Capocollo di Calabria

Capocollo di Calabria is a whole-muscle cured meat produced exclusively in the Calabria Region of southern Italy. It is made from the boned upper part of the pork loin, with a fresh weight between 3.5 and 5.5 kilograms, wrapped in natural casing, tied with twine, and matured for at least 100 days. Its exterior colour ranges from pink to red depending on the use of black pepper or Capsicum-genus spices.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 21 January 1998 under file number PDO-IT-1570 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013348), Capocollo di Calabria is produced entirely within the Calabria Region, where pigs must be reared, slaughtered, and the meat selected, wrapped, tied, and matured. The specification requires meat from Italian heavy pig breeds: the Apulian-Calabrian breed, Large White and Italian Landrace as improved in accordance with the Italian herd book, pigs bred from Duroc boars, and pigs bred from other boars whose selection aims are not incompatible with the Italian herd book for heavy pigs. The meat of boars and sows may not be used, and pure-bred Belgian Landrace, Hampshire, Pietrain, and Spotted animals are expressly excluded. The average weight of a batch at slaughter must be at least 140 kg. Pigs must be fed on compound feeding stuffs containing at least 50 % barley, field beans, corn, acorns, or chickpeas; feeding with swill, defined as the use of dairy by-products, is forbidden during fattening. For at least the last two months before slaughter, feed must contain not less than 12 % protein. The fresh cut must weigh between 3.5 and 5.5 kg. After curing in salt or brine, the product is wrapped in natural casing, tied, and matured for at least 100 days. Labelling must carry the words Denominazione d'Origine Protetta immediately after the protected name. The Consorzio di Tutela Salumi di Calabria DOP is the applicant producer group.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 January 1998 under file number PDO-IT-1570, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013348.
• The fresh weight of each Capocollo must be between 3.5 and 5.5 kilograms, and maturation must last at least 100 days.
• Pure-bred Belgian Landrace, Hampshire, Pietrain, and Spotted pigs may not be used; the meat of boars and sows is also excluded.
• All stages — rearing, slaughter, selection, casing, tying, and maturation — must take place within the Calabria Region.

Tasting notes

Rich, marbled cured pork neck with assertive paprika and chili spice profile, soft sweet pork notes, mild smokiness, finishing pleasantly piquant.

HoReCa use

Sliced for antipasto boards, paired with sharp pecorino and crusty bread; chopped into Calabrian-style pasta and pizza toppings.

Packaging

• whole-piece-vacuum-1.5-2kg
• half-piece-vacuum-700g
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g
• pre-sliced-tray-150g