Everything you need to know about charcuterie

A cold cuts platter is always a great way to keep your guests happy with something of their choice to snack on, but these boards that we prepare ourselves or order from our favorite place have much more history behind them than you might imagine, as charcuterie is a whole tradition.The history of charcuterie is related to the preservation of meats, and while we now know them as cold cuts, these types of meats undergo a cooking process that allowed them to be preserved before refrigeration existed.In its beginnings, charcuterie referred only to meats, especially those obtained from pigs, but today a charcuterie board can also include fruits, cheeses, spreads, and other types of non-pork meats.The term comes from the French chair cuite, which means cooked meat, and charcuterie is also the term used for establishments where you can find these types of cured meats, but the name can change depending on the place; for example, in Italy, they are known as salumerías, a word that comes from salt, as it involves salted meats.The processes for curing meats are diverse, and while they were once done solely for preservation, methods now also allow for different flavors to be imparted. Curing meat involves using salt, a lot of salt, to completely cover the piece of meat, and then letting it dry and mature.This drying step means that salt helps remove water from the cells of the meats, which prevents microbes from breaking them down. In addition to salt, different spices are also used to flavor the food.Another way to cure food is through brining, which involves liquids and is used for pieces of meat without fat, with bone, which are more difficult to cover with salt; for this method, liquids such as molasses, vinegar, wine, beer, or spirits are used, and the meats are cooked in them.On the other hand, charcuterie also includes sausages, another form of preservation in which meats are prepared and stuffed into very clean intestines; from there, different types of sausages are obtained.Thus, charcuterie includes a wide variety of hams, sausages, chorizos, salamis, but also pâtés, although their preparation may not involve a preservation method, pâtés such as foie gras, the most popular, made from bird liver, are also commonly sold in charcuteries.Now, although the same preservation techniques are used, each place adds its flavor to charcuterie. Just in Spain, serrano ham and ibérico ham are two entirely different types, and there are also several categories among them. The same goes for Italian prosciutto or Portuguese jambon de champagne. All involve different methods of making them, which can mean specific cellars or even the animal's diet that, of course, influences the flavor. Undoubtedly, charcuterie is truly an art.