All salami is salume, but not all salume is salami

What is the difference between Salami and Salume?

All salami is salume, but not all salume is salami. Salume (plural: salumi) is a very broad Italian umbrella term for any cured, salted, or smoked meat, Fortuna’s are all made from pork. Salami (singular: salame) is just one specific type of cured meat within that group.

A simple way to break down the differences:

Salumi (The Broad Category)

What it is: The Italian equivalent of French charcuterie—a massive umbrella covering any whole-muscle or processed meat product.
Preparation: May involve whole cuts of meat that are salted, seasoned, and air-dried.
Examples: Prosciutto, pancetta, guanciale, coppa, and, of course, salami.

Salami (The Specific Sausage)

What it is: A specific type of processed, cured sausage, made from ground or minced meat.
Preparation: Made from ground or minced meat (usually pork), seasoned with salt and spices, mixed with fat, packed tightly into a casing, and fermented and air-dried.
Examples: Soppressata, pepperoni, our Soupy, and finocchiona.

Jun 30th 2026 Patti Fortuna-Stannard