What are Deli Meats made of?

Summary

Who Smarted? Podcast Summary Episode: What are Deli Meats made of?
Release Date: July 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Who Smarted?" takes listeners on a humorous and educational journey into the fascinating world of deli meats. With the help of deli expert Salami Sal, the episode explores the origins, manufacturing, shapes, casings, and history of deli meats such as salami, bologna, and mortadella. True to the show’s playful and engaging tone, the hosts weave in trivia, smartypants quizzes, and puns to entertain while enlightening kids and families about the science and story behind their favorite sandwich fillings.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What are Deli Meats? (00:59–03:07)

• Trusty is at Sal's Deli, marveling at the wide variety of deli meats, from spicy salami to liverwurst.
• Notable Moment: Introduction of Salami Sal, whose full name is a pun on deli meats: "Did you know my name, Sal, is short for salami? And my last name, Capicola, is also a dry cured pork meat from the shoulder of a pig?" (02:09)

2. How Are Deli Meats Made? (03:25–07:27)

• Trusty and Sal visit a fictional meat processing facility to investigate the step-by-step creation of deli meats.
• Raw meats are blended with water, salt, and spices to make a meat "mixture" (never call it "slurry"—Sal objects to the word!). (03:53–04:14)
• Different meats are used for different deli products:
  • Pork for most salamis (Genoa, Soppressata, Chorizo, etc.)
  • Beef for pastrami, roast beef, corned beef
  • Poultry for turkey and chicken deli slices
• Modern recipes sometimes use turkey or chicken in typically pork or beef-based cuts.

Quote:
"Nowadays you can get salamis and bolognas made with chicken or turkey too." – Salami Sal (05:12)

3. Molding and Casing (07:27–08:33)

• Meat mixture is shaped using molds, loaf pans, or natural casings.
• Natural casing: Made from animal intestines (primarily collagen), it’s edible and commonly found in salamis and sausages.
• Most deli meats like bologna or turkey breast are set in molds or loaf pans instead of natural casings.

Quote:
"A natural casing comes from the intestines of animals and it's mostly made up of collagen—which, believe it or not, is good for you." – Salami Sal (06:34)

4. Cooking Process (08:33–09:00)

• Molded meats are then placed in either a walk-in smoker (for smoked varieties) or a walk-in oven (for oven-roasted varieties).
• The slow-cooking process helps the meat firm up into the familiar loaf or tube shapes.

Safety Tip:
"Do not walk into walk-in meat smokers before you pick up your deliciously aromatic smoked turkey breast…" – Trusty (08:04)

5. Packaging and Slicing (09:00–09:08)

• After smoking or roasting, the meats are packaged whole and shipped to delis, where they are sliced to order.

6. History of Delis and Deli Meats (09:08–12:41)

• The first "delicatessen" appeared over 300 years ago in Munich, Germany.
• Original delicatessens sold exotic tropical fruits before expanding to include meats and cheeses.
• The term “delicatessen” has roots in German, French, Italian, and Latin, ultimately meaning “pleasing” or “delightful.”
• Delis in the U.S. evolved in the 1800s, particularly in cities with large European immigrant communities—NYC once had over 1,500 delis!
• Iconic delis like Katz’s Deli in NYC are celebrated for their huge sandwiches and historic legacy.

Quote:
"By the 1930s, New York City had about 1,500 delicatessens." – Salami Sal (12:11)

7. Bologna vs. Bologna: The Italian Connection (13:05–18:06, 16:22)

• Trusty wonders why “bologna” is pronounced differently from the Italian city “Bologna.”
• Bologna (the deli meat) descends from mortadella, a fancier Italian pork sausage from Bologna, Italy.
• Mortadella is richer, dotted with fat, and often contains pistachios; in 1661, strict laws governed its authenticity.

Memorable Fact:
"If you were caught making or selling fake mortadella, your body would be stretched out on a rack... three times." – Salami Sal (17:43)

• Many Italian foods (like bolognese sauce and tortellini) originate from Bologna; in Bologna, tortellini is often stuffed with mortadella.

