Piacenza is a territory where high-quality cured meats have always been produced. Several components contribute to this result: the territory is lying along the banks of the Po River surrounded by the Apennines. This area imposes natural elements that create a humid continental microclimate with no excessive thermal variations.
The pigs destined for the production of the three DOP products must come from Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, while the processing area is limited to the province of Piacenza (max 900 meters above sea level).
The result is a natural environment particularly suitable for breeding pigs – which prefer wooded areas, rich in water at the expense of direct sunlight and excessive heat – and, therefore, ideal for processing cured meats. It is thanks to a relatively temperate climate that balanced fattening of pigs becomes possible.
The consistency of the fat is closely related to the rapidity of growth and the external temperature, which, if it is freezing, reduces the tendency to increase weight, causing the softening of fat.
As for the maturing stage, the Piacenza valley owns suitable climatic conditions to facilitate the three types of PDO meats from Piacenza, Coppa, Salame and Pancetta.
