Wild Boar
The Maremma area of Toscana is a bleak, inaccessible area is still largely undiscovered and home to wild mushrooms and the wild boar that roam the area and feast upon them.

In the winter and snowy moths in Italy, wild game is pursued throughout Tuscany. Game birds are hunted through the end of summer through the first snowfall or hard freeze, usually in late December. Wild Boar, on the other hand, is usually hunted a little earlier or a little later in the year, although the presence of snow on the ground leads many hunters to refrain for reasons of sportsmanship; the clear trails of footprints in the snow make running the beasts to the ground too easy.

Wild boar meat, in addition to being the basis for flavorful hams is also used to make sausage and salami. Sausages made from wild boar are generally more intense and have more flavor than sausages made from domestic pigs. These sausages can be eaten raw, but are air dried as well as preserved in oil or lard.

In many recipes, wild boar may be substituted for domestic pork, however, many times it is too lean for many Italian uses. Texas boar is now wildly available in the American market and this, too, is an excellent product.

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