It is cylinder-shaped, 2 3/4 to 3 inches (7 to 8 cm) wide. The surface colour changes from dark red to greyish, as mould colonizes the surface. Inside, it is bright red inside with red fat spots, and has a spicy smell.
It is made from coarsely-minced meat from the neck, shoulder and belly of a pig. The meat is mixed with finely-ground salt, Candia white wine (sometimes), cinnamon, nutmeg, both ground pepper and peppercorns, ascorbic acid and sometimes Salt Petre. The mixture is stuffed in a natural casing. The sausage is then matured for 7 days in a warm, humid room to start the surface mould development, then put in a well-ventilated room for further aging.
Traditionally, it used to only be made from October through to April, when pigs were slaughtered.