Italian Meats: What is Salumi?

WHAT IS SALUMI?

Salumi is the Italian term for deli meats and loosely means “cold cuts." However, any form of cured meats can be considered salumi, even hot dogs! Oftentimes people will confuse the term salumi for salami.

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALUMI AND SALAMI?

Salame (singular for salami) is a fermented and dried sausage. We specialize in creating several different varieties of salami. Salami is a type of salumi, but there are many other forms of salumi. 

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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER FORMS OF SALUMI? 

• Mortadella - A large diameter, emulsified, stuffed and cooked pork deli meat.  Originating from Bologna, Italy.  American style Mortadella is usually beef and referred to as Bologna.

• Bresaola- Air dried beef whole muscle.  Some processors in Italy also use horse meat (cavallo) for their Bresaola.  Often seasoned with Rosemary and Juniper Berries.  Bresaola is indigenous to Valtellina, Italy.  It is to be sliced extremely thin and is typically served over a bed of arugula with olive oil and a touch of lemon juice.

• Coppa- An air dried pork should muscle.  Sometimes referred to as the collar muscle.  Many regions in Italy have their own style of Coppa.  The most well known coming from Piacenza, Italy.  Coppa goes great on a salumi platter, on a sandwich or on a salad.  If the quality of pork is there, Coppa should only need to be seasoned with Salt, Pepper and wine.

• Prosciutto- directly translates to hind leg or ham in Italian.  Prosciutto is seasoned with salt and aged for 18 months. Parma, Italy is world renowned for their Prosciutto.

• Culatello- The “king’s cut” also translates as little rear. Culatello is a boneless rear leg muscle seasoned with salt, pepper and lambrusco red wine, stuffed into a sow bladder, meticulously tied and hung for a minimum of 14 months.

• Salumificio- a facility specializing in producing salumi, except for prosciutto.  A prosciutto facility is called a prosciuttificio.

• Salumeria- A specialty deli that sells a variety of salumi, cheeses, condiments and often makes sandwiches as well.

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURED AND UNCURED SALUMI?

Uncured is a term used to describe the method of preservation a certain food product has underwent. Alternatively, cured meats have a blend of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite added to the product to preserve it. Uncured can be use to describe any form of natural derivative of sodium nitrate and nitrite. Celery is the most common form of natural cure. Other vegetables high in natural nitrates include beets, kale, spinach, cabbage and arugula.

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Any form of cured meats can be considered salumi, even hot dogs!