Even though zampone Modena is nowadays produced within the entire Emilia-Romagna region, according to legend, this cured pork sausage first appeared in the winter of 1511 in Mirandola, when the city was under siege by the troops of Pope Julius II.

To save the little they had from the wartime pillage and plunder, the people of Mirandola hastily decided to slaughter their pigs, finely ground the meat, season it, and stuff it back into hollowed out pig's trotters. Zampone Modena is typically combined with pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and infused with red wine, which gives this fresh sausage its strong, aromatic flavor. Both Zampone and the closely related cotechino Modena are traditionally available around Christmastime and New Year’s, boiled and served in fairly thick slices sided with lentils, beans, mashed potatoes, or spinach with butter and parmesan cheese.