Ciccioli are pressed cakes of fatty pork. They are known under this name in Emilia-Romagna, being popular in Modena, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Parma, Piacenza, and Romagna. In Naples and Apulia they are called cicoli,[1] in Lazio and Umbria sfrizzoli, and in Calabria risimugli.
Ciccioli are made by compressing, drying, and aging fatty, leftover pieces of pork. These scraps are compressed using a special press where the meat is wrapped in sack cloth, then slowly squeezed over several weeks to remove excess liquid. They can either be prepared in a wet preparation that can be sliced and served, or in a very dry, crunchy, chip-like form often called ciccioli frolli. They result also as leftovers from the preparation of strutto.