Coppa di Corsica — Cured Neck and Shoulder AOP
Corsica, France — island-wide, with notable production in Alta Rocca and Niolu valleys.
Coppa di Corsica is the island's cured neck-shoulder, pressed into a cylindrical form and hung for a minimum five months. The cut — the collar from behind the head through the first rib — is prized for its marbling: concentric rings of lean and intramuscular fat that, when sliced, reveal a rose-and-ivory mosaic. The cure begins with a dry-rub of sea-mineral-salt, black-pepper, dried myrtle berries, and maquis-herb blend, applied for ten to fourteen days. The neck is then washed, dried, and encased in natural pig bladder or gut before hanging. During the five-month minimum cure the fat slowly softens and the collagen in the neck muscle relaxes, giving coppa di Corsica its characteristic yielding texture — firmer than an Italian coppa but less dense than prisuttu. The myrtle-berry component of the rub is distinctively Corsican: myrtle (Myrtus communis) grows throughout the island's maquis and contributes a resinous-sweet note absent from mainland Italian or Ligurian coppas. AOP since 2012.
Rose-and-ivory marbled cross-section; myrtle-resin sweet note; yielding intramuscular fat; richer and rounder than lonzu, cleaner than prisuttu.
The collar cut must include the correct ratio of lean to intramuscular fat — the neck of a pastured Porcu Nustrale has naturally higher marbling than a commercially-reared pig. Myrtle berry concentration in the rub is calibrated by season — autumn berries are riper and more aromatic than spring. The cylindrical press shape is achieved by wrapping tightly before casing, not by mould pressure.
Coppa di Corsica is the richest of the three AOP cuts and benefits most from pairing with chestnut-bread acidity and brocciu freshness to cut through the fat. It is traditionally the last cut served on a Corsican charcuterie board — heaviest after lightest.
Using pork collar from a lean commercial breed — the marbling pattern collapses and the cure produces a dry, crumbly texture rather than yielding slices. Confusing fresh myrtle leaves (strongly eucalyptol) with dried myrtle berries (sweeter, resinous) in the rub.
INAO AOP Coppa di Corsica specification; Stromboni, La Cuisine Corse
The complete technique entry — including what separates Reserve from House, the sensory cues that tell you when it's right, the exact ingredients at species precision, and verified suppliers filtered to your region.
Open The Kitchen — $4.99/monthCommon Questions
Why does Coppa di Corsica — Cured Neck and Shoulder AOP taste the way it does?
Rose-and-ivory marbled cross-section; myrtle-resin sweet note; yielding intramuscular fat; richer and rounder than lonzu, cleaner than prisuttu.
What are common mistakes when making Coppa di Corsica — Cured Neck and Shoulder AOP?
Using pork collar from a lean commercial breed — the marbling pattern collapses and the cure produces a dry, crumbly texture rather than yielding slices. Confusing fresh myrtle leaves (strongly eucalyptol) with dried myrtle berries (sweeter, resinous) in the rub.
What ingredients should I use for Coppa di Corsica — Cured Neck and Shoulder AOP?
Sus scrofa domesticus — Porcu Nustrale; AOP requirement.
What dishes are similar to Coppa di Corsica — Cured Neck and Shoulder AOP?
Capicola/Capocollo (Italian mainland — Genoese cognate, different herb profile), Coppa piacentina DOP (Italian — similar cut, wine-based rub contrast)