Best Cured Meat

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is a highly prized Spanish cured ham produced from Iberian pigs raised on acorn-rich diets. The animal’s autumn feeding period, known as “montanera,” significantly impacts the flavor and texture. This ham, protected by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) standards, is nota...

Culatello di Zibello is a premium Italian ham crafted from the specific rear haunch of pigs raised in the Zibello region of the Po Valley. Designated PDO status guarantees its production methods and traditional techniques using local pork. This cured meat is highly valued for its delicate texture, r...

Prosciutto di San Daniele is an Italian dry-cured ham produced in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Designated PDO status guarantees its unique production methods including the incorporation of pig trotters during aging. This contributes to the ham’s distinctive flavor and texture. It's valued by fo...

Prosciutto di Parma is a dry-cured pork ham originating from the Parma region of Italy. Designated as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), its production adheres to strict regulations ensuring quality and authenticity. The aging process, typically lasting at least twelve months, develops its chara...

Lardo di Colonnata is a PDO-protected cured fatback from Colonnata in the Apuan Alps of Tuscany, aged in locally quarried marble basins (conche) with herbs and spices for a minimum of six months.

An air-dried beef product from the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, seasoned with herbs and spices, pressed into a rectangular shape during drying, and holding PGI status.

Mortadella Bologna is a large cooked pork sausage originating in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, with PDO status since 1998, and is one of the oldest documented Italian salumi, with references dating to the 14th century.

A Chinese dry-cured ham from Xuanwei, Yunnan province, one of China's three most celebrated hams alongside Jinhua and Rugao, prized for its rich flavor.

Guanciale is an Italian cured meat made from pork cheek or jowl, cured with salt, pepper, and spices, and is the traditional fat used in Roman pasta dishes such as carbonara and amatriciana.

A PDO-protected smoked and air-dried beef from León, Spain, produced from cattle hind legs and aged a minimum of seven months, often described as the beef equivalent of jamón.

Speck dell'Alto Adige IGP is a lightly smoked, dry-cured ham from South Tyrol, Italy, distinguished by alternating between smoking and mountain air-drying and holding a Protected Geographical Indication since 1996.

'Nduja di Spilinga is a fiery, spreadable fermented pork salami originating in Spilinga, Calabria, made with a high proportion of Calabrian chilli peppers and notable for its soft, paste-like texture.

Ventricina del Vastese is a coarse-ground pork salami from the Vasto area of Abruzzo, traditionally stuffed into a pig's stomach and distinguished by its bold flavour from sweet and hot Abruzzese peppers.

Portuguese dry-cured ham from the Alentejo municipality of Barrancos, produced from Iberian or Alentejano pigs and protected by EU PDO status for its singular microclimate curing.

Bresaola della Valtellina is an air-dried, salted beef from the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, Italy, and is one of the few major Italian cured meats made from beef rather than pork.

A PDO-protected spreadable raw-cured sausage from Majorca, Spain, made from Mallorcan black pig with paprika, with documented production history extending to the 16th century.

A German dry-cured ham from the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg, cold-smoked over fir branches and sawdust, recognized with PGI status since 1997 and exported worldwide.

Lardo d'Arnad is a PDO-protected cured pork fatback from Arnad in the Aosta Valley, aged in wooden containers called doils with aromatic herbs, and is one of the few cured meats native to the Valle d'Aosta.

Coppa Piacentina is a PDO-protected Italian cured meat made from the neck and shoulder muscles of the pig, produced exclusively in the Piacenza province and aged for at least six months.

A French dry-cured ham from the Adour basin in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques, salted with Salies-de-Béarn brine and aged a minimum of seven months, holding PGI status.

Finocchiona is a Tuscan IGP-protected salami flavoured distinctively with fennel seeds or wild fennel pollen, with documented origins in the Chianti region dating back several centuries.

A PDO-protected Tuscan dry-cured ham distinguished from other Italian prosciutti by a dry-rub cure incorporating black pepper, rosemary, sage, and other aromatic herbs.

Croatian spiced pork sausage from Slavonia, flavored with hot paprika and garlic, recognized with EU PGI status and considered Croatia's most iconic traditional cured sausage.

Salame di Varzi is a PDO-protected salami from the Oltrepò Pavese area of Lombardy, produced in the Staffora Valley and notable for its balanced sweet-savory flavour and natural pork casing.

Salame Felino is a PDO-protected Italian salami produced in Felino, near Parma, known for its soft texture and mild flavour derived from high-quality pork and a slow curing process.

Hungarian winter salami produced since 1869 by the Pick factory in Szeged, cold-smoked and coated with noble white mold, making it one of Hungary's most iconic cured meats.

A PGI-protected dry-cured pork sausage from Vic in Catalonia, Spain, seasoned predominantly with black pepper and representing one of Spain's oldest recorded sausage traditions.

A spicy dry-cured pork sausage from Slavonia, Croatia, heavily seasoned with hot paprika and garlic; the Slavonian variety holds EU Protected Geographical Indication status.

Montenegrin dry-cured ham from Njeguši village on Mount Lovćen, matured through cold smoking and mountain bora wind, regarded as a national symbol and culinary pride of Montenegro.