Quote:
"In Bologna, they stuff their tortellini with mortadella." – Salami Sal (18:37)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There's even one with olives inside the meat. How do they even do that?" – Trusty (01:05)
• "Meeting. Meats meeting." (Bad pun exchange between Sal and Trusty) (02:41)
• "Ever had a hot dog or a sausage or a kielbasa? ...Then you've had meat in a natural casing." – Salami Sal (07:01–07:07)
• "Delicatus means pleasing or delightful, giving pleasure." – Salami Sal (10:12)
• Historic punishment for fake mortadella: Body stretched on a rack, three times! (17:43)
• Fun with pasta: "They should call that mortalini or tortadella." – Trusty (18:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:59–03:07: Ordering meats and setting up the episode's big question
• 03:25–07:27: Meat processing steps and the making of deli meats
• 07:27–08:33: How meats are molded and cased
• 08:33–09:00: The cooking (smoking/roasting) process
• 09:00–09:08: Packaging and slicing for stores
• 09:08–12:41: History of delicatessens and the word "deli"
• 13:05–18:06: Origins of bologna and mortadella, plus Italian food trivia

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Tone and Language

The episode is full of clever puns, playful banter, and easy-to-understand explanations that keep kids engaged while offering real, scientific, and historical insights. Salami Sal brings comic, expert flavor; Trusty adds the relatable, curious point of view; and the format encourages call-and-response engagement with listeners (“Smartypants, what do you think?”).

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Conclusion

In classic "Who Smarted?" style, this episode transforms lunchtime trivia into a laugh-out-loud science and history adventure. Listeners will walk away knowing the difference between bologna and mortadella, why some deli meats come in tubes, and just how far some people would go to protect the reputation of a fancy Italian sausage. Parents and teachers can use this episode as a springboard for discussions about food origins, history, and tradition, all while getting a big helping of fun.

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Transcript

[Salami Sal]

Decal.

[Narrator/Announcer]

In Donkey Kong Bonanza, you could smash through almost anything. Giant watermelon, easy. Solid rock. Save less. Explore the underground world by smashing to the planet's core as Donkey Kong and Pauline. Hold up. Are you hearing karts?

[Salami Sal]

All right.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Race against your friends in Mario Kart world. Drive off walls, off the and over dinosaur.

[Salami Sal]

Sweet.

[Narrator/Announcer]

You can power up your play on Nintendo Switch. Two additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode, game system and some accessories sold separately. Games rated E to E10 plus.

[Trusty]

And now it's time for who's Smarted? And let me have a half a pound of spicy salami, a third of a pound of oven roasted turkey breast, a pound of spiced ham, and £1.

[Salami Sal]

Ooh.

[Trusty]

I'll take a half a pound of liverwurst, two knobberwurst, and six bratwurst. Thanks, Sal.

[Salami Sal]

You got it, Trusty.

[Mindy]

Psst.

[Trusty]

Hey, smartypants. As you can hear, I'm at Sal's Deli picking up some deli meats. Oh, boy, oh, boy, do I love me some deli meats. Her luncheon meats, sandwich meats, cold cuts, whatever you want to call it. They have many names and come in many shapes, sizes, tastes, and textures. Some are wide, some are long, some are round, and some are square. There's even one with olives inside the meat. How do they even do that? Actually, I wonder, how do they do any of it?

[Salami Sal]

Okay, Trusty, here's your meat. Enjoy.

[Trusty]

Thanks. I say, Sal, you would know this. How are deli meats made? I mean, how does meat turn into long, smooth cylinders? And what's inside these things? And does Bologna have anything to do with the city of Bologna in Italy? Sure sounds like it.

[Salami Sal]

You know, Trusty, usually folks just grab their meats and go. They don't pepper me with questions unless they're a about my peppered pastrami or cracked pepper turkey.

[Trusty]

You're right. You're right. I know you're working and busy. Sorry, Sal. My bad.

[Salami Sal]

Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't say I wasn't gonna answer him. I am a stone cold cold cut expert. Did you know my name, Sal, is short for salami? And my last name, Capicola, is also a dry cured pork meat from the shoulder of a pig?

[Trusty]

Uh, no. Why would I know that?

[Salami Sal]

Yeah, sounds like there's a lot of stuff you don't know. Come on, come back here behind the counter. I'll tell you all about the delicious world of deli meats. Hey, Tony, you go help the people. I'll be back in about 1520. I'm having a meeting with my friend Trusty here. Get it? Meeting. Meats meeting.

[Trusty]

Yes, I got it. Usually I make the bad jokes, but hey, you're gonna share your deli meat secrets with me and the smarty pants. So you can say whatever you want. As we get ready for another whiff of delicious science and history on who smarted,

[Salami Sal]

who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun, but who's smart? And

[Trusty]

so, salami Sal, how does a perfectly formed log of deli salami become a perfectly formed log of deli salami in the first place? Also, where have you taken me?

