In Italy, the salumeria is part of the great tradition of individual shops for individual items.  Just as there is a specific store for the cheese or the bread, there is also a store for the salumi (cured meats). Though a salumeria is specifically defined as a “cured meat shop,” in today’s society it often serves more as a delicatessen or deli. In an Italian salumeria you will find many of the classic cured and cooked meats, such as prosciutto, sausage, salami, bologna and traditional cold cuts, as well as many traditional deli favorites.

The salumeria has been a part of Italy’s culinary tradition since the time of the Ancient Romans. Due to the ever-present problem of keeping their food supply fresh, the Romans valued the curing process as a way to preserve their fresh meat and dedicated a great amount of attention to that process. The process of curing, including the combination of certain spices and meats, eventually transformed from basic necessity into a great culinary art. The experimentation of these early salumerias led to the current extensive variety of meats that can be found in any salumeria. Visitors to a salumeria are often amazed by the sheer amount of choices that are held behind the glass.