Top 4 Local Cured Meats
in the Province of Piacenza

Salumificio La Rocca is a prestigious Italian producer of cured meats, located in the Emilia-Romagna region, specifically in the small medieval town of Castell'Arquato, near Piacenza. Founded in 1963, the company began its production in the heart of the Piacenza Apennines, where it remains today, in a traditional area renowned for livestock farming and the meat industry. The founder, Angelo Rocca, laid the foundation of this successful business by creating high-quality products from fresh pork raised in the Po Valley. With a deep respect for the traditions of meat processing, Salumificio La Rocca started as a family-run operation, which over time evolved into a recognizable brand both in Italy and worldwide. Over the decades, Salumificio La Rocca has undergone significant modernization, without compromising its core principles of quality, tradition, and natural production methods. Today, in addition to supplying the Italian market, Salumificio La Rocca’s products are also available internationally, while the company remains firmly rooted in its origins in Piacenza, ensuring that every product carries the authentic taste of this rich gastronomic region.Expand

Capitelli is a renowned Italian producer of premium cured meats, located in the town of Borgonovo Val Tidone, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna region. Founded in 1976 as a family-owned company, Capitelli has remained faithful to tradition through generations, continuously refining its artisanal meat processing techniques. Today, Capitelli is recognized for its unwavering commitment to quality, careful selection of raw materials, and meticulously controlled production processes. Their sausages are crafted exclusively from fresh, carefully selected pork raised in Italy, enhanced with natural spices and traditional blends of salt and herbs. The drying and aging process is slow and conducted under controlled conditions, allowing rich, complex flavors to develop and achieving a perfect texture. The result is sausages that radiate authenticity, with a delicate structure, pleasant aroma, and well-rounded taste - ideal for traditional Italian antipasti, gourmet sandwiches, and creative culinary dishes.Expand

The recipe for this traditional Italian deli meat has been passed down for generations, and in every country farmhouse, Coppa was considered a special treat, eaten for holidays and other special occasions. Some of those recipes found around the Nure and Trebbia Valleys date back to the 1800s, when Coppa was known as Bondiola and described as a cured pork cut seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon, sugar and cloves. Produced in the Arda Valley southeast from the city of Piacenza, Coppa Piacentina is made with a big, round cut of pork that runs from where the shoulder meets the neck to the fourth-sixth rib of what is known as pork carré. The meat is stuffed into natural pork or beef casings, and aged between six months to a year. Coppa Piacentina is best enjoyed as an appetizer, served with other charcuterie meats and cheeses, home baked breads, butter curls, and melon wedges.Expand

This famous cured sausage originates from the province of Piacenza, the westernmost of nine provinces in the Emilia-Romagna region, nestled between the river Po and the Apennines. It is often said that the 15th-century tradesmen from the neighboring Lombardy could easily distinguish cured meats from Piacenza among a myriad of charcuterie specialties found in Emilia-Romagna. In fact, in the early 1700s, the prized salame Piacentino was commonly served in royal households of Italy, France and Spain. The recipe for this delicacy hasn't changed since: pork belly fat and lean meat cuts are coarsely ground, combined with sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and finally infused with a top-quality red wine which makes the fragrant aroma of salame Piacentino uniquely intense. It is excellent as a starter, served with traditional fried gnocchi or fresh figs, and accompanied by a glass of wine.Expand

Made from the pork cut of the so-called pancettone (belly), Pancetta Piacentina is an unsmoked and rolled variety of bacon and an authentic product of the Piacenza province, located in the Emilia-Romagna region. The processing of meat begins with dry-salting and seasoning, after which the Pancetta is refrigerated and left to rest for about 10 days. Next, the bacon is scrapped to remove any excess salt and spices, rolled up and sewn by hand at the side. Finally, Pancetta Piacentina is left to dry out and mature for at least 3 months at a temperature of 10-14°C and a relative humidity of about 70-90%, until the bacon attains its characteristic appearance and flavor. Pancetta Piacentina has a pleasant aroma, and a sweet, rich, meaty taste; it is firm in texture, with dark red lean meat and succulent white fat. Great as an appetizer, in the region of Emilia-Romagna pancetta is typically served with slices of toasted polenta.Expand

Culatta is a premium Italian charcuterie hailing from the Parma and Piacenza provinces of Emilia-Romagna, crafted from the most prized, boneless cut of a pig's hind leg. Born from the region's rich tradition of ham-making, local butchers developed this specialty by isolating the best part of the thigh while leaving the natural skin intact on one side. To protect the exposed meat during the curing process, it is coated with sugnatura—a rich paste of pork fat, salt, and spices. The preparation involves hand-tying the pork, thoroughly seasoning it with salt and pepper, and letting it rest to ensure the cure penetrates deeply. After the excess salt is brushed off, the meat is netted and moved into climate-controlled drying rooms, where temperatures are gradually lowered from around 24°C to 16°C over a few months. It is then transferred to cellars to mature for anywhere from a year to 18 months. While aging times and exact spice blends can vary among producers, culatta is distinctly different from the famous culatello di Zibello because it cures in its own protective rind rather than an animal casing, maturing much like a traditional prosciutto. For the best culinary experience, this sweet and deeply aromatic cured meat should be sliced paper-thin and enjoyed at room temperature. It is traditionally served alongside fresh bread, sweet butter, or warm torta fritta, and pairs beautifully with regional red wines such as Gutturnio.Expand