Charcuterie
/ʃɑːrˈkjuːtəri/noun
A selection of prepared meats, especially cured meats.
Did you know?The word comes from French *chair* (“flesh”) + *cuit* (“cooked”), and the trade was originally about preserving meat before refrigeration—not luxury aesthetics.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
carō, carnis
“flesh, meat”
Old French
Old French
chair
“flesh”
Old French
Old French
cuit
“cooked”
15th Century
French
chair cuite
“cooked flesh; prepared meat”
19th Century
French
charcuterie
“the trade or shop of a pork butcher; cured and prepared meats”
Modern English
English
charcuterie
“a platter of cured meats and accompaniments”