Coppa Piacentina

The recipe for this traditional Italian deli meat has been passed down for generations, and in every country farmhouse, Coppa was considered a special treat, eaten for holidays and other special occasions. Some of those recipes found around the Nure and Trebbia Valleys date back to the 1800s, when Coppa was known as Bondiola and described as a cured pork cut seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon, sugar and cloves. Produced in the Arda Valley southeast from the city of Piacenza, Coppa Piacentina is made with a big, round cut of pork that runs from where the shoulder meets the neck to the fourth-sixth rib of what is known as pork carré.

The meat is stuffed into natural pork or beef casings, and aged between six months to a year. Coppa Piacentina is best enjoyed as an appetizer, served with other charcuterie meats and cheeses, home baked breads, butter curls, and melon wedges.