Pancetta Piacentina

Appearance & taste

The finished pancetta is cylindrical and weighs 4 to 8 kg. It is deep red, interspersed with pure white fat; in the slices, bright red lean parts alternate with white fatty parts. It has a pleasantly mild smell and a savoury flavour.

On the label, the name is immediately followed by “Denominazione di Origine Protetta” or the abbreviation “DOP”, together with the EU PDO logo. Other descriptions not provided for are prohibited.

Production

The belly of the pig half is used, extending from the back of the breastbone to the groin, together with the muscle strands of the trunk. The pieces come from heavy Italian pigs from Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. At least half of the dry matter the pigs eat in a year comes from the rearing area.

The meat is trimmed, dry-salted, rolled and tied, then dried and matured. Only the rolling and tying give the pancetta its cylindrical shape and ensure that lean and fatty meat alternate in the slices. All steps take place in the province of Piacenza. Slicing, portioning and packing are also done only there, by people with special knowledge of the product: without the rind and exposed to the air, the cut surfaces would turn brown, the fat rancid and the aroma worse. Before slicing, the rind is removed completely.

Origin & history

According to the specification, the making of pancetta began in Roman times and has since been handed down above all in the province of Piacenza. It belongs to a rural tradition of the whole Po valley, where pig farming is closely linked with growing cereals and making cheese.

Over time, the producers in the province have passed on their skill in selecting the cuts of meat, salting, rolling and tying, as well as their knowledge of the stages of maturing. According to the specification, cool valleys rich in water and wooded hills have a favourable effect on maturing.