cotechino

A speciality of Modena, but made all over Italy. Cotechino gets its name from the fact that some of the pig's skin is ground and mixed in, giving the sausage a slightly gelatinous feel. They are traditionally boiled and eaten with lentils, or in bollito misto.

In Cremona they make cotechino alla vaniglia or cotechino Cremonese vaniglia, while in nearby Mantua it's cotechino Mantovano alla vaniglia—not vanilla flavoured, but as soft and sweet as vanilla. Also from Lombardy comes cotechino di carni miste (made with a mix of horse meat, beef and sometimes pork, pork fat, grains and spices), cotechino della Bergamasca (dark red, made of pork), cotechino Pavese, a lean version from Pavia and cotechino bianco from the Valtellina, made mostly of pork rind.

In Basilicata, they make, or used to make, cotechinata or pig skin involtini, with a filling of hot peppers, garlic and parsley, cooked for a long time in tomato sauce.