Mortadella

This large, sausage-like lunch meat, cut into very fine slices, is used to prepare a traditional and celebrated sandwich served at the Municipal Market of São Paulo city. It can also be used as filling for fritters, turnovers and savory pies. Of Italian origin, mortadella has always been associated with its most famous production center, the city of Bologna, in the north of the country. There, the traditional recipe is made only with cooked pork and cubed pork fat. This imparts a slightly sweet flavor to the final product. In Brazil, mortadella (like American bologna) can be made with other meats besides pork (such as chicken and beef), and it has a higher calorie content.