What is Salami Made Of?

Posted in Our Blog on February 28, 2025

Charcuterie is everywhere. People are making everything from elegant table sized boards to tiny lunch or snack portions. Most of these boards have cheese, fruits and even meats which leads me to wonder: what is salami made of? I went into this thought not knowing what to really expect even though I am familiar with many meats that are in casings and other means of curing meats. This meat has been around since before Ancient Rome, so that leads us to believe it’s obviously sustainable and well-loved as it has never phased out from lack of popularity.

So you wanna know more about what is salami? Simply put, salami is everything. No, seriously—it’s a generic term referring to any sort of encased meat.

The word Salame has Latin origins (“Salumen”) meaning exactly that—a combination of salted meats, instead of a particular type of meat.

And because salami is so broad, it’s no surprise that it can be prepared in many different ways, despite each type going more or less go through the same processing phases.

The difference is mainly in terms of spice mix, but also the ground meat which can vary in consistency from salami to salami.

Now you know a bit about what is salami, are you still a tad confused? Well, when most people hear the word “salami” they usually just simply think “Italian sausage.”

However, there are probably as many types of salame as there are ways to cure meat, particularly pork. Not only that, different salame call for different parts of the pig. So what are the different types of salame today?

Here are some popular varieties of salami that most people know of:

Cacciatore

Literally meaning “hunter style” in Italian, this sausage is smaller in size than other salame, which means it is portable enough to be consumed on-the-go. It is made with ground pork and a variety of herbs and spices for flavor.

Capocollo/Capicola (My personal fave!)

Made with the head or neck parts of the pig, it is usually smoked and treated with spices and herbs, and sometimes even wine. It typically has a tender texture and be great for sandwiches.

Genoa salami

Traditionally made of pork and veal meat, it is typically seasoned with garlic, pepper, and red wine.

Lardo

This salami made of pork, usually the back fat part, which is cured with rosemary herb.

Napoletano

Typically from Naples, it is made of pork meat heavily spiced with red and black pepper and seasoned with salt, garlic, and sometimes white wine.

Pancetta

Traditionally made with pork belly, it is cured with salt and seasoned with herbs and spices.

Prosciutto

This salami is made with cured pork ham and is typically seasoned before it is cooked.

Soppressata

Usually made with pressed pork meat parts such as the belly, stomach, and tongue, and seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs, which may vary according to region.

So what is salami basically made of? Well, pork is the word of the day!It all starts with pork meat, which is minced alongside a certain amount of pork fat of the finest quality. Because yes, believe it or not, there is such a thing as high-quality fat.

This fine white fat blends in with the salami and should stick to it like glue when sliced—I know there are some of you who like to separate fat from meat (myself included), but in this case, the interior of the compacted meat is supposed to be reddish with what I like to call polka dots. If you are a Mortadella fan, these “polka dots” are not a rare sight.

You mix all of them together, giving the salami the shape of a sausage, you encase it and let it age in dark and cool cellars. Preservatives in certain quantities are acceptable, depending on the current food laws and optionally, salami can also be colored.

Here is an interesting fact: while salami is mostly eaten uncooked, it’s wrong to call it raw. It’s not raw, but it’s not cooked…hm, where did I hear that before? Exactly—cured salami is a process similar to aging cheese. Salami goes through three main stages: preparation, fermentation and drying.

Now you know a lot about salami so check out other articles that we have here on Make Food Safe about fun trending foods and of course food safety.