History and legend merge when we talk about cotechino, the oldest of sausages!
King of the table, pride of the Emilians, cotechino cannot be missing on New Year's Eve, accompanied with lentils. An ancient dish, over the years this food has become a symbol of the Italian tradition of abundance, prosperity and health. Cotechino , like its cousin zampone, is synonymous with celebrations, with the family gathered together for special occasions. Home and warmth.
The history of the cotechino dates back to very ancient times: it all began in 1511, legend has it that it was created by the citizens of the Pico di Mirandola court to better preserve the meat of the pigs, during the long siege of the city by the troops of Pope Julius II della Rovere.
Even more particular is the legend that revolves around the zampone . It is said that, shortly before the capitulation, rather than leave their precious animals in enemy hands, the people of Mirandola decided to slaughter them all. It was the famous Pico's chef who had the idea of stuffing pigs' legs filled with their leanest meat, to cook the meat even after a long time.
Cotechino with lentils is a typical dish on the Christmas menu and especially on New Year's Eve: tradition has it that eating a portion of cotechino before midnight bodes well for the new year . The cotechino, in fact, symbolizes wealth and abundance.
