Salami

A salame (plural - salami) is a cured sausage of Italian tradition. The name comes from the Italian 'salare' meaning to salt. Although the Italian salami may be seen as some as the only 'true' salami, there are many different local versions in countries across Europe.

Wherever they are made, most salami consist of a mixture of lean pork, beef, wine, salt, and various herbs and spices. The raw meat mixture is allowed to ferment for a day, and then stuffed into an edible natural or non-edible artificial casing and hung to cure for periods varying from a few weeks to a few months. A great deal of moisture is lost during this maturing process, which concentrates the flavour of the meats and seasonings.

Salami can be stored un-refrigerated for long periods of time; however, once the outer casing has been cut, it should be refrigerated and then eaten within a few weeks. In order to provide the most flavour, you should allow the salami to warm to room temperature before serving.

In this section, we take a tour across Europe, taking a look at the different salami from Italy, France, Spain and other countries.