The difference between salami and pepperoni

If you like pizza and sandwiches, you’ll no doubt be familiar with salami and pepperoni. Basically both being a type of sausage, pepperoni and salami are sometimes used interchangeably, but both occupy specific places in the kitchen. Both impart a rich, spicy flavor to the dish to which they are added, and are even delightful eaten on their own.

What is the difference between salami and pepperoni?

Salami is a cured sausage made with air-dried, fermented meat. Pepperoni is an American variety of salami made with pork and beef. Pepperoni is spicier than salami and has a smoky peppery flavor, while salami has a richer flavor.

There’s more to it than that, so to get a good understanding of both sausages, and to increase your culinary knowledge, here’s everything you need to know about salami and pepperoni!

Salami vs Pepperoni

The difference between salami and pepperoni starts with the preparation. Then it extends to the different ingredients that are used in each sausage, and even to the way of serving them.

Many are familiar with the use of both on pizzas and sandwiches, but salami is more traditionally served cold and as part of antipasti, while pepperoni, the more American of the two, is truly popular as a pizza topping.

Pepperoni can be considered a type of salami, as there are quite a few variants of salami. 

If you like salami, chances are you’ll also like pepperoni, even if there is a difference in flavor. Being both seasoned and made with pork, they share a similar flavor, but for those who know their sausages, there is a big difference in flavor between them.

Explanation of the salami

Salami is actually a term given to a cured sausage that has its origins in Italian cuisine. Interestingly, salami was first created by Italian farmers who discovered a way to ferment this meat, allowing it to last for a year, should they not have access to meat for a long period of time.

With its origins in Italy, salami has grown to become a massive part of Italian cuisine and has become popular around the world as a topping on pizzas and other foods.

Traditionally, salchichón is made with pork, beef, minced meat, and sometimes poultry.  This meat is mixed with other ingredients to shape it and create the very specific flavor profile of salami.

The most traditional ingredients used to achieve this flavor are salt, vinegar, white pepper, minced fat, herbs, garlic and nitrate . Once mixed with the meat and shaped, the sausage goes through a fermentation process and is air-dried to form the cured sausage.

One thing to note about salami is that it is high in fat. Although it is a preferred option for lunch meat, it is considered a caloric food, since a slice of salami contains about 75 calories. A slice of salami is considered a whole serving, which shows the fat content compared to sliced meat like turkey.

With this in mind, there are different types of salami, all of them with different flavors and specialties that make them unique.

However, make sure, if possible, that you are getting the real traditional Italian salami, as you will notice the difference right away.

There’s nothing like the spicy, rich flavor of salami.

Explanation of the sausage

Pepperoni is a type of salami. It is considered a dry variety of Italian spiced salami. What stands out most about pepperoni is that it is made with a higher proportion of spices, which gives it a very deep flavor that is great to use on pizzas.

Pepperoni, although derived from salami, is an American sausage, and is more popular in the US.

Pepperoni has the same nutritional value as salami, and can be made with pork, beef, and poultry.  The most commonly used spices to make pepperonis are paprika and chilli . Although it is a drier version of salami, it is slightly milder, with a smoky aroma and flavor, and a bright red color.

There’s nothing better than a pepperoni pizza, and there’s really nothing you can substitute for pepperoni that gives the same smoky, spicy flavor that pepperoni does.

My favorite pepperoni is Foustman’s Artisinal. Not only is it natural and nitrate-free, but it’s the tastiest pepperoni I’ve ever tasted.

The main differences between pepperoni and salami

To summarize the differences, here is everything you could possibly know that makes pepperoni and salami different from each other:

• Salami can be defined as a seasoned, air-dried and cured sausage, usually eaten cold.  Pepperoni can be defined as a sausage seasoned with pepper and paprika, and both are made with pork or beef.
• Pepperoni is a type of salami, but salami is not a type of pepperoni.
• There are different types of meat that incorporate salami , such as Soppressata, Pepperoni, Prosciutto, and many more. Pepperoni is a dried, cured sausage that resembles southern Italian variants of spicy salami, such as salsiccia Napoletana piccante, which is a dried sausage from Naples.
• A single serving of sausage, typically 3 ounces, contains 419 calories, which is almost 33% of the recommended daily serving for a 1,500-calorie diet. A single 3-ounce serving of pepperoni contains 540 calories, which is also 33% of the recommended daily serving for a 1,500-calorie diet.
• Salami can be made with a number of different meats , such as pork, beef, or poultry, while pepperoni includes a mix of beef and pork.
• In Italy, salami is traditionally served as a lunchtime meal , typically sliced with other antipasti. Pepperoni is primarily served as a topping on pizza and is not usually eaten sliced on its own.

Where does the chorizo fit in?

You cannot talk about the differences between salchichón and pepperoni without taking into account chorizo, which is a Spanish sausage very similar to salchichón, but more similar to pepperoni.

It is also dry-cured and made with different spices. Like sausage and salami, chorizo is sliced and can be eaten raw.

There are two types of chorizo to consider:

Spanish - Spanish chorizo has strong notes of garlic and herbs, and there are many different variants of Spanish chorizo. The longer Spanish chorizos are usually sweeter, while the shorter ones are spicy.

Mexican - Mexican chorizo is commonly used in tacos, tortas, and burritos, and is also a popular pizza topping. Mexican chorizo is usually made with beef, but can also include turkey, chicken, or venison. This type of chorizo usually includes green chilies and herbs and is spicier than the Spanish version.

What’s better on pizza?

There seems to be a debate about which is better on pizza: salami or pepperoni. There is only one answer to this: there should be no discussion. Although pepperoni is more popular as a pizza topping and is especially popular in the US, both are great on pizza and you don’t have to choose which is best.

Pepperoni has a spicier flavor while salami has a spicier, herbaceous flavor, so both serve to add a richer flavor to pizza, and it would be hard to say no to either!

Related questions

What are the white pieces of salami?

The white bits inside the pepperoni are actually fat. It gives salami its rich flavor and texture, and without the streaky fat, salami wouldn’t be the same.

There is also a white presence on the outside of the salami, which is mold. It forms during the healing process and is called Penicillium nalgiovense. These mold spores settle on the surface of the salami after the meat has been fermented. Although it sounds strange, it is completely safe to eat it.

Where does the name “salami” come from?

It comes from Italy, so the name obviously also has Italian origins. The name comes from salare, which means to make something salty. The original form of salami was made from a mixture of pork and salt, which was air-dried, protected in a casing.

Can salami be halal?

Traditional salami, made with pork or beef, is not halal. However, there are some versions of salami made with beef that can be halal and kosher and do not contain pork.

They can contain other ingredients, such as turkey, chicken, or venison, and still be halal.

The difference between salami and pepperoni

Both are highly prized around the world and are considered a delicacy respectively, whether it’s a slice of salami alone, or a few slices of salami sprinkled on a delicious slice of hot pizza.

Both may seem similar at first glance, but there are substantial differences between the two.  The main difference is in the ingredients used to create both, with salami being rich and spicy, and pepperoni having a smokier, spicier flavor.

However, there should be no debate as to which is better, as they both have a unique and delicious flavor that is very hard to turn down.