Cotechino

Boiled cotechino, served with polenta and lentils

The cotechino is an Italian charcuterie product, similar to salami, but that has to be cooked - usually it is boiled at low heat for about four hours. Its name comes from cotica (rind), but it may take different names in the different production areas. According to tradition, it's served together with lentils on New Year's Eve, to bring luck for the coming year.

It is prepared filling the gut with:

• rind;
• pork meat (usually of secondary choice);
• fat;

mixed with salt and spices; in the industrial production nitrites and nitrates are added as preservatives.

Varieties of cotechino

The cotechino Modena is an Indicazione Geografica Protetta-IGP product, meaning its recipe and production are preserved under the Italian law.

Four Italian regions have so long declared cotechino a traditional food:

• Lombardy: cotechino (white, vanilla Cremona, Bergamo, vanilla Mantua, Pavia);
• Molise: cotechino;
• Trentino: pork cotechino;
• Veneto: it recognises seven different products: coeghin nostran of Padua; coessin co la lengua of Vicenza, coessin of Vicenza, coessin of Val Leogra, coessin in onto of Vicenza, coessin co lo sgrugno, cotechino di puledro.
• Irpinia: cotechino'pezzente;

See also

• Cappello del prete
• Cotechino Modena
• Italian cuisine
• Salama da sugo
• Venetian cuisine
• Zampone Modena
• Cotechino Irpino (the best)

External links

• History of cotechino