Salumi Facts for Kids

Delicious Italian wine and salumi (cured meats)

Salumi (say "sah-LOO-mee") are yummy meat products from Italy. They are often served as an antipasto, which is like an appetizer before a meal. Most salumi are made from pork and are "cured." This means they are preserved using salt, spices, and time. Some salumi, like bresaola, are made from beef. Others, like mortadella and prosciutto cotto, are cooked.

The word salumi means "salted meat." It comes from the Latin word sal, which means "salt."

What Are Salumi?
- How Salumi Are Made
- Popular Types of Salumi
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What Are Salumi?

Salumi are a big part of traditional Italian cooking. They are usually served cold in thin slices. You might find them on a platter with cheese, olives, and bread. This makes a great snack or a starter for a meal.

How Salumi Are Made

Salumi hanging to age and become delicious

Making salumi is a special process called curing. It helps the meat last a long time without needing a refrigerator. Here's how it generally works:

Salting: Meat is rubbed with salt. This helps remove moisture and stops bad germs from growing.
Spices: Different spices like pepper, garlic, and herbs are added for flavor.
Aging: The meat then hangs in special rooms to dry and age. This can take weeks, months, or even years! During this time, the flavors get stronger and the texture changes.

This careful process makes salumi safe and tasty to eat.

Popular Types of Salumi

There are many kinds of salumi, each with its own unique taste and texture. Here are some famous examples:

Prosciutto

Thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma

Prosciutto (say "pro-SHOO-toh") is a very popular type of salumi. It's a dry-cured ham, usually from a pig's leg.

Prosciutto crudo: This means "raw ham." It is cured and air-dried, but not cooked. It has a sweet, salty flavor.
Prosciutto cotto: This means "cooked ham." It is usually boiled or steamed.

Famous types of prosciutto include:

Prosciutto di Parma: From the Parma region, known for its sweet taste.
Prosciutto di San Daniele: From the Friuli region, often a bit darker and sweeter.
Speck: A smoked and cured ham from the mountains.

Salami

A tasty Salame di Felino

Salami (say "sah-LAH-mee") is another well-known salumi. It's made from ground meat, often pork, mixed with fat, spices, and herbs. This mixture is put into a casing and then cured and dried.

Genoa salami: A common type, often made with pork, beef, and wine.
Salame di Felino: A traditional salami from the Parma area, known for its mild flavor.
Soppressata: A dry salami that can be spicy or mild, depending on the region.

Other Interesting Salumi

Capocollo, also known as Coppa or Capicola: Made from the neck and shoulder of a pig. It's cured and often spiced.
Bresaola: This is different because it's made from beef, not pork. It's lean, air-dried, and has a deep red color.
Mortadella: A large, cooked sausage from Bologna. It's made with finely ground pork and often has cubes of fat and sometimes pistachios.
Pancetta: This is cured pork belly, similar to bacon but not smoked. It's often used in cooking to add flavor.
'Nduja: A spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria. It's very flavorful and often used in sauces.

Salumi are a delicious part of Italian food history. They show how people learned to preserve meat long ago.