The wild boar belongs to the pig family and lives in the wild in wooded areas, where in recent years it has multiplied dramatically, causing serious damage to agriculture. However, being a protected animal, a limited number of animals can be killed and, outside the hunting season, the meat for sale is farmed while the wild ones arrive, frozen, from Eastern countries.

An exception is that of the province of Bologna, where a local tracked game project has been launched, available all year round. Wild boar meat, which is aged for more or less depending on the age of the animal (from 6 months to 3 years), has a full-bodied and fragrant flavor but has lost the very wild and ferrous notes of the past; it is therefore necessary to marinate it only for long cooking.

Local wild boar specimens are very lean (they have less cholesterol than chicken) and wild ones are also very tender. They are therefore suitable for classic braised meats and stews (belly or ribs, shank) or for meat sauce but also for cooking in the oven (leg, shoulder, loin), in a pan and grilled (ribs, fillets).