Similar to salami, soppressata has its own tradition, taste, and history. From its robust flavors to a snappy texture, the meat is undeniably irresistible and enhances whichever recipe it becomes a part of. Fortunately, one doesnt necessarily have to be a foodie to have tried a bunch of Italian meats and determined why soppressata is indeed the best among them. If youve ever tried Italian cuisine, you may already be familiar with this type of meat. If you arent, heres a guide to introduce you to the finest meat in the Italian culinary world.
Soppressata is a creation of the southern regions of Italy, including Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Molise, and Abruzzo. Due to the distinct method behind its creation, the meat has an oblong shape. Pressing Italian meats is a crucial part of preparing them, and with soppressata, the process takes about a week.
As the pride of many southern regions in Italy, this meat comes in a variety of flavors. Theres also diversity in the choice of pork meat cuts in different places. For example, some people only use a knife for cutting it.
Soppressata and pepperoni are both types of salami. Another major difference between the three is the type of meat used. If soppressata is mainly made of pork parts, other types of salami use various meat products like venison, poultry, and beef that are sometimes mixed with the fatty parts of pork.
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Types of Italian Meats
Salami is a type of cured sausage made using ground or minced lean meat and fat. Salamis are also made using meats from turkey, goose, and wild boar. Soppressata, coppa and mortadella are only some of the many salamis of Italy.
This slab of pork leg is usually cold-smoked which is what makes it different from other meats in the region. Other cured Italian meats are rarely smoked.
Prosciutto is a type of ham that is aged and salted but never smoked. Different regions in Italy prepare it differently. Hence, the names also differ across different regions. For instance, Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto di Modena are hams in the Emilia Romagna region, whereas Prosciutto Toscana is more prominent in Tuscany.
Pancetta is prominently referred to as the bacon of Italy, but it is usually unsmoked. This spiced and salted pork belly meat is often rolled into a cylinder-like shape and then aged.
As a specialty of the northern regions of Italy, Cotechino is prepared as a cured pork sausage.
This meat is a specialty of the southern regions of Italy, where people cure, age, and pepper it adequately.
While soppressata is a type of salami, it differs from the latter due to its leaner cuts. The long pressing also leads to a unique oblong shape, whereas salami usually comes in a cylindrical shape and contains ground meat.
Even though the curing process is pretty much the same for both meats, soppressata and salami differ in a number of ways. Salami does not have a defined and unique shape, and you can also prepare it with different ingredients, such as by mixing fat with lean pork meat and adding spices to it.
The method of preparing old-world pepperoni involves stuffing the ground meat into a sheeps intestine. On the other hand, American-style pepperoni is shaped through a synthetic casing.
With soppressata, there are also a number of options to choose from, but the ingredients vastly depend on the region. The typical Calabrian cured meat contains salt and pepper that strengthen its flavor brilliantly.
When it comes to Italian meats, you can count on both pepperoni and soppressata to treat your palate. While theyre both ready-to-eat products, soppressata usually comes pre-cooked, which makes it easier to consume.
Similarly, it is also easily recognizable, thanks to its distinctive oblong shape. Furthermore, the week-long pressing process flattens the meat and removes air bubbles.
Its firm texture and thicker consistency certainly set it apart from other types of meat and also make it chewier. While pepperoni can only be seasoned with peppers, sugar, and salt, this oddly shaped meat has various spices, from garlic and red wine to rosemary and cinnamon.
While the two Italian meats are more similar than different, the differences certainly stand out. While capicola is aged for about six months, soppressata is only aged for about a month. The former only uses the shoulder of pork, whereas the latter can consist of more parts, including filets or scraps.
Similarly, you can have capicola as an addition to a meal but soppressata as a complete appetizer. The seasoning also differs in many ways. There are a number of ways to season soppressata, but with capicola, the choices are limited (mainly paprika and wine). Another rather crucial distinction is that of the casing. For salami, its less wide than soppressata.
Unlike other Italian meats, soppressata has a wide range of varieties you can choose from. Here are some of them:
Traditionally prepared in Calabria, Apulia, and Basilicata, “di Basilicata” is the only variety of this meat which has a protected designation badge. This means you can only find it in the areas above.
Preparing “di Calabria” can be quite a challenge as it requires pigs over eight months old and over 308 lbs in weight. You cannot freeze the meat beforehand, and you can only use meat from the shoulder and ham.
Traditional to Liguria and Tuscany, this type of is vastly different from other types of the same meat. It uses a huge chunk of leftover pig products instead of picking the meat cuts carefully. This means it includes the entire head. Furthermore, it is also larger than traditional salami and has extensive white marbling.
The Importance of the D.O.P Label
D.O.P. stands for Denomination of Protected Origin, and the certification ensures the strictest production standards for preparing the meat. Furthermore, it also ensures that the meat is prepared only in certain geographical areas.
Hence, Sopressata di Calabria (D.O.P.) has to be made in Calabria with pork from locally-raised hogs. Similarly, other areas, such as Gioj in Puglia, boast lean pork meat with a small lard piece placed in the center. All in all, the process of curing Italian meats is different across different regions.
Soppressata Vs. Salami
FAQ
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