Cured: What you need to know about salumi (including salami)

THE word “salumi” ( or its singular, “salume”) 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….?

A little 101 on the topic: 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.

Traditionalists limit the definition of salumi to cured meats, made in Italy, while others are using the term to describe meats preserved in various ways — including cooked — and produced around the world.

Emilia-Romagna is the region of Italy most renowned for its salumi, prosciutto in particular, though cured meats are produced throughout the country.

Charcuterie is the famous French cousin of salumi — also a wide range of cured meats,