The term charcuterie comes from two French words: “chair” which means “flesh,” and “cuit” which means “cooked.” While you may travel around Europe and find charcuterie-type shops serving cured meats and accompaniments, the trend and appreciation hadn’t really taken off in the United States until more recently. The term predominately refers to pork, but can refer to other types of cured meats as well.

Remember, this was before refrigeration, so salt, vinegar, and smoke were essential in the meat preservation process. The meat was then put through a preservation process of curing and often formed into some sort of sausage or dry-aged meat. The word derives from French origins in the 15th century, when people used every last bit of the meat and left nothing to waste. What is Charcuterie?Ĭharcuterie is just a fancy word for cured meat.

At State & Allen Kitchen + Bar – one of the best Uptown Dallas restaurants - we’re here to take the mystery out of it with a little history lesson. Charcuterie board… you’ve seen it on our menu, but have you tried it? Some people aren’t really sure what a charcuterie board is, and that’s okay.

How to you pronounce charcuterie board