guanciale
/ˌgwæn.tʃiˈɑː.leɪ/ IELTSAcademic
noun
An Italian cured meat made from pork cheek or jowl. It is used in cooking, especially in pasta dishes.
- Guanciale gives carbonara its rich flavour.
- The recipe calls for diced guanciale.
- We bought guanciale from an Italian deli.
Adinary Nuance
Guanciale is not the same as bacon or pancetta. Bacon usually comes from pork belly and is smoked, while guanciale comes from the pig’s cheek and is usually unsmoked. Use guanciale when you mean the specific Italian ingredient, especially in traditional recipes like carbonara.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thịt má heo muối
- Spanish
- carrillada curada
- Chinese
- 猪脸肉
- Japanese
- 豚頬肉の塩漬け
- Korean
- 돼지 볼살 절임
Etymology
Guanciale comes from Italian, where it means “cheek meat,” from guancia, meaning “cheek.” It entered English through Italian food writing and restaurant menus.
Common phrases
guanciale and eggscrispy guancialepasta with guancialecarbonara with guanciale
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is guanciale the same as bacon?
- No. Guanciale comes from pork cheek or jowl, and bacon usually comes from pork belly.
- Can I use pancetta instead of guanciale?
- Yes, in many recipes. But the taste is a little different, and purists prefer guanciale.
- Is guanciale a common word in English?
- It is not very common. You will mostly see it in food writing, menus, and recipes.