The words salumi and salami (along with salume and salame, their singular versions) are often cause for confusion among foreigners, who may be tricked by those little vowels, which, yes, make all the difference – so here’s the correct translation and how to use them:
Salume = cold cut/cured meat (singular)
Salumi = cold cuts/cured meats (plural)
E.g.
Il mio salume preferito è la mortadella – my favorite cold cut is mortadella.
L’Italia produce molti ottimi salumi – Italy produces many excellent cold cuts.
You will often see the word “salumi” on deli windows, meaning the store sells different types of cold cuts.
Salame (singular); Salami (plural) – one type of cold cut, aged sausage made from pork meat and fat (the one in the picture). [Salame is salami in English, and the Italian plural salami becomes salamis.]
E.g.
Il salame è ottimo come antipasto insieme alle crescentine – Salami and crescentine make for an excellent appetizer.
In Italia vengono prodotti diversi tipi di salami, come ad esempio il Salame Felino – in Italy, different types of salamis, such as Salame Felino, are made.
Are you familiar with Italian salumi? Take our quiz to test your knowledge!
