The coppa is a typical product of the Parma and Piacenza area but it is also prepared in other parts of Italy and marketed under different names: in the south it is often called capocollo and is obtained with slightly different procedures, but it is still the same product.
The coppa is a typical product of the Parma and Piacenza area but it is also prepared in other parts of Italy and marketed under different names: in the south it is often called capocollo and is obtained with slightly different procedures, but it is still the same product. While the Coppa Piacentina and the Capocollo of Calabria received the European PDO mark, the coppa from Parma obtained the PGI mark. It is prepared using the muscles of the hog’s neck, with a production process in many ways similar to that of prosciutto crudo (raw ham). The coppa is cylindrical, pointed at the ends, firm, compact but not elastic. Inside, this deli meat product has a red colour interspersed with pinkish white. It is among the most nutritious cured meats and it has a sweet and characteristic aroma, while the taste is delicate and refined as it matures.
The production of the coppa uses the neck muscles of heavy hogs. The production technique recalls in part the one used for the prosciutto crudo (raw ham) and the one of long-seasoned salami: the first phase involves the salting with a mixture of salt, pepper and various spices (eg cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) to penetrate the meat through a skilful massage. After that, the product is wrapped in pork gut and enclosed in a tight ligature, passing then to the drying and the maturing phase: the latter lasts from 3 to 6 months and takes place in special rooms with controlled temperature and humidity.
– Coppa Piacentina DOP (1996)
– Capocollo di Calabria DOP (1998)
– Coppa di Parma IGP (2011)
(in brackets the PDO/PGI recognition year)
