In Spanish, ''cecina'' is meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke. The word comes from the Latin ''siccus'' (dry), via
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...
''(caro) *siccīna'', "dry (meat)".
Spain
Cecina is similar to ham and is made by curing cow, horse or rabbit meat. The best known ''cecina'' is ''Cecina de León'', which is made of the hind legs of a cow, salted,
smoked and air-dried in the provinces of
León and
Palencia
Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia.
Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...
in northwestern Spain, and has
PGI status.
Latin America
The word ''cecina'' is also used to name other kinds of dried or cured meat in Latin America.
Mexico
In
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, most ''cecina'' is of two kinds: sheets of marinated beef, and a pork cut that is sliced or
butterflied thin and coated with chili pepper (this type is called ''cecina enchilada'' or ''carne enchilada'').
The beef version is salted and marinated and laid to dry somewhat in the sun. The marinated beef version can be consumed uncooked, similar to
prosciutto
''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced.
Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo ...
. The pork "cecina enchilada" must be cooked before consumption. The town of
Yecapixtla
Yecapixtla ( nah, Yecapixtlān ) is a town and municipality located in the northeast of the state of Morelos in central Mexico. Yecapixtla means, ''Land of men and women with sharp noses''. The town is home to one of the monastery complexes associa ...
is well known for its version of the dish, which varies from region to region.
See also
*
Bresaola
Bresaola ( , , , ) is air-dried, salted beef (but it can also be made of horse, venison and pork) that has been aged two or three months until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color. It is made from top (inside) round, and ...
*
Pastırma
Pastirma or basturma, also called pastarma, pastourma,, basdirma, or basterma, is a highly seasoned, air-dried Curing (food preservation), cured beef that is found in the cuisines of Turkish cuisine, Turkey, Armenian cuisine, Armenia, Azerbaijani ...
*
Biltong
Biltong is a form of dried, cured meat that originated in Southern African countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia). Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostri ...
*
Leonese cuisine
Leonese cuisine is a sub category of Spanish food that is considered to be very exotic and caloric.
Embutidos
*'' Cecina'' from León is beef. In Leonese, ''cecina'' means "meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke". ''Ce ...
*
List of dried foods
This is a list of dried foods. Food drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and has been practiced worldwide since ancient times to preserve food. Where or when d ...
*
List of smoked foods
This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history. Meats and fish a ...
*
List of Mexican dishes
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire occurred in the 16th century. The basic staples since then remain native foods such as corn, beans, squash and chili peppers, but the Europeans introduced many other foods, the most important of which were ...
*
List of Spanish dishes
This is a list of dishes found in Spanish cuisine.
Spanish dishes
Breads and pastries
Soups and stews
Condiments and sauces
Desserts
Dairy products
:''Spanish cheeses''
Processed meat and fish
:''Spanish sausages''
Others
Bever ...
References
External links
{{Commons category, Cecina (meat)
Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida "Cecina de León" PGI Consortium
Dried meat
Spanish cuisine
Spanish products with protected designation of origin
Leonese cuisine
Smoked meat
Mexican cuisine