Have you ever seen a mouth-watering slice of Italian coppa and wonder exactly what it is or how it’s made? Coppa is a unique pork sausage that has been enjoyed in Italy for an astonishingly long time and is now available in the USA thanks to our 100% Italian made products!
Coppa, or capocollo as referred to in some parts of Italy, is a cylindrical shaped cured meat with a pinkish-red color that often consists of black pepper and chilli. The slices are vibrantly coloured with streaks of fat with a bold flavor and aroma.
The first documented production of coppa dates all the way back to the Middle Ages in the South-Italian region Calabria. It is obtained from the neck muscles of the pig which is then salted and flavoured with different spices depending on the desired outcome.
The production process traditionally consists of cutting and cleaning the meat which is then seasoned with a mixture of salt and herbs including black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg. The salt and herbs are massaged into the meat in order to achieve a successful dry cure. The piece of meat is then places in cold storage for a short period of time before it is wrapped with string in a precise arrangement that enables it to be hung and left to mature.
This curing process results in the characteristic pinkish colored meat that has an intense but unforgettable flavor. Enjoy it in varying ways from a simple panini, a classic antipasto board and vibrant recipes such as asparagus stalks wrapped in coppa slices and grilled in the oven.
