The origins of the Calabrian ‘nduja are not entirely certain, but the most accredited thesis traces its origins back to the Napoleonic period (1806-1815). It seems that in that period, Gioacchino Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother-in-law, had ordered his men to distribute a tripe-based French salami free of charge, to enter the good graces of the Lazarus of the Neapolitan state. This cured meat had a name that sounds particularly familiar today: andouille.

Apparently, it was successful among the Calabrians, who appropriated the idea by modifying the recipe based on the resources of the time: fat, pork rinds, offal, and, of course, local hot peppers.