Zampone Modena PGI and Cotechino Modena PGI have now become traditional Italian products.

The Zampone Modena is a classic dish that is served on New Year’s Eve. This link between Zampone Modena and the festive period began as a result of the rural tradition of sacrificing a pig on Saint Lucy’s Day (13 December). The Zampone has always been particularly highly prized among the pork products with a short shelf life, products which, unlike salamis and hams, do not require a curing process. It was therefore reserved exclusively for the holidays and eaten with (equally prized) lentils.

Some traditional recipes confirm that Zampone Modena was also consumed by noble families; it was eaten with Zabaglione, a custard with ingredients (eggs, sugar, liqueur wine) to which only the wealthiest families had access.

With its delicate yet strong taste, Cotechino Modena PGI is the cured meat that many Italians choose to buy for the festive period.

Lots of Italians are also increasingly choosing to eat it as an everyday food item: its balanced calorie content and versatility make it a tasty ingredient for simple yet original dishes.

The Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino Modena PGI (Zampone and Cotechino Modena PGI Consortium) is the custodian of two ancient Italian culinary specialities. It was founded in 2001 with the aim of protecting the two guaranteed specialities and raising product awareness.

Its raison d’être is to inform and protect the consumer: the Cotechino Modena and Zampone Modena are the only products to have obtained the prestigious European PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certification, which ensures a link with the territory and respect for the traditional recipe.

Those who choose Consortium-protected products can be assured that they have been prepared according to a 500-year-old recipe, in a well-defined geographical area and in compliance with specific production guidelines.

Cotechino Modena PGI and Zampone Modena PGI

These two culinary delicacies, the stars of Italian dinner tables during the festive period and on other occasions, were first produced 500 years ago on the outskirts of Modena. These tasty products were created as a result of the ingenuity of the people of Mirandola who, in order to hide the pigs away from the invading enemy, bagged the minced meat in the rind and trotters: a clever idea that has led to us still being able to enjoy these two delicacies today.

Five centuries on, the two illustrious cured meats are still prepared according to the traditional recipe, but with additional guarantees. The PGI certification ensures that the Zampone Modena and Cotechino Modena are produced from the same precise blend of meats and seasonings that have been used since the Renaissance era. Zampone Modena and Cotechino Modena are now considered to be the ancestors of all cured meats containing rind. Once they started to appear, several similar products also popped up in other regions in central-northern Italy; they helped to pass on and spread the great knowledge of the art of producing cured from pure pork.

At the time when the first Italian states were established, the Cotechino Modena PGI was already recognised as one of the most traditional and delicious culinary preparations in Emilia-Romagna; it is considered to be the father of all cured meats. Since that time, the renown of this product has spread beyond its territory of origin. In the Duchy of Milan, there was talk of a Milan-produced “coteghin” and even the composer Gioacchino Rossini wrote to Mr Bellentani, one of the pioneers of large-scale Cotechino Modena production, saying that “I would like four Zamponi and four Cotechini, all of the most delicate quality.”

Cotechino Modena PGI and Zampone Modena PGI

These two culinary delicacies, the stars of Italian dinner tables during the festive period and on other occasions, were first produced 500 years ago on the outskirts of Modena. These tasty products were created as a result of the ingenuity of the people of Mirandola who, in order to hide the pigs away from the invading enemy, bagged the minced meat in the rind and trotters: a clever idea that has led to us still being able to enjoy these two delicacies today.

Five centuries on, the two illustrious cured meats are still prepared according to the traditional recipe, but with additional guarantees. The PGI certification ensures that the Zampone Modena and Cotechino Modena are produced from the same precise blend of meats and seasonings that have been used since the Renaissance era. Zampone Modena and Cotechino Modena are now considered to be the ancestors of all cured meats containing rind. Once they started to appear, several similar products also popped up in other regions in central-northern Italy; they helped to pass on and spread the great knowledge of the art of producing cured from pure pork.

At the time when the first Italian states were established, the Cotechino Modena PGI was already recognised as one of the most traditional and delicious culinary preparations in Emilia-Romagna; it is considered to be the father of all cured meats. Since that time, the renown of this product has spread beyond its territory of origin. In the Duchy of Milan, there was talk of a Milan-produced “coteghin” and even the composer Gioacchino Rossini wrote to Mr Bellentani, one of the pioneers of large-scale Cotechino Modena production, saying that “I would like four Zamponi and four Cotechini, all of the most delicate quality.”

A nutritional information table has now been provided for Zampone Modena, showing that it can be eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Cotechino Modena is an ancient food product with a fat content that is in line with modern nutritional science recommendations. Furthermore, based on analysis from the National Food and Nutrition Research Institute, both Zampone Modena and Cotechino Modena: have a high content of complete proteins; have more unsaturated fats than saturated fats, in line with fat quality nutritional recommendations; lose some of their fat when cooked, as it is dispersed without being ingested; and are rich in B vitamins and minerals, especially iron and zinc, in a form that is easy for the body to absorb.

Cotechino Modena and Zampone Modena are traditionally served with mashed potatoes and/or lentils.  Many innovative recipes are available that use these two PGI products as main ingredients with a modern twist. For example, Cotechino Modena and Zampone Modena can be used as a filling for ravioli, in a risotto with peas, with soybean sprouts and Balsamic vinegar, as the meat in spaghetti Bolognese, or served with bacon and vegetables.