 raditionally, sheep, pigs and goats, along with rabbits and poultry of all types, have been the principal sources of meat in the Italian diet. Cattle thrive in some areas of the peninsula, particularly in and around the Po Valley. However, they are more often appreciated for their milk, used in making superb cheeses, or as draught animals.
Salumi (a word covering a wide range of salt-cured, air-dried and smoked preparations) is the most common way meat is included in an Italian meal. Most salumi is made from pork in two generic types. The first covers minced meats known as insaccati (encased in protective coverings or sausages), such as salame, cotechino, soppressata, luganiga, zampone and mortadella. The second covers whole cuts, such as prosciutto (ham), spalla (shoulder), capocollo (neck), pancetta (belly, sometimes smoked as bacon), culatello (an aged filet of rump) and speck (smoked flank). Sources of salumi range beyond pork to beef (for bresaola), goose, goat, boar, chamois, turkey and more.
Veal has always been more popular than beef in much of Italy, not only because of its more delicate flavor and greater tenderness but also because it was often more readily available. To obtain veal of the finest quality calves are slaughtered while still suckling. Since World War II, beef has played an increasingly important role in the Italian diet. Beef is often imported, largely from other European countries, although Italy boasts some of the finest meat cattle in the world, particularly the Chianina breed, which originated and still flourishes in the central part of Italy and especially Tuscany.
Italy has 18 DOP meat products and 7 IGP listed in their regions of origin.
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