The word “salumi” seems to be popping up more on restaurant menus, Instagram feeds, even at some deli counters. Maybe you’ve been wondering what exactly salumi means, as opposed to salami, or charcuterie, or….?
The word “salumi” seems to be popping up more on restaurant menus, Instagram feeds, even at some deli counters. Maybe you‘ve been wondering what exactly salumi means, as opposed to salami, or charcuterie, or….?Salumi is the category of high-quality cured meats that includes salami, prosciutto and others, many of them pork-based. The definition of salumi is subjective and evolving, and producers are stretching the old boundaries.
Charcuterie is the famous French cousin of salumi - also a wide range of cured meats, also mostly made from pork. “For a long time options for salumi in the U.S. were very limited,” says Cesare Casella, an Italian chef and expert in salumi. “Then they slowly started to import some products from Italy. Now, in maybe the past five or so years, many more producers are showing up - a lot more small producers showing up and experimenting.”“It is not ‘raw’ and you do not need to cook it. It’s cured, so just like pickles, the fermentation process makes it safe to eat,” he says.
Mortadella is a pink, smooth, lightly cured and cooked salami made throughout Italy. It is flavored with different seasonings and sometimes includes pistachio nuts. It’s usually served in thin slices. The most familiar is probably prosciutto, a whole category unto itself. And the most common type of prosciutto is salt-rubbed whole pork leg, cured for at least 400 days in cool dark rooms. Prosciutto is usually sold in paper-thin slices and has a salty, funky flavor, a silky texture and a delicate toothsomeness.