What Is Capicola?

My Italian grandmother’s parents didn’t speak English, so she inherited all of the typical Italian-American words: pasta fazool (pasta e fagiola), managot (managotti), moozarell (mozzarella), rigott (ricotta), and, the funniest one to an eight-year old, gabagool. Growing up, I thought it was only my grandmother and her eight siblings who spoke this way. That’s until I saw The Sopranos and watched Tony eat gabagool right out of the fridge. Turns out, everyone knows gabagool, but do they know about capicola? Spoiler alert: They’re the same thing.

What is capicola?

Capicola is a pork-based deli meat from Italy that comes from the same family as ham and prosciutto. The name is an amalgamation of two Italian words: capo, meaning head, and colla, meaning neck; this references the cut of meat from a pig that runs along the neck until the fourth rib. 

The standard ham can be prepared a number of ways: dry cured, wet cured or brined, or smoked. Capicola is always dry cured. The meat is seasoned with wine, garlic, and a variety of spices depending on where it is made. It is then salted and allowed to dry for around six months.

Sliced thin, capicola is a staple of the Italian hoagie in Philadelphia and a common sight in most deli counters throughout the United States.

What does capicola taste like?

Since it is cured ham, capicola tastes like most other pork-based deli meats. It is quite similar to prosciutto, which is similarly dry cured. Overall, it’s salty and tastes of whatever spices used to make it.

Is capicola spicy?

It can be! One of the common ways to make capicola is to rub it with paprika right before it is cured. This results in a wide array of spice levels that differentiate it from its ham cousins. 

Why is capicola called gabagool?

Other than because it’s fun to say?

In Italy, the word is capocollo or capicola. In the central and southern areas of Italy, there’s an Italian language subsect called Neapolitan, which is similar to Italian but is its own distinct, recognized language. In Neapolitan, the word is capecuello. 

As Italians immigrated to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, their language started intertwining with English. As a result, you can see the evolution of the word: capacuello, cabacuello, gabaguello, gabaguell, gabagool. 

How do you actually pronounce capicola?

The real pronunciation of the word is “ka-pi-Ko-la.” But when gabagool is right there staring you in the face, how can you not say it like that?


About the Author

Luke Field

Luke Field is a writer and actor originally from Philadelphia. He was the former Head Writer of branded content at CollegeHumor and was also a contributing writer and actor to the CollegeHumor Originals cast. He has extensive improv and sketch stage experience, performing both at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and with their Touring Company. In addition to writing, he also works as a Story Producer, most recently on season 4 of Accident, Suicide, or Murder on Oxygen. Keep your eyes peeled for his brief but impactful appearance as Kevin, the screaming security guard, in the upcoming feature The Disruptors, directed by Adam Frucci.

Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!

Your thoughts.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *