Where Was Salami Invented?

A kind of sausage, salamis were originally preserved by curing with salt and hanging to air-dry. Usually made of beef and pork, salami seasonings can include garlic, peppercorns, black pepper and mustard. Salamis appeared before the time of Christ.

Ancient Rome

• The word salami comes from the Italian "salare" meaning "kinds of salted." In the time of the Roman Legionnaires, the first salamis were a simple sausage of salt-cured pork encased in cleaned pig intestines. They were first made in Rome and central Italy.

Italy

• Because even the earliest salamis could be kept at room temperature for years, they became a standard food item with both peasants and soldiers. As the salami was carried throughout Italy, local variations quickly developed. In southern Italy, local red chili peppers, paprika and whole peppercorns were added to the recipe.

Lucanica

• The earliest recorded recipe for salami is in the "Apicius," a collection of Roman recipes from the fourth century AD. The recipe was for Lucanica, made of smoked pork with ground black pepper, chopped garlic and red peppers. Lucanica, according to Cicero, was introduced to different regions by the Roman Legionnaires.