In Westerly, they call it “soupy.”
It’s a cured sausage with roots in southern Italy. But here, it carries something more: memory, identity, and a deep sense of place.
Think of it like the carnivore’s answer to your grandmother’s Christmas cookies. Soupy recipes are handed down from generation to generation by the Italian immigrants who settled in Westerly. Put simply, for many it’s the taste of home.
What was once a household staple has, in recent years, become a defining flavor of this Rhode Island town’s food culture—showing up not just in family kitchens but on restaurant menus and local festivals.
From Calabria to coastal Rhode Island
Soupy—known more formally as soppressata—dates back centuries to southern Italy, particularly the region of Calabria. Traditionally, it was a way to preserve pork through the winter: seasoned simply, cured slowly, and shared among family and friends.
Italian immigrants brought that tradition to Westerly shortly after the American Civil War. Over time, it took on a life of its own.
Even the name evolved. Food inspectors insisted that true Soppressata would need to contain certain fillers and preservatives. The name “suppi” (sometimes spelled “soupy”) came about so the recipe wouldn’t have to include those other ingredients.
The oddball name quickly caught on.
“It started here,” says Medoro Trombino Jr., co-owner of Westerly Packing Company.
A family business, five generations deep
At Westerly Packing, the Trombino family produces roughly 300 pounds of soupy a day—a far cry from the small-batch tradition they grew up with.
The family business started out as a Christmas tradition.
The matriarch of the family, Palma Trombino (née Bruno), has roots that run deep in South County. Her family was among Westerly’s first Italian settlers back in the late 19th century. They ran a prosperous butcher shop called Bruno’s Meat Market.
“There are a few old-timers here in Westerly who still call it Bruno’s Meat Market,” says Bruno Trombino, who is named after both grandparents.
Her husband, Medoro Trombino Sr., arrived from Italy at age 15 with dreams of becoming a tailor. Instead, at some point, he joined his wife’s family grocery business, which has since been rebranded Westerly Packing.
Trombino used to cure soupy at home, using the attic as a natural drying space. It was a method rooted in old-world practice – cool winter air, patience and careful attention.
His methods caught the eye of a local newspaper, which featured a photo of him standing proudly in front of his pork-filled attic. The photo prompted a call from state health inspectors, who were alarmed the family was curing uncooked pork in the attic.
“I guess that’s frowned upon,” Bruno Trombino said.
What could have ended the tradition instead transformed it into a viable business
“We built curing rooms,” he said. “Now we can make it year-round.”
The process still follows a familiar rhythm: several days of initial curing in one room, followed by weeks of drying in another before the sausage is ready to sell. The ingredients remain simple—pork, salt, black pepper, paprika, and hot pepper—but the scale has grown dramatically.
Demand, the brothers say, is higher than ever.
From lunchboxes to local pride
For the Trombinos, soupy isn’t just a product—it’s a family legacy.
As kids, they brought soupy to school for lunch, standing out among their classmates who tended more towards peanut butter and jelly. At the time, it marked them as Italian-Americans, distinct from the other kids they thought of as “regular Americans.”
Now, soupy is something the whole Westerly community embraces.
“It wasn’t an overnight success,” says Maduro Jr. “It’s something that’s grown over time.”
Today, soupy is having a moment.
At Vetrano’s Restaurant in Westerly, soupy appears on multiple pizzas—paired with vinegar peppers on a red pie or layered with mozzarella and onions in a Calabrese-style white.
At The Cafe, an upscale restaurant next door to the United Theatre, it’s behind the bar. A soupy-infused bourbon cocktail has become one of the bar’s top sellers.
“It’s a powerful cultural touchstone,” says restaurateur Stephen Corrigan.
That blend of tradition and experimentation is helping drive soupy’s resurgence.
Soupyfest and the celebration of tradition
For the past three years, the United Theatre has hosted Soupyfest, a series of popular events leading up to Easter time.
Part festival, part competition, the event brings together professionals and home cooks alike. There are live demonstrations of how to make sausage at home, tastings, author interviews, and even a documentary film festival.
The culminating event, held in April, is a homemade soupy contest. Local judges sample dozens of family recipes and hand out prizes.
The celebrity emcee of the taste-off for the past three years has been actor Steve Schirripa, best known for playing Tony Soprano’s sidekick Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri. Not only does Shirripa trace his roots to Calabria, he also owns a home in Westerly.
For many of the competitors, the recipes are family heirlooms.
“If the next generation doesn’t learn it,” Bruno says, “the recipe is gone.”
Simple ingredients, lasting meaning
At its core, soupy hasn’t changed much. The ingredients are still simple. The process still takes time.
But in Westerly, its meaning has expanded.
Not only does the sausage reflect the town’s Italian heritage, it also tells the story of Westerly immigration. Over the years, soupy has even taken on some influences from Westerly’s thriving Portuguese community. Some of the spicier varieties of soupy could easily stand in for chorizo.
Sweet or spicy, soupy connects the generations. An Italian flavor brought from the Old Country has evolved here in the New. Now, soupy is more than just a cultural tradition. It’s a source of family pride. And a celebration of place.
