A lot of good dry cured sausage, especially styles of salami with mold on the casing, has a very specific smell. I'm not sure how to describe it, but in my mind it's somehow strongly associated with umami. It's not present in all salami by any means, but very obvious in some, for example this kind or some of these.
What exactly causes that smell, and is there a name for it?
Best Answer
Salumi are generally cured with the addition of starter cultures (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococus acidilactici, for example). These cultures add to the sour, tangy flavor, but also to the aroma. In addition, Here is a report on glutimate concentration in dry cured ham. (generally cured with salt alone). I am sure the mechanism in cured salumi is similar. So, the aroma is closely related to fermentation and the concentration of glutimates, which increase umami. Then there is the terrior. Much like wine, cured meat products have flavor and aroma profiles that are distinctive to the location of their raw products and manufacture...what the animals ate, the environment of the curing room and its associated microflora. Finally, a favorable mold spore is either added (or naturally populates the curing room) for the purpose of keeping destructive molds off the drying product. All of this contributes to both flavor and aroma. Is there a name for the "cured meat aroma"? I have been unable to find one. I suppose, like wine, cured meats can be described by the flavor and aroma profiles that that are observed by the consumer.