Suppressed or Suppressed? A pi that makes the difference

Soppressa or sopressa? Be careful with the "pi"! Don’t get it wrong when you’re in the Vicenza area. But what difference does it make? There is only one DOP and it is the Vicentine one. A product that cannot be confused with all other interpretations that come close. Thanks to a typical Venetian trend of dropping the double letters, when we talk about Sopressa, we mean exclusively the DOP of Palladio. In the rest of the world, the one with the double "pi" is produced.

A mixture of pork meat, shoulder, coppa, loin (or lonza), pancetta, jowl fat, and finely minced hind leg, then mixed with spices and salt. Stuffed into natural casings, tied with string, and aged for at least 2 months.
In Veneto and, in particular, in the Vicenza area, the tradition calls for a salami that remains soft and creamy on the palate.

The further away you get from Veneto, the more the sausage changes in consistency and shape, or rather, diameter. This results in a different texture. The soppressa in general is all soft.
The salami, however, like the Mantuan one for example, are leaner and harder. In both cases, though, it is a delight that is entirely Italian and is not well represented abroad. Something similar remains only in Hungary, where, however, the very fine grain of the meat and the use of strong spices completely change its taste structure.

Now that you know, remember that a “pi” in Veneto and in the land of salami makes a big difference.
 

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M