In 1510 the people of Modena formed an alliance with Venice and flew the Venetian standard; Pope Giulio II, who was known as the Warrior Pope, took offense because he considered Modena to be in his sphere of influence, and besieged them.


With no food coming in the Modenesi (people from Modena) had to preserve what they had, and someone hit upon the idea of boning pigs' forelegs and stuffing them with a mixture of ground pork, pork rinds, and spices.


As far as the Modensi are concerned the zampone was the only good thing to come of the siege. The Pope won and they continued to make them.


Zampone needs to be boiled in hot water before serving and the instructions on the package will guide you easily through the process.


Traditionally served with lentils, spinach and polenta, Cotechino is one of the most popular Christmas dishes.