This book will take you on a spectacular journey through a wide range of recipes, techniques, and secrets to create artisanal cured meats that will satisfy every palate and spark your imagination.

For generations—especially in Italy—homemade charcuterie has been a way to preserve family recipes and share authentic flavors and warm hospitality with loved ones. Using wholesome ingredients such as carefully selected meats, aromatic spices, and natural flavors, we will discover how to make salumi that carry the bold taste and deep-rooted memories of ancient traditions.

Although salumi were originally created to preserve meat, the methods and preservation needs vary greatly depending on geography. Local traditions evolved based on specific regional conditions. For instance, in Piedmont, beef salami became common due to the abundance of dairy cattle, while in Sardinia, goat meat is used to make the unique violino di capra (“goat violin”). This helps explain why there are so many different recipes—even for the same cut of meat—and why they can vary so widely from one area to another. What you’ll find in this book is a carefully curated collection of the most widespread and beloved traditional recipes, passed down through generations and often jotted down on treasured scraps of paper—many now lost or faded with time.

This book was born from the collaboration of two friends, united by similar passions: both content creators and both lovers of homemade liquors. We have very different stories, which we share here so you can get to know us better.

Andrea: this passion for homemade foods came to life in 2009 during an 8-month trip to Malaysia, where finding some common foods, like cheese, proved to be a real challenge. From that moment on, an endless culinary journey began: from homemade cheeses, he explored craft beer, liqueurs, wine, and much more. Today, his dedication to discovering original recipes and recreating authentic flavors is unstoppable. It’s no surprise that at the World Food in Istanbul, he was celebrated as a true “gastronomic researcher.”

Daniele: it all began on the Calabrian seafront, where a very young Daniele tasted the intense flavor of a homemade liqueur for the first time. That first sip started in him an unstoppable passion—a desire to rediscover ancient flavors and share this emotion through his creations. Today, thanks to meticulous research and deep expertise, Daniele invites us to embark on a sensory journey to discover authentic flavors, born from a tradition rooted in the land of the sunshine