Salsiccia sotto sugna di Vairano Patenora

Vairano Patenora is the place of origin of a very special kind of sausage – a bright red, more than a meter long sauciccia, covered in lard and placed in handmade terracotta pots. It is prepared in winter months using only prime cuts of locally bred Casertano pork, which must be finely chopped with a knife. Small pieces, called tagliuzzi are flavored with paparuoli (local, bright red chilli pepper variety), wild fennel seeds, salt, and other spices. After 30 days of drying, sauciccia is placed inside terracotta pots - little hand-made pieces of art produced in local artisan workshops. This decorative delicacy is best consumed at the end of the summer when the days become shorter and temperatures slowly begin to drop.