Salami - Definition and Overview

Salami is a sausage of Italian origin. The name comes from the Italian salare meaning to salt.

Originally made from a mixture of chopped pork and salt which was air-dried in a casing, salamis now come in many varieties made in several countries and nearly all are seasoned with a combination of herbs and spices in addition to salt. Salamis are now sometimes smoked or cooked before air-drying. Some varieties are made of beef while others mix beef and pork. Most, if not all Italian salamis contain garlic while few German variants do. Some, like a few salamis from Spain, include paprika or chili. The coarseness or fineness of the chopped meat differentiates some varieties.

Many salamis are named after the city or region of origin. Some examples are Arles, Genoese, Hungarian and Milano salamis.

Many Italian men will refer to their penises as their salami. See also braciole.

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