28/04/2022
Do you know the difference between Guanciale, Bacon and Pancetta?
🥓 Many famous Italian dishes include pork fat in the form of either bacon, pancetta or guanciale - and they shouldn't be confused with each other.
Here's a quick guide to the differences between the three:
More common in America than Italy, bacon is a cured meat that's often smoked to add additional flavour. It's always cooked before eating, and can be used to wrap meats, to give richness and depth to sautéed vegetables, or to add a salty flavour to casseroles.
Pancetta pork meat comes exclusively from the belly of the big, making it similar to some (but not all) bacon. It is, however, cut and cured differently. It's salted and cured with a variety of herbs before being aged for up to 4 months.
Guanciale pork meat comes from the pig jowl, making it incredibly fatty and great for cooking. It's flavoured with a mixture of salt, pepper, rosemary, sage, and garlic before being dried and aged for at least 3 months - this gives it the iconic cured meat flavour. Unlike bacon, guanciale is almost exclusively used in cooking and is never eaten on its own. You will often find it a staple in Italian carbonara and amatriciana, but it can be added to almost any pasta dish.
Want to know how you can use these ingredients to make a fantastic dinner for you, your family or your friends?
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Soon we'll be sharing with you our favourite Italian recipes using classic and traditional Italian ingredients.
