After the mooring maneuvers I focused ours was the only sailboat of the marina. The other vessels were all huge motorboats designed for deep sea fishing. The Roman port of Ventotene seemed even smaller, seen from our grand sun, and I could hardly believe that the next day we could see it, the sun, shaded like we were among those giant keels. 
From the boat in front of us comes out a lady who greeted us with the typical emphasis of the Neapolitans tells us about our raids in the sea to ask us about the end if we had placed in the frid And the place was there but for what? The lady explains that the gathering of motorboats was due to the end of a very fruitful tuna fishing competition that had as its only drawback the surplus of so much fresh tuna that they could no longer stow. Commander, we can make room for some fresh tuna, so I asked? Yes, well we would have found a niche for the fish with which we would have spoiled the child on board we thought. And we set ourselves waiting for the package. We thought about the package because it is still a very valuable fish like the yellow fin tuna described by the lady and instead of the hands of one of the guests of the lady’s boat we were delivered a weight package.
4 kilograms of fish fillet were about to be loaded on board for the joy of the whole crew and not just for the baby!
Having saved the package, while we were wondering how it would have been better to appreciate those consistent meats, my sister decided that we had to try to repay with these neighbors so generous but we seemed to lack something truly original. We could sacrifice half salame, I tried to add …
To deprive myself of the salami I had brought with so much love from Piacenza because my nephew loves this genteel salami (Salame Gentile), was not a minor sacrifice for us, but 4 kg of tuna was worth all of them.
Before going down to the little square, I approached the generous boat with my salami to return at least in the gesture so much magnanimity.
The Neapolitan Lady who was finishing preparing to go ashore, grants me permission to get on board almost curious to know the contents of my small package.
“Madam, I wanted to thank you, it is not a real barter but it is the most precious thing we have on the boat after the child” Thank you, what is it? It is half salami lady I brought it specially because my nephew seems to feed only on that. “
At the word salami the smile of the lady had vanished and being partenopea immediately replaced by a “very emphatic THANKS but the salami also not!”
Lady take it and taste it, please, this is not a simple salami is the best salame in the world! Few things can do well the Emilia and one of these is salame!
“Do you think that there is not good salami in Naplemadam ? The girl answers me, thank you, but I have offered her the tuna fillet because it is too much… We have salami on board you keep it for the baby if you like it! “
“Madam, excuse me if I allow myself to insist: try it. Now it’s perfect there’s the right temperature so you’ll see the drop and if it does not sound it can give it back to me, I let myself say it by extending its precious package. “
“Sound of salame? What do you mean?”
Here’s what I left it is not just the PDO of Piacenza salame genteel but it is always in the area and is called “stocco” because it is “stunk”, it sounds when it rests on the cutting board, in a very male way. The grain does not crumble because it has been aged for a long time and is genteel in the spices that are used to dry it.
“I feel it technically prepared”, grins the girl who could not wait to get rid of this intrusive Roman. So grab the package and so we all come back to get back on the island.
The walk on the ground was not short despite Ventotene being almost a rock. Just enough time to get an ice cream and decide how we would cook that delicious little fish …
The neighbors joined us late in the evening, however, with another package brought to shoulders set up with the attitude of those who intend to apologize. Another 4 kg of tuna were about to be boarded.
“Gentlemen if you liked the tuna we have brought you the same … you must allow us to apologize that piece of salami that you have given us was really exceptional. I would never have thought of saying it, added the Neapolitan, but where do they produce this wonder? Milan said? “
“Piacenza, always Piacenza lady between Milan and Genoa is the area of production of the best salami in the world and as they are modest they call it Salame Gentile (Genteel Salami)! “
Eight kilograms of tuna for salami ends thus with the most inequitable exchange that has ever been concluded but at least now there is an extra crew that knows how to appreciate Piacenza’s Gentile Salami!
Fiaccavento Margherita was born in Rome in 1968. Having long studied for a diplomatic career in Rome and Paris rejects the constraints by developing a rebellious and non-conformist life. After 15 years of professional experience managerial changes to television as a writer and web content. In 2012 he left Rome and the Eldorado media for the Emilia countryside. “Amazon on me”and ‘his first work of fiction.