What it is
A dark, strong, smoked Sannio Beneventano sausage made from lard, lung, heart, blood-rich trimmings, mask and sometimes liver, often cooked rather than eaten raw.
Origin place card
This belongs to the mountain/inner Sannio around Cusano Mutri, Cerreto Sannita, Guardia Sanframondi and Pietraroja, where smoke, leaves, ziri and winter kitchens matter.
Verified history
The source says it is notably diffused in the zone and appears in texts on Sannio gastronomy, history and traditions; the production process is rich enough for a serious source-backed page. Treat this as source-supported tradition/history from Regione Campania PAT — Salsiccia r' poc; the current evidence does not independently establish a founder, precise origin date, first attestation, or archival origin beyond that source framing.
Local hypothesis
Its name and identity feel like a food of “little”/poor cuts, but the page should not over-translate dialect until local fieldwork confirms it.
Local legend / oral tradition
Cooking under ashes and wrapped in leaves of “minestra” should be presented as traditional use, with local naming fieldwork still needed.
Ingredients
Lard, lung, heart, blood-rich trimmings, mask, sometimes liver, salt, black pepper grains, hot pepper, wild fennel, fresh garlic, natural small intestine casing. Source-supported detail: Descrizione sintetica prodotto: la Salsiccia r' Poc si presenta di forma cilindrica, con diametro 2-4 cm., con lunghezza totale max di 100 cm, con una legatura centrale e le due finali accoppiate, in modo da apparire ripiegata.
Method
Knife-cut the meat/fat/offal into small dice, clean casing with salt and citrus, season with garlic, pepper, chili and fennel, stuff and tie, then dry and smoke obligatorily for roughly 25–30 days in traditional kitchen/cellar conditions. Source-supported detail: viene utilizzata appena appassita cotta nella sugna o conservata in recipienti di terracotta smaltata (ziri), nei ragù, zuppe, cotte sotto la cenere dei camini, avvolta nelle foglie di "minestra".
Ritual / calendar
Winter humidity and smoking are part of the process; the sausage is cooked in sugna, ragù, soups, under ashes, or in leaves. Source-supported detail: Colore bruno scuro; visibili i pezzi di lardo.
Why travel for it
This is a Sannio winter page: a reason to find mountain butchers, smoky kitchens, and ziri in villages around Cusano Mutri and Pietraroja.
Recreate-it pathway
Do not test-kitchen as raw charcuterie. Document serving modes first: sugna, ragù, soup, ash, and leaves.
Editorial warning
Mandatory smoking and offal composition require careful safety framing and producer-led sourcing.
Fieldwork questions
What does r’ poc mean locally? Which families still cook it under ash or in leaves? Which leaves exactly?
Photo brief
Dark folded smoked sausage; hanging over wood smoke or served with winter greens.