Spalla cotta di San Secondo
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Spalla cotta is pork shoulder that is salted, cured for a few weeks, then cooked slowly in water and served warm in thick slices. It comes from San Secondo Parmense in the flat Bassa north of Parma. A regional publication on traditional foods traces a "spallam" in a tribute paid to the Parma cathedral chapter back to 1170.
The famous name attached to it is Verdi. The Emilia-Romagna Region's traditional-food sheet cites a letter of April 27, 1872 in which the composer explains to Count Arrivabene how to cook it. A plate cost €10–€14 in Parma in September 2026.
At a glance
- What it is
- Boned pork shoulder, salted with spices, wrapped in a natural casing, tied, cured for weeks, then cooked slowly in water and served warm.
- Where from
- San Secondo Parmense in the Bassa; a regional traditional food product (PAT).
- The Verdi link
- A letter from Giuseppe Verdi to Count Arrivabene dated April 27, 1872 explains how to cook it, per the Emilia-Romagna Region.
- Price
- €10 at Trattoria del Tribunale; €14 at Ai Due Platani (Antica Ardenga's); a half shoulder of 900 g–1 kg cost €28 at Caseificio Ugolotti.
- Also in
- Tortelli filled with ricotta and spalla cotta, €12 at Tribunale.
In this guide
How it is made
The Region's 2007 profile of a San Secondo producer, Emanuele Cavalli, describes the process:
- The shoulder is boned and trimmed, then salted with coarse salt flavored with garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- It is "invested": wrapped in a natural casing and sewn with string into a pear shape.
- It cures in a cold room for 40 to 60 days.
- It cooks in water with bay leaf and white or red wine at around 70°C, about one hour per kilo.
Leave it to age 24 months instead of cooking it and you get spalla cruda, a different product. Cocchi's menu lists a 60-month black-pig spalla cruda.
Verdi and the spalla
San Secondo is in the same flat Bassa as Busseto, Verdi's home town. The Region's sheet lists among its sources "Lettera di G. Verdi del 27 aprile 1872 al Conte Arrivabene", in which he explains how to cook the shoulder. We have not seen the letter itself, so we do not repeat the popular claim that it was his favorite food. Visit Busseto and Verdi's country and eat it in its home territory, or book an opera night and eat it after.
Where to eat it
| Restaurant | As listed | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Trattoria del Tribunale | Spalla cotta | €10 |
| Trattoria del Tribunale | Tortelli di ricotta e spalla cotta | €12 |
| Trattoria Ai Due Platani | Spalla cotta di San Secondo, Salumificio Antica Ardenga | €14 |
| Trattoria Ai Due Platani | Eggs Benedict with spalla cotta, Parmigiano fondue and black truffle | €24 |
Menus read September 29, 2026 (Tribunale live menu; Due Platani spring 2026 carta). Ask for it warm and eat it on hot torta fritta.
Buying it
Caseificio Ugolotti in Parma sold a half spalla cotta of 900 g to 1 kg for €28 on September 29, 2026, about €28–€31 per kg. It is a cooked product meant to be eaten within days, so buy it for a picnic, not a suitcase. It is pork, so the same customs rules apply as for prosciutto: the UK bans EU pork products, and USDA does not allow travelers to bring back most pork from Italy.
Frequently asked questions
What is spalla cotta?
Pork shoulder that is salted with spices, cased and tied, cured for weeks, then boiled slowly and served warm in slices. It comes from San Secondo Parmense.
Was spalla cotta Verdi's favorite?
A Verdi letter to Count Arrivabene of April 27, 1872, cited by the Emilia-Romagna Region, explains how to cook it. We found no primary source calling it his favorite.
How much is spalla cotta in Parma?
€10 a plate at Trattoria del Tribunale and €14 at Trattoria Ai Due Platani on menus checked September 29, 2026.
Is spalla cotta served hot or cold?
Traditionally warm. Ask for it warm when you order.
Further reading
Official sources
- Regione Emilia-Romagna - A San Secondo nasce la squisita spalla cotta (official PDF, 2007) – 1170 parchment; Verdi letter to Count Arrivabene of April 27, 1872; salting, casing, 40-60 days curing, cooking about 1 hour per kg at about 70°C; 24 months for spalla cruda
- Trattoria del Tribunale - live menu (leggimenu) – Spalla cotta €10; tortelli di ricotta e spalla cotta €12 in the primi section; checked September 29, 2026
- Trattoria Ai Due Platani - menu, spring 2026 (PDF) – Spalla cotta di San Secondo, Salumificio Antica Ardenga, €14; eggs Benedict with spalla cotta €24
- Ristorante Cocchi - menu of September 27, 2026 (PDF) – Spalla cruda di maiale nero 60 mesi
- Caseificio Ugolotti - Spalla cotta a metà (shop) – 900 g-1 kg, €28
- USDA APHIS - Meat for travelers (official) – Travelers may not bring back most swine meat from affected countries; cured hams from Italy named
- GOV.UK - Bringing food into Great Britain (official) – Pork products from the EU not allowed
