Genoa salami

Sant'Olcese style salami

Genoa salami is an American variety of salami commonly believed to have originated in the area of Genoa. It is normally made from pork, but may also contain beef or be all beef. It is seasoned with garlic, salt, black and white peppercorns, fennel seeds, and red or white wine. Like many Italian sausages, it has a characteristic fermented flavor.

As with many toponym-denominated foods, especially ones common in the United States, Genoa salami is not an actual product of the city of Genoa and no Genoese would acknowledge the existence of something called "Salame Genovese" (Genoese salami); rather the original Genoese name for this kind of sausage is the salame (di) Sant'Olcese, which is a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (traditional agricultural food product), and originates in the hilly interior of Genoa's hinterland where pigs are traditionally easily maintained on acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts of the local Mediterranean woodlands. Being pressed between the sea and the hills and mountains, Genoa traditionally had no plains on which to raise cattle, so in traditional Genoese cuisine, pork features rather heavily as a readily available substitute.

See also

• List of dried foods