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Coppa piacentina
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Identity Card
Name: Coppa piacentina
Type of product: a cured meat obtained from the part of the pork neck next to the cervical vertebrae.
Area of production: it originates from the province of Piacenza, in particular the Arda valley and the villages of Lugugnano and Castell'Arquato. |
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COPPA: A PIACENZA SPECIALITY |
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The area of Piacenza offers a vast variety of cured meats, but its pride and joy is without doubt Piacenza Coppa, a traditional product which has boasted DOP status (Denominazione di Origine Protetta- Protected Denomination of Origin) since 1997, which was awarded to it by the European Community.
In spite of the attempt of the artisans of Piacenza to keep the secret of its production under lock and key, there are precise rules controlled by the Technical Commission of the Consortium of Piacenza's cured meats to which Piacenza's Coppa has to conform. Above all, the processing must take place in the province of Piacenza, and only in areas that are no less than 900 metres above sea level. The salting, which must be dry, usually takes place using a mixture of salt and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and laurel seeds. After one week in a refrigerated cell, the Coppa is wrapped in natural gut that has been treated with pepper and white wine, tied with twine, pierced in a number of places and then left to hand in rooms with controlled humidity for about another seven days. At this point the cured meat is ready to undergo maturation, which must last at least six months. At the end of this process, Piacenza Coppa must weigh about 1.5 kg, be cylindrical in form with pointed ends and a firm consistency that is not elastic. The inside is an intense red colour with white-pinkish streaks given by the fatty parts (about 25%). This elaborate process enhances the sweet and delicate flavour of Piacenza Coppa which becomes increasingly refined as maturation continues.
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Piacenza Coppa is a cured meat of extremely old origins, to the extent that some suggest its ancestors existed in Roman times. The use of pork meat in that period in the area of Piacenza is in fact confirmed by the discovery of a pendant (now conserved at the Civic Museum of Piacenza) portraying a pig. In Medieval times, Emilia was a fundamental centre of production of these products. It was, however, only to find a commercial outlet in the XIV century when Lombard merchants, recognising the great value of Piacenza cured meats, termed them "roba de Piaseinsa" (Piacenza goods) in the XV century to distinguish them from other, less noble types. Instructions for the production of Coppa were then written in the sixteenth century by a Dominican friar, and in the seventeenth century cardinal Alberoni, the prime minister of the King of Spain, gave it as a gift to the sovereigns of Europe.
Even today, the cured meat of Piacenza is celebrated in a number of ways, starting from the Coppa Fete held at Carpaneto Piacentino on the first days of September, where the best specimens are presented and it is possible to taste traditional local dishes.
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RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMBINATIONS |
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Coppa from Piacenza is usually served as an appetiser, where it yields its very best when thinly sliced and eaten with fresh bread. But the delicate yet full flavour also makes it excellent for accompanying a plate of grilled, raw or cooked vegetables. It is worth trying with cheese, above all of the creamy type, and as a basic ingredient in a pasta sauce.
Normally it is served at a temperature between 18 and 22 degrees, accompanied by local wines which enhance its flavour. Red wines will therefore include Lambrusco or Bonarda, whilst white wines may be dry like Albana di Romagna, or sparkling such as Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini.
At times it can be on the dry side: the expert tip is to leave it to soften wrapped in a cotton cloth soaked in dry white wine.
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