Salty, savory, and perfect finger-food, cured meats make an appearance at nearly every party. But how much do you really know about charcuterie?

Cured meats -- the whole parts of an animal, and the ones ground with salt and spices -- are a part of the charcuterie family, a family of sausages, confits, pates, terrines, and other delightfully fatty, salty ways of preserving. While it may only take five real ingredients, the art of curing meats properly is difficult to master; curing rooms must be “seasoned” with the proper kind of (edible!) mold, like one seasons a cast iron pan.

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Photo by Brette Warshaw