In Umbria the pig is king. Between the porchetta, the tenderloin, the maialino affumicato(similar to roasted ham), and all of the salumi, it is the most widely available and most utilized meat in the region. Salumi is a general word used to describe cured meats such as prosciutto, dried sausages, capicola, salami and pancetta. Not all salumi is made with pork products, cinghiali(wild boar), and beef are also used, but pork is the majority.
The salumi from Umbria, especially that from the town of Norcia is famous all through out Italy as being part of the very best salumi produced in the country.
Types of salumi such as prosciutto or soppresatte are regularly eaten as an antipasta or as a snack through out the day, while other types of salumi, such as pancetta, guanciale, or lardo areeaten in this manner as well, but are also used to add flavor to a dish.
The first two pics are of some sausages and pali di nonno from a recent visit we took to a near by salumi producer. Then some pancetta, a salumi board at L'Osteria and then a large salumi board from a catering evert.
