Cotechino Modena

Cotechino Modena is a cooked pork sausage produced within a defined area of central and northern Italy, made from a mixture of pig meat from striated muscles, pig fat, and rind. The specification sets minimum and maximum thresholds for protein, fat, collagen, and water content, and prohibits smoke flavourings. The designation is registered as a PGI.

About this designation

Cotechino Modena holds PGI status, registered under file number PGI-IT-1500, with EU protection granted on 19 March 1999. The eAmbrosia identifier is EUGI00000013380. The applicant body is the Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino Modena IGP. The specification defines the product as a cylindrical, cooked sausage. When released for consumption, slices must be firm and evenly grained, pink tending towards uneven red in colour, and easy to slice while maintaining their shape. The meat mixture must meet four chemical and physico-chemical thresholds: total protein at a minimum of 17%, a fat-to-protein ratio of no more than 1.9, a collagen-to-protein ratio of no more than 0.5, and a water-to-protein ratio of no more than 2.7. Permitted ingredients include pig meat from striated muscles, pig fat, rind, salt, whole pepper and/or pepper pieces. Optional additions include wine, water in accordance with good trade practice, natural flavourings, spices and herbs, sugar and/or dextrose and/or fructose, sodium and/or potassium nitrite at a maximum of 140 parts per million, and ascorbic acid and its sodium salt. Smoke flavourings are not permitted. The mixture is stuffed into natural or artificial casings. The defined geographical area covers the entire territory of twenty-two named Italian provinces spanning central and northern Italy, including Modena, Bologna, Parma, Milano, Verona, and others. All processing steps and packaging must take place within this area. The label must carry the name 'Cotechino Modena' together with the words 'Indicazione geografica protetta' and/or the abbreviation 'IGP'.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 19 March 1999 under file number PGI-IT-1500; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013380.
• The specification prohibits smoke flavourings entirely; no other flavouring of that type is permitted.
• Sodium and/or potassium nitrite may be used only up to a maximum of 140 parts per million.
• Packaging must be carried out exclusively within the defined production area, which spans twenty-two Italian provinces.

Tasting notes

Large fresh-cooked pork sausage with rind, soft gelatinous texture, rich pork-fat mouthfeel, warm spice notes (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper).

HoReCa use

Boiled and sliced, traditionally served on New Year's Eve with lentils (Cotechino con lenticchie); also paired with mashed potatoes or polenta.

Packaging

• vacuum-pack-pre-cooked-500g
• vacuum-pack-pre-cooked-1kg
• vacuum-pack-raw-500g
• gift-tin-500g

Seasonality