Suppressed or Suppressed? A pi that makes the difference

Soppressa or sopressa? Be careful with the "pi"! Don't make a mistake when you are in the Vicenza area. But what difference does it make? There is only one DOP, and it is the one from Vicenza. A product that cannot be confused with all the interpretations that approach it. Thanks to a typical Venetian trend of removing double consonants, when we talk about Sopressa, we only mean the DOP from Palladio. In the rest of the world, it is produced with a double "pi".

A mixture of pork meat, shoulder, cap, loin (or loin), pancetta, throat fat, and finely chopped ham, then mixed with spices and salt. Stuffed in natural casing, tied with string, and aged for a minimum of 2 months.
In Veneto, and particularly in the Vicenza area, the tradition calls for a salami that remains soft and creamy on the palate.

The further you get from Veneto, the more the sausage changes in consistency and shape, or rather, diameter. This leads to a different texture. The soppresse in general are all soft.
The salamis on the other hand, like the Mantuan for example, are leaner and harder. In both cases, however, it is a purely Italian delight that is not encompassed abroad. Something similar remains only in Hungary, where the very fine grain of the meat and the use of strong spices completely change its taste structure.

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

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M