CURED MEATS AN ITALIAN CULINARY TRADITION

Visiting Italy involves, of course, tasting some delicious cured meats known in Italian as salumi. Whether you are eating in a restaurant or in a typical trattoria, you will always find a tagliere, which translates to “cutting board”, full of local specialty cured meats, cheeses, crostini, and olives. A tagliere can also be served as a snack during aperitivo, and pairs perfectly with a bottle of red wine!

Before we get into the cured meats, here are some common misconceptions and misunderstandings to avoid.

Prosciutto confusion:

Many foreigners are confused by this; they see prosciutto on the menu, order it expecting the internationally recognized cured ham, they are then surprised by what looks like deli ham on their pizza. No they are not being taken advantage of, nor have they fallen into a tourist trap, they are simply the latest victims of a very common misunderstanding. Although abroad the word “Prosciutto” is instantly associated with cured hams like Prosciutto di Parma, in Italy, it simply means ham, what kind of ham is specified by the second part of the description “crudo” which means raw or in this context cured; or “cotto” which means cooked and is similar to the deli ham you likely find at home.

Pepperoni? 

We have mentioned this in other articles, but it's always worth mentioning. In Italy pepperoni means peppers and usually refers to bell peppers, what you are likely looking for is salamino piccante, or spicy salami. This disambiguation likely comes from Italian immigrants in the US using chilli peppers for their spicy salami, giving it the name pepperoni to make it easier to understand.  

Now that weve cleared that up. Here are some cured meats you should try, remember there is a huge variety of cured meats in Italy these are just some of the basic ones!

PROSCIUTTO CRUDO 

Prosciutto Crudo is internationally known, a cured and aged ham, the most prestigious of which is Prosciutto di Parma, which comes (obviously) from the city of Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region. Prosciutto di Parma will always be labeled as such if you buy it, prosciutto that does not come from Parma or any other protected geographical area will be simply labeled as “crudo”. Within crudo there are two different kinds: dolce, which is sweet, with a very delicate flavor, or salato, salty, with a stronger flavor.

PROSCIUTTO COTTO 

Is a cooked ham, with a delicate and slightly sweet, smokey flavor, similar to what you likely find in your local deli.

SALAME

Everybody knows what salame is, right?
There are countless varieties of regional and local salames in Italy, that can vary in meat to fat ratio, in the aging time or process, and the spices added; and although most of them are made with pork meat, you can also find them made with wild boar, deer and roe deer.

Salame Toscano is typical of the Tuscan hills and it is a long-aged salami with hints of pepper, garlic and other spices.

Salame Milano, on the other hand, has a more delicate and sweet flavour.

Salamino Piccante, is like we mentioned earlier, spicy salame that is found everywhere but originated, and is more common in southern Italy.

Nduja is a spreadable sausage made with pork meat and a lot of chili. This specialty from Calabria, has a very similar flavor to Spanish Chorizo, although it has a softer, spreadable texture that is very different, this similarity is probably due to the centuries of Spanish influence in southern Italy.

Finocchiona & Sbriciolona

These are very near and dear to my heart, living in Florence I eat this regional specialty regularly. These varieties of salame are only found in Tuscany, generally near Florence, they are practically the same thing only one is aged, finocchiona, and the other is not, sbriciolona. Unlike other salame, they are seasoned with fennel instead of black pepper, from which finocchiona derives its name, “finocchio” means fennel. On the other hand Sbriciolona get its name from the verb “sbriciolare” which means to fall apart or crumble, as it falls apart once you slice it due to its lack of aging.

Sbriciolona

MORTADELLA

This delicate cured meat originated in Bologna, Emilia Romagna. Made from emulsified pork meat, and bits of pork fat, mortadella can be flavored with pistacchio or pepper. The recipe for what is known in America as bologna is derived from the recipe for mortadella, getting its name from the city where it originated.

SPECK

Traditionally from Trentino Alto Adige this cured meat is synonymous with Northern Italy. This cured meat is basically a seasoned, smoked and aged hind quarter of pork, it has a nice and slightly smoky flavor. 

BRESAOLA

Is a dried and salted beef originally from Valtellina, in Trentino, it is also occasionally made of horse meat, venison. Its delicate taste, high protein and low fat content also make it a popular food among those who are dieting.

GUANCIALE

If you've ever taken a glance at an authentic carbonara recipe, you've probably seen this before. Guanciale is an aged pork jowl or guancia (cheek) which has been seasoned with coarse salt and lots of pepper.

LARDO

If you are visiting Tuscany and want to spend some time in the countryside, you should visit Colonnata and try this delicious specialty. This cured and aged lard is an incredibly tasty treat, usually left to melt atop a bruschetta, inside a schiacciata or with a dish of pasta.