Zampone Modena PGI and Cotechino Modena PGI have now become traditional Italian products.
The Zampone Modena is a classic dish that is served on New Year’s Eve. This link between Zampone Modena and the festive period began as a result of the rural tradition of sacrificing a pig on Saint Lucy’s Day (13 December). The Zampone has always been particularly highly prized among the pork products with a short shelf life, products which, unlike salamis and hams, do not require a curing process. It was therefore reserved exclusively for the holidays and eaten with (equally prized) lentils.
Some traditional recipes confirm that Zampone Modena was also consumed by noble families; it was eaten with Zabaglione, a custard with ingredients (eggs, sugar, liqueur wine) to which only the wealthiest families had access.