Salame, Salami, and Salumi: What's the difference?

Salame or Salami?

Salame is the Italian name for one link of a cured and dry aged sausage. Sausage is fresh meat that needs to be cooked. A salame is a link that was cured and aged and is ready to eat.

Salami is the plural for salame, so multiple links of the cured sausage. Is salame a sausage? No. It is like saying that milk is cheese. There is a lot of expertise and extra work that goes into making salame - the product ferments and its flavor and texture modifies. The difference between salami in texture and flavor goes well beyond the spice mix - and it starts at the farm (see blog on how to make salame). In Italy there are over 200 types of salami whose names are identified and protected based on the location where they are made. For our salame, we use italian knowledge and traditions for the process, but our pigs are raised on Vermont pastures, thus the flavor is linked to this land - the concept of terroir extends to meat and plants, it is not unique to wine.

Salumi?

Salumi refers to any and all types of cured meats (including salame) which in the US are known as charcuterie. Most are from pork.

What are those?

Pancetta

Pancetta is the cured and aged belly. Pancetta does not need to be cooked. If the package tells you to cook it, that is not pancetta. It is raw belly.

Coppa

Coppa is cured and aged shoulder (Boston Butt). It ages about 6 months and it is probably one of the most known after prosciutto, which is the cured and aged leg. Guanciale is pork neck/cheek. Bresaola is cured top round beef.

Lonzino

The least known in the US is lonzino, the cured and aged loin. This is the cut where the chops come from. In my opinion, this is the sweetest and leanest of all.