Best Dry Cured

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...

Xuanwei Ham is a traditional dry-cured pork product originating from Xuanwei city in Yunnan province, China. It is produced by salting, fermenting, and air-drying the hind legs of local pig breeds, often during the winter months to ensure proper preservation. Known for its deep red meat, rich umami...

Guanciale is an Italian dry-cured meat made from pork jowl or cheek, distinguished by its prominent fat content and rich flavor profile. The production process involves curing the meat with a mixture of salt, pepper, and spices, followed by an aging period that typically lasts around three months. U...

Smithfield ham is a legally defined type of Virginia country ham associated with Smithfield, Virginia. It is made from pork that is dry-cured with salt, aged, and typically smoked, producing a firm texture and intensely salty flavor intended for thin slicing. Under Virginia law, a product sold as ge...

Bresaola della Valtellina is a traditional air-dried, salted beef product from the Valtellina valley in the Lombardy region of Italy. It holds Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status and is distinguished from most other Italian cured meats by being made from beef rather than pork. The product...

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 dry-cured Italian meat holding Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, produced exclusively in the province of Piacenza in the Emilia-Romagna region. It is made from a single, whole muscle taken from the cervical region, specifically the neck and shoulder of the pig. Duri...

Jambon de Bayonne is a traditional French dry-cured ham that holds Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, produced in the Adour basin of southwestern France. It is made from local pig breeds whose hind legs are massaged and salted using brine sourced from the natural salt springs of Salies-...

Saucisson sec is a traditional French dry-cured sausage made from pork, salt, and seasonings, fermented and air-dried over several weeks. It is one of the most widely consumed charcuterie products in France, typically sliced thinly and served as an apéritif snack with bread and wine. Regional variat...

Soppressata is a dry-cured Italian pork salami produced in several regional variants, with notable traditions in Calabria, Basilicata, and Tuscany. The name refers to the pressing process used to compact the meat during curing. Soppressata di Calabria holds EU Protected Designation of Origin status,...

Salame di Varzi is a traditional Italian cured meat that holds a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, produced specifically in the Staffora Valley of Lombardy's Oltrepò Pavese region. It is distinguished by its coarse-ground pork mixture seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, which is then...

Salame Felino is a traditional Italian dry-cured sausage originating from the municipality of Felino in the Emilia-Romagna region, situated near Parma. It holds a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which mandates that production, processing, and preparation occur in its specific geographi...

Salchichón de Vic is a dry-cured pork sausage from the town of Vic in Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It is made from lean and fatty pork, seasoned primarily with black pepper and salt, then stuffed into natural casings and air-cured. The product holds a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under...

Külen (also spelled kulen) is a spicy dry-cured pork sausage originating from Slavonia, Croatia, and also produced in parts of Vojvodina in Serbia. The sausage is made from coarsely minced pork seasoned heavily with hot red paprika and garlic, stuffed into natural casings, and air-dried for several...

Pastırma is a cured, air-dried beef product from Ottoman Turkish culinary tradition, prepared by salting and drying beef before coating it in çemen. Çemen is a paste made from ground fenugreek seeds, garlic, salt, and spices including paprika and cumin, which gives pastırma its characteristic flavor...

Mangalica szalámi is a premium Hungarian dry-cured sausage produced exclusively from the meat of the Mangalica, a heritage breed of domestic pig known for its curly, wool-like coat. The Mangalica pig is distinguished by its exceptional fat marbling, which yields a notably rich texture and deep flavo...

Capocollo di Calabria is a dry-cured pork charcuterie product made from the neck muscle of the pig and protected under EU PDO designation. It is produced in Calabria, Italy, and seasoned with salt and Calabrian chili pepper. The product is aged for a minimum period defined by its PDO specification.

Lomo embuchado is a dry-cured pork product from Spain made from a whole loin seasoned with paprika (pimentón), garlic, and other spices, then encased in a natural casing and aged for several weeks or months. It belongs to the family of Spanish embutidos, alongside chorizo and salchichón, and is dist...

Ahle Wurst, also known as Ahle Worscht, is a traditional dry-cured pork sausage originating from the Kassel region of northern Hesse, Germany. The name translates to "old sausage," referring to its extensive aging process, which typically lasts from several months to over a year. It is produced usin...

Salame Piacentino is a traditional dry-cured pork salami originating from the province of Piacenza in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It holds a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, requiring it to be produced exclusively from pork shoulder and ham cuts coarsely ground and seasoned with...

Fuet is a traditional dry-cured pork sausage originating from the Catalonia region of Spain. It is made from lean pork and pork belly seasoned with garlic, salt, and black pepper, then stuffed into natural pork casings. The sausage is characterized by its slender, cylindrical shape—its name literall...

Basturma is a highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef originating from the regions of the former Ottoman Empire. The beef is dry-cured with salt, washed, and then coated in a thick paste known as çemen. This paste consists of fenugreek, garlic, and various spices, which give the meat its signature pun...

Fuet de Vic is a traditional dry-cured pork sausage originating from the Osona comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is characterized by its slender, cylindrical shape and is typically encased in the small intestine of a pig. During the curing process, a white mold develops on the casing, which helps regu...

Rosette de Lyon is a classic French dry-cured sausage originating from the Lyon region, recognizable by its large, plump cylindrical shape. It is crafted from coarsely chopped pork, heavily seasoned with garlic, and stuffed into the pig's widest intestinal casing, known as the rosette. The sausage u...

Jamón Serrano is a widely consumed Spanish dry-cured ham named after the traditional practice of curing the meat in the cooler, higher altitudes of the mountains, or sierras. It is produced from the meat of white pig breeds, distinguishing it from the more expensive Jamón Ibérico which uses black Ib...

Pancetta Piacentina is a dry-cured Italian pork belly product originating from the Piacenza province in the Emilia-Romagna region. Unlike flat varieties of pancetta, this specific type is tightly rolled into a cylindrical shape and is typically consumed raw and thinly sliced, rather than cooked. It...

Smithfield Ham is a specific type of dry-cured country ham produced exclusively within the corporate limits of Smithfield, Virginia, a distinction protected by a 1926 state law. The pork is processed using traditional curing methods involving heavy salting and hickory smoking, followed by an aging p...

Salam de Sibiu is a Romanian dry cured pork salami traditionally matured over an extended period and covered by a characteristic white mold layer. Despite its name, its history is also closely connected with Sinaia, where early production developed before the product was shipped through the customs...

Salsiz is a firm, air-dried sausage associated with Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It is commonly prepared from beef and pork, although regional and artisanal versions may incorporate game, then seasoned, packed into casings, pressed into a characteristic flattened shape, and dried rather than c...