We Found the Best Mortadella You Can Buy After Tasting a Bunch

Like everything else in life, there are trends in deli meats. And right now, there’s no trendier deli meat than mortadella. (Curious about the exact definition of mortadella? We have a whole explainer article on the topic.) Yep, a bologna-adjacent cold cut is cool. But what’s the best mortadella to buy if you’re looking to get in on the mortadella trend at home? I shoved a bunch of meaty slices in my mouth to find out.

How we sourced and tasted mortadella

We bought pre-packaged, pre-sliced mortadella, and we also bought deli-sliced mortadella. We had it cut thin. And we tried to find all manner of mortadella to try—plain mortadella, Italian mortadella, and even truffled mortadella.

What we looked for in the best mortadella

Look, I don’t think any of the mortadella we tried was bad. It just happens that some of the brands were better than others. The best mortadella is a balance of lean meat and fat. It should be savory and seasoned and the fat should totally melt in your mouth. The texture should be smooth—not rubbery in the least. Sadly, you won’t find a mortadella with pistachios on this list. While the brands we tried were decent, nothing blew us away. We’ll keep looking—and if you have a favorite, let us know in the comments.

Grab your Negroni and let’s get down to the ranking.

Best mortadella, ranked

Best Truffled Mortadella

Ferrarini Truffle Mortadella

Ferrarini

I’m not sure who asked for truffle mortadella, but I’m glad they did. Made with actual slivers of black truffle, this Italian mortadella is not your everyday mortadella. This is special occasion mortadella—when you need a meaty treat. It’s super savory with tons of heady umami flavors from the truffle. But it’s not overwhelmed by the truffle flavor—it really complements the fatty meat. If you really want to impress, this is the best mortadella to feature on a cheese board or a fancy panini. (Also, shout out to the Ferrarini spicy mortadella, which includes bits of hot pepper. I wasn’t able to find a link to buy it anywhere so I felt like I couldn’t include it in this ranking. But if you see it, snag it!)

Credit: Merc / Ferrarini

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Budget Mortadella

Columbus Mortadella

Costco

If you can’t find real, Italian mortadella at a grocery store near you, chances are you can find Columbus mortadella at the deli counter. It’s heavier on the spice than the other mortadella brands we tasted—I tasted lots of that nutmeg and other baking spices. I love the squares of fat in this mortadella. It’s a pure, classic deli meat. There are no peppercorns, no pistachios, no peppers, no truffle—just meat and fat. The texture of the meat itself isn’t totally smooth, but it’s still some of the best mortadella to buy for everyday sandwiches.

Credit: Merc / Costco

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Mastro San Daniele Style Mortadella

Mastro

I love this Italian mortadella—the slices are HUGE. Like, they’re the size of my face. HUGE like the size of my face. While it doesn’t contain pistachios for texture there are slivers of whole peppercorns in the mix—and they rock. Each slice of meat is a blend of savory, meaty, piquant, and fatty flavors. I usually prefer my mortadella sliced thin, but I might ask for this one to be sliced thicker in the future so I can get fatter peppercorn bits in the meat. If you see this mortadella at your grocery store, deli, or specialty Italian store with sausages hanging from the ceiling, get it. It’s the best mortadella to buy.

Credit: Merc / Mastro

Rating:

10/10

Sporks