Coa alla vaccinara is a speciality of Roman cuisine. It is a stew made with "oxtail" (in fact, usually tail of a calf) and various vegetables. Its introduction dates back to times when it was customary to pay a vaccinaro (cattle butcher) in kind with the entrails, hide, and tail of the animal. Butchers developed a way of turning their fee into a delicacy, thus coda alla vaccinara was formed. Today, almost every Roman household has its unique recipe to cook coda.