soppressata

So called because the meat is pressed under a weight or between two wooden boards to squeeze out excess moisture, giving the salame its traditional flattened shape before it's cured. Some of the best soppressata comes from Calabria, where it is mostly artisanal, using the best cuts of pork and ham from acorn-fed pigs up in the Sila. The Basilicata is also known for it. Thin slices are usually served as an antipasto.

Sopressata from Tuscany and Liguria tends to use the cheaper cuts, including the head.

Also known as sopresse, soprèssa, sopressa and sopprassate.

Several kinds are in the Slow Food Presidium:

soppressata della Sila: the famous one from Calabria. If not eaten after its six month curing, it can be preserved in a number of ways—in oil, in ashes, or oats.

Soppressata cilentana e del Vallo di Diano: this one from southern Campania is a smoked version.