportunity to get in on the sensation of this unique deli meat.

What is Mortadella?

Some liken it to bologna, but this is far from your typical lunch meat. Mortadella is a carefully crafted, emulsified pork sausage made with black pepper, myrtle berries, pistachios and cubes of pork fat.

It’s most often menued at Italian eateries and sandwich restaurants, finding its way between slices of soft bread or comingling with crackers on charcuterie boards.

It’s also a thoroughly crafted meat. True mortadella requires:

1. Grinding seasoned, raw pork into a smooth paste
2. Folding in pork fat cubes and spices (and sometimes pistachios and myrtle berries)
3. Stuffing into large casings, traditionally made from bladders
4. Hung and slowly cooked in an oven
5. Rapidly cooled in an ice-water bath
6. Resting in a refrigerator to meld its flavors

A Protein with a Past

Mortadella has roots dating back to ancient Rome. In the 1600s, its recipe became strictly formalized² and “Mortadella Bologna” (mortadella crafted from Bologna, Italy) was officially given Protected Geographical Indication status (like that given to Champagne and Irish Whiskey) in 1998.³

For a time, it was disregarded in the U.S. as a lower-tier deli meat like bologna. Mortadella was also banned across the country from the mid 1900s until 2000 due to antiquated foodservice laws.³

Back in the Spotlight

Ways to Menu Mortadella

Its distinctive pink hue and melt-in-your-mouth pork-to-fat ratio have inspired restaurants worldwide to create everything from upscale charcuterie boards to authentically Roman pizzas. It can also be served in quiche, frittatas, pasta salads and beyond.

Try these common and unique ways to serve mortadella:

Mortadella
Panuozzo

Mortadella, pistachio pesto, burrata, arugula and parmesan in crisp, soft, wood-fired pizza dough.

The Recently Viral Mortadella Sandwich

Mortadella, provolone and spreads of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise on a toasted kaiser roll.

Mortadella Ricotta Sandwich

Mortadella, ricotta, roasted peppers, balsamic and crushed pistachios on fresh-baked focaccia.

1 Spherical Insights, 2024
2 Food Network, 2024
3 New York Times, 2023
4 National Restaurant Association, 2023
5 Mintel, 2024
6 Assica, 2022