Charcuterie

Charcuterie refers to the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, especially those preserved by salting, curing, smoking, drying, fermentation, or a combination of these. In English, the term also denotes a display or assortment of such foods, typically including cured meats, pâtés, terrines, sausages, and confits. The word originates from French, combining chair (flesh) and charcutier (cutter of flesh).

Charcuterie arose in medieval Europe from guild traditions dedicated to preserving meat for long periods before modern refrigeration. Techniques such as salting with salt or nitrites, smoking, air drying, and cooking in fat or oil extended shelf life and flavor. Today charcuterie encompasses both artisanal producers and larger-scale products, with safety guidelines guiding curing times, temperatures, and ingredient use.

Common items include dry-cured sausages (saucisson, salami), hams such as prosciutto or country-style jambon, pâtés and terrines (liver pâté, meat-and-vegetable terrines), rilletes and confit (meat preserved in fat), and various emulsified sausages. Offal-based products, such as pâtés from liver or other organs, are also typical components of traditional charcuterie.

Charcuterie is often served as a board or platter with bread or toast, cornichons, pickles, mustards, and cheeses. It pairs with wine, sparkling beverages, or beer. Regional traditions include French charcuterie with pâtés and saucissons, Italian salumi such as prosciutto and mortadella, and Spanish embutidos like chorizo and jamón. The term in English commonly refers to the platter itself as well as the production.