What is guanciale?
Guanciale · Italian
Cured pork cheek from Italy, fattier and more intense than bacon, the classic meat in carbonara and amatriciana.
What it tastes like
Rich, salty and porky, with a deeper, almost sweet fat than bacon. It renders into crispy edges and silky fat.
Where you’ll see it
In Roman pastas (carbonara, amatriciana, gricia), on salumi boards, and wrapped around things at Italian restaurants.
What does guanciale taste like? See the dials →Related words
- pancetta
- lardo
- lardons