Sopressata is the most well-known of the Italian salamis and the most likely to be familiar even, to the uninitiated. The Creminelli version is redolent of garlic and red wine, giving it a robust and easy-to-enjoy flavor. Sopressata, also called Sopressa Veneta, got its name from the practice of pressing the salami between planks of wood, resulting in a straight, flattened shape. The northern Italian version from Vicenza, in the Veneto region, did away with the pressed shape and has become an international favorite.
