Salami: Cotechino di Modena IGP e
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Introduction
Here we continue with our introduction to Italy's 155 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO, or, in Italian, DOP, Denominazione di Origine Protetta) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI, or IGP in Italian, Indicazione Geografica Protetta) products.
This month we present two products from Modena which are fairly similar to each other: Cotechino di Modena IGP, a savory pork salami made with lean and fat meat, chopped pigskin, and meat left over from other preparations, stuffed in pigskin, and Zampone di Modena IGP. In this case the same mixture of pork meat is stuffed in hind leg of the pig. Both products are typical of the Italian holiday season.
Cotechino di Modena IGP (Emilia)
Protected Geographical Indication: Reg. CE n.590/99
Characteristics of the Product
It is believed that the Cotechino di Modena IGP was invented in Mirandola in 1511, when the troops of Pope Julius the Second besieged the town. In order to preserve the pork, the inhabitant of Mirandola stuffed it wherever they could, including pigskin. The result was so appreciated that, toward the end of the 18th century, the Cotechino di Modena had taken the lead as typical product over the yellow sausages, or the product which had made Modena's cuisine famous all over Italy since Renaissance.
The expansion of the market into nearby regions was helped by the fact that some local salumerie (store dedicated to selling salamis and similar products) evolved into semi-industrial enterprises thus, in the 1800s the product had achieved widespread success.
The name of the product derives from the Italian word cotica, which means pigskin. In fact, when the pork mixture, which is the same used for the Zampone di Modena IGP, is stuffed in something other than the pig's hind leg, the final product is called cotechino. The shape is cylindrical, not too big and, when it has been aged a bit too long, it is immersed in lukewarm water to soften the meat before cooking it.
When marketed fresh, the cotechino is dried in warm, ventilated rooms. When sold pre-cooked instead, the Cotechino di Modena IGP is boiled in water before being sealed in special container which allows for the following thermal treatment in autoclave at the minimum temperature of 115°C (239°F), in order to guarantee the preservation of the product. The pre-cooked cotechino lasts for a long time if preserved in a cool, dry space, not necessarily in a refrigerator.
To cook the cotechino at home, first it must be wrapped in cloth, to avoid the pigskin's braking while boiling in unsalted water. The cotechino is served traditionally with mashed potatoes.
- Production Zone:
Traditionally produced in and nearby Modena and Reggio Emilia, the product is found in other provinces of the Emilia Romagna region, in almost all the provinces of Lombardy, and in the provinces of Verona and Rovigo in Veneto.
During the holiday season the cotechino is traditionally served all over Italy.
Producers' Organizations:
Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino di Modena, c/o ASSICA
Strada 4, Pal. Q8, Milanofiori, 20089 Rozzano (MI)
Tel. 02/8925901
Fax: 02/57510607
E-mail: ligasacchi@modenaigp.it
or, romanazzi@modenaigp.it
Zampone di Modena IGP (Emilia)
Protected Geographical Indication: Reg. CE n.590/99
Characteristics of the Product
As for the cotechino, the legend traces the origin of the Zampone di Modena back to the fifteenth century by the resourceful inhabitants of Mirandola, nearby Modena, when the town was besieged by the troops of Pope Julius the Second and, to preserve the pork, they stuffed it in anything available, including the pig's hind legs. The mix of meat is the same as that used for the Cotechino di Modena IGP described above, or lean and fat pork meat coarsely chopped, with the addition of finely chopped pigskin.
The meat is salted, seasoned with spices and aromatic herbs, sprinkled with wine and certain preservatives, then stuffed into the well cleaned, scraped and thoroughlywashed skin of the pig's hind legs.
Cotechino and zampone differ from other types of salami in that they must be cooked before serving. Especially around Christmas, however it is possible to find pre-cooked zampone packaged in sterile packages, in stores. This format has its fans, as it reduces preparation time considerably. Different from what one may have been lead to believe, the zampone is a balanced food product.
It is served traditionally with lentils, but it is excellent also with garbanzo beans, potatoes, or beans.
- Production Zone:
Same as the Cotechino di Modena IGP.
Producers' Organizations:
Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino di Modena, c/o ASSICA
Strada 4, Pal. Q8, Milanofiori, 20089 Rozzano (MI)
Tel. 02/8925901
Fax: 02/57510607
E-mail: ligasacchi@modenaigp.it
or, romanazzi@modenaigp.it
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