Salsiccia di Calabria

Salsiccia di Calabria is a matured pork sausage produced entirely within the Calabria Region, made from shoulder, haunch and upper rib cuts mixed with fat and natural aromatic ingredients including salt, black pepper, and chilli pepper or red bell pepper of the genus Capsicum L. The mixture is packed into natural pork casings and formed into a chain or traditional U shape.

About this designation

Salsiccia di Calabria holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-IT-1568 and granted EU protection on 21 January 1998. The applicant body is the Consorzio Salumi di Calabria DOP. The entire production process — rearing and slaughter of pigs, selection of meat, grinding, casing, tying, and maturation — must take place within the Calabria Region. Meat must come from pigs whose genetic properties match those of Italian heavy pig breeds, including the Apulian-Calabrian breed, Large White, Italian Landrace, Italian Duroc crosses, and certain other cross-breeding lines. Pure-bred Belgian Landrace, Hampshire, Pietrain, and Spotted animals may not be used, nor may the meat of boars or sows. The average weight of a batch at slaughter must be at least 140 kg. The mixture comprises shoulder meat at not less than 50 %, haunch at no more than 15 %, and upper ribs at no more than 50 %, with fat content between 6 % and 20 % per kilogram of processed meat. Frozen meat may not be used. The product matures for at least 30 days. The finished sausage takes the form of a chain of 40 to 80 cm or the traditional U shape. Labelling must display the name 'Salsiccia di Calabria' followed immediately by the words 'Protected Designation of Origin' and must bear the official PDO logo. Optional label terms 'strong', 'mild', or 'white' indicate the type of Capsicum ingredient used.

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-1568, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013346.
• Shoulder meat must constitute not less than 50 % of the mixture; frozen meat may not be used under any circumstances.
• The average slaughter weight of a batch of pigs must be at least 140 kg; pure-bred Belgian Landrace, Hampshire, Pietrain, and Spotted breeds are expressly prohibited.
• Maturation must last at least 30 days, and all production steps from rearing to maturation must occur within the Calabria Region.

Tasting notes

Calabrian fresh and cured pork sausage flavored with chili and pepper. Spicy assertive profile, rustic texture.

HoReCa use

Cured form sliced for southern Italian antipasto; fresh form grilled or used in pasta with peperoni cruschi.

Packaging

• whole-piece-vacuum-300-500g
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g