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Food Shopping in Italy - Italian Grocery Shopping Guide

By Martha Bakerjian, About.com

5 of 6

Buying Cured Meats at the Italian Deli

italian deli, salumria, norceria

An "Italian Deli" in Bologna: salumeria, norceria

Italy Picture © James Martin, Europe for Visitors
You may have an Italian deli near you. There you can undoubtedly purchase some of the more ubiquitous Italian style cured meats: Salami, prosciutto, mortadella and probably a few variations. You'll not find a "Deli" in Italy, or at least it won't be called that. You'll find various names, but the most likely ones are:
  • Salumeria
  • Norcineria (from the town of Norcia, renowned for its cured meats)
  • Gastronomia - A place where you'd buy a range of prepared items, from salads to ready-to-heat main courses

And, like the picture, you'll find a dazzling array of cured meat products in any one of them. There are hundreds of types of salami found in Italy.

When you've located the meat you'd like to buy, you'll have determine how much you need. A kilogram is way too much for a couple of people on a picnic. An etto, or tenth of a kilo, is just about right for two people, just under a quarter pound. When the owner holds up the salami and asks, "Quante?" you would reply, "Un etto, per favore" or, if you're hungry, "due etti, per favore."

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