Pre-cooked Zampone is a traditional Italian speciality made from finely minced pork blended with pork rind in carefully balanced proportions. The mixture is stuffed into a natural pig’s trotter skin, hand-sewn and slowly cooked to achieve its characteristic rich flavour and tender texture.

The origins of Zampone date back to the early 16th century. According to tradition, it was invented in 1511 in the town of Mirandola, near Modena, during a siege by the troops of Pope Julius II. To prevent their pigs from falling into enemy hands, the townspeople slaughtered the animals and stuffed the meat into the skin of the pig’s trotters, making full use of every part of the animal while creating a product that could be preserved for longer.

Today, Zampone is traditionally served with lentils on New Year’s Eve in Italy. Together they are considered a symbol of good fortune and prosperity, as the shape of the pig’s trotter is said to resemble a pouch filled with coins, wishing abundance for the year ahead.