Affettati is an Italian word for a category of cured, Italian products that are served cold or room temperature, sliced. In English, we might just say “cold cuts.”They are generally made of pork, but meats used can include beef, horse and boar, and in the past, even donkey. The meat may have been cured but not cooked (called “crudo”, meaning “raw”), or cooked, and / or smoked.
Affettati are served as antipasti and in sandwiches, or as a flavouring ingredient for a dish (such as pancetta: rolled pancetta is used as an affettato, slab as an ingredient.)
Affettati from Bologna and Tuscany are considered amongst the best (at least by inhabitants of those areas.)
“Affettati Misti” means a mix of cold-cuts, that you eat without further cooking or heating.
Language Notes
Affettati comes from the Italian verb, “affettare”, which means “to slice.”