Mistretta was selected as a finalist to become the Italian Capital of the Book 2025-Sicily

The Story of Nino's Goat Salami

To tell the story of the goat salami produced by Antonino Mallaci Bocchio—or Nino, as he's known to everyone—we need to take a big step back and listen to his history, which is rooted in an old family business dedicated to agriculture and animal husbandry.

"I come from a family of farmers and ranchers," Nino says. "I've always been fascinated by this world, which is rich in values and feelings, but also requires huge sacrifices."

As a boy, Nino split his time between school and the family business. After earning his surveyor's diploma, he decided to leave his studies to dedicate himself fully to the work, which at the time was primarily raising cows. "Our grazing lands were located between Mistretta, Cerami, and Agira, which required a lot of organizational and financial energy," he explains. In the late nineties, in his twenties, he and his father decided to build a barn on their land in the Calogno district, in Cerami but adjacent to Mistretta. Since then, all of his work has been focused there.

Like many livestock farms, Nino's also had goats and pigs. "I remember as a child," Nino continues emotionally, "I would often watch the preparation of various cured meats, including goat salami, which was made by mixing goat meat, naturally lean, with the leftover scraps from processing pork. I never forgot those flavors, those smells, and those healthy traditions. For a long time, I set a goal for myself to keep them alive through my business and my retail shop."

La Dispensa del Massaro and a Found Dream

Fast forward to today, Nino opened a store in Santo Stefano di Camastra, where he started La Dispensa del Massaro. The goal was to promote and sell cured meats from the Nebrodi Black Pig, a product of local excellence, along with select beef. However, the thought of the goats continued to "graze" in his mind, along with the project of bringing their related culinary traditions to everyone's tables.

At one point, Nino had the opportunity to buy a number of certified Messina goats, an indigenous breed with roots between the Nebrodi and Peloritani mountains, prized for the quality of its milk and the goodness of its meat.

"With the purchase of this flock," Nino says, "I felt I was close to realizing my dream, but I was also aware that I had to acquire more knowledge to be able to produce a quality cured meat that honored both tradition and modern standards."

He decided to attend a specific course in Alba, Piedmont, an area with a long and established tradition in raising goats and producing cured meats. After various experiments, he succeeded in producing his own goat salami, finding the right balance of compactness, resistance to slicing, preservation, flavor, and aroma.

A Product that is a Synthesis of Tradition and Innovation

Nino's long and complex journey, supported by his family, culminated on September 18th with the official presentation of the Capramal project in Santo Stefano di Camastra. The event was attended by administrators, technicians, friends, and curious onlookers, all drawn by this tasty new product.

The gastronomic experience of tasting the goat salami was enriched by specialties produced by other local businesses: the Spina Santa company from Nicosia, which specializes in producing goat cheese, and the Casaleni company, which has long offered excellent gastronomic products. Thanks to these synergies, it was discovered how the Messina goat salami is particularly enhanced when paired, for example, with sweet provola cheese and fig jam.

A perfect synthesis of the values expressed by the Messina goat salami is captured in the words of Dr. Serena Nigrelli, the agronomist who followed Nino during the bureaucratic process: "Nino's salami is one that should be savored with your eyes closed, because that's how we can grasp unique sensations that take us back in time."

All that's left is to wish Nino and his dream-come-true sincere good luck. The territory needs this energy, vision, and enthusiasm so that our beautiful traditions can transform from memories into concrete realities.

Contact info@halaesanebrodi fro more information.

The "Halaesa Nebrodi" project lands at the BTE in Palermo: a model for the regeneration of inland areas

The GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi, launched just two years ago, is preparing for a significant milestone and on November 15th and 16th, it will be a protagonist at the BTE – Borsa del Turismo Extralberghiero (Non-Hotel Accommodation Tourism Exchange) in Palermo, a key event for the sector that will be held at the Cruise Terminal.

Reaching this important stage has not been easy. Its success is the result of the enthusiasm of local operators and the fundamental economic contribution of two sensitive and motivated sponsors: Mammana Group and Azienda Sacco Franca. Thanks to this synergy, the Territory will be present through an integrated tourism proposal, the result of the valuable scouting, organization, and coordination work carried out by the CTT™ of Halaesa Nebrodi.

The BTE: A Benchmark for Tourism Sustainability

Now in its 9th edition, the BTE – Borsa del Turismo Extralberghiero is organized by Confesercenti Sicilia with the patronage and collaboration of important institutions, including the Region of Sicily – Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, the City of Palermo, the Metropolitan City of Palermo, and OTIE (Observatory of Tourism in the European Islands).

The event has consolidated its leadership in central-southern Italy, best interpreting the needs of those promoting tourism sustainability, with a particular focus on inland areas and territories less frequented by traditional tourist routes. The BTE acts as a crucial link between accommodation facilities, tour operators, travel agencies, experience promoters, and travelers. For the GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi, participation in this Exchange therefore represents a natural and important point of arrival.

An Intensive Journey to Build the Tourist Destination

The GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi intended, from the outset, to create and strengthen its brand as an authentic Tourist Destination. The journey has been intense and full of fundamental stages:

• January 26, 2024: Official presentation of the project in Mistretta during the Sicilian stage of the Gran Tour dell’Ospitalità organized by Territori e Italianità, a community of professionals conceived and coordinated nationally and internationally by Andrea Succi with the aim of promoting the Cultural and Tourism Regeneration of inland areas.

• April 29, 2024: Presentation of the official website www.halaesanebrodi.it in Castel di Tusa.

• September 21, 2024: Meeting in Castel di Lucio, during which an Action Plan was proposed to the Mayors of the Territory.

• Spring 2025: Publication of the first Tourist Products Catalogue in collaboration with the Tour Operator Aura Mundi by Katia Mastroeni.

This work has been constantly supported by an active presence on social media channels (Facebook and Instagram), with the production of professional content thanks to the valuable collaboration of Living Sikelia and Il mondo attraverso di Salvatore Marra.

Halaesa Nebrodi: Between B2B, Exhibition Space, and Seminars

The constant commitment of over twenty Operators and the work of the CTT™ – Territorial Tourism Coordinator now converge in the participation in the BTE in Palermo, where the Halaesa Nebrodi project will be present in full form:

• A dedicated exhibition space to meet visitors and industry professionals.

• Access to the B2B area, essential for initiating commercial relationships with national and foreign tour operators.

• An active presence with a speak during the seminar Strumenti bottom-up per competere (Bottom-up Tools for Competing), scheduled for Saturday the 15th at 5:30 PM. The experience of Halaesa Nebrodi will be presented as a concrete model for the regeneration of inland areas.

During the event, a promotional video of the project, created by Emanuele Torre of Torre Films, will also be presented.

A Future for Inland Areas

In un'epoca in cui le destinazioni tradizionali soffrono di overtourism, le vaste aree interne – custodi di un patrimonio materiale e immateriale di immenso valore – necessitano di modelli organizzativi efficaci. Il modello GMT™ è la risposta a una domanda turistica sempre più orientata all'esperienza autentica e al contatto intimo con le Persone e il Territorio. È un modello replicabile che intendiamo proporre su scala regionale, rafforzato dall'esperienza maturata nel nostro territorio e che può trovare ulteriore e reciproco impulso da future sinergie.

Gli anni a venire saranno cruciali per tracciare la rotta futura delle splendide comunità coinvolte.

“Viaggiare è aggiungere vita alla vita.” – Gesualdo Bufalino