[Salami Sal]

Why? We're at the meat processing facility where the meat is well processed. You see all the salamis and bologna and turkey logs and etcs, they're all pretty much made the same way.

[Trusty]

And I'm guessing it has something to do with this slurry of meat I see in front of me.

[Salami Sal]

Hey, hey, don't call it a slurry. That sounds unappetizing. Call it a mixture. Also. Yes, that's what your deli meat looks like. At this stage, all deli meats start with raw meat, of course. And depending on what deli meat you're getting, the actual meat is different.

[Trusty]

Smarty pants. True or false? Most salami is made using pork. If you said true, you're right.

[Salami Sal]

Generally speaking, all the different types of salami are made using pork. That includes your Genoa salami, your foligno salami, which is known as the king of salami, your soppressetta, pepperoni, chorizo, peppered salami, cacciatore salami, finoccuono salami that has fennel in it, and wine salami.

[Trusty]

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many types of salami. I usually just say salami.

[Salami Sal]

Ah, amateur hour. Moving on. We've got pastrami, roast beef, and corned beef made using beef, of course. And then your sliced chicken breast or turkey breast deli meats which naturally come from chicken or turkey breast.

[Trusty]

I am trying not to drool.

[Salami Sal]

Yeah, but hold on. There's some magic going on in the meat world. Nowadays. You can get salamis and bolognese made with chicken. With turkey too.

[Trusty]

That's right. I love turkey pastrami, which is turkey seasoned like pastrami.

[Salami Sal]

Uh huh. In any case, it all starts the same way. Here in the processing plant, the raw meat is blended with water and salt and all sorts of Delicious spices. And these big machines you see, slice and dice and blend it all together.

[Trusty]

And that's how the slurry, I mean, mixture is made.

[Salami Sal]

Exactly. Come on over here. This is where the mixture gets its familiar deli meat shape.

[Trusty]

Ooh, I'm excited about this. What about you, smarty pants? Have you ever wondered how deli meats come in those long tube like shapes? Well, we're about to find out.

[Salami Sal]

Okay, this is where your mixture is placed in either a mold or a loaf pan.

[Trusty]

Mold? You can't eat mold.

[Salami Sal]

No, not that kind of mold. I'm talking about a tool used to help food take on a desired shape.

[Trusty]

Oh. Ooh.

[Salami Sal]

Phew.

[Trusty]

So the meat mixture gets placed in either a mold or a loaf pan,

[Salami Sal]

or it gets fed through a natural casing.

[Trusty]

Oh, what's that, Smartypants? Do you know? Yeah, me neither.

[Salami Sal]

A natural casing comes from the intestines of animals and it's mostly made up of collagen, which, believe it or not, is good for you.

[Trusty]

I see. So you're saying the meat gets pumped into an edible tube made from animal intestines. Okay, that's kinda weird.

[Salami Sal]

What's so weird about it? You've probably eaten tons of natural casings

[Trusty]

without even knowing it, Smarty pants. Could that be true? Have you ever eaten a natural casing?

[Salami Sal]

Ever had a hot dog or a sausage or a kielbasa?

[Trusty]

Well, of course. I love all three of those.

[Salami Sal]

Then you've had meat in a natural casing. Look at that.

[Trusty]

I had no idea. I didn't even taste it. Does it even have a taste?

[Salami Sal]

Not really. It's just there to hold the yummy sausage or hot dog meat together.

[Trusty]

Alrighty then. I guess I'm okay with casings. Do deli meats have them too?

[Salami Sal]

See, with deli meats, it's usually just the salamis that have a casing. With bologna or poultry based deli meats, the mixture is placed in molds or loaf pans and when cooked, it takes on the shape of the pan so no casing is needed.

[Trusty]

I see. And how are they cooked?

[Salami Sal]

That's my favorite part. Here, follow me.

[Trusty]

What's that?

[Salami Sal]

That, my trusty friend, is a walk in smoker.

[Trusty]

Cool.

[Salami Sal]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't walk into it. You don't want to get smoked. It's for the meat.

[Trusty]

Right? Right. Safety tip, smarty pants. Do not walk into walk in meat

[Salami Sal]

smokers before you pick up your deliciously aromatic smoked turkey breast or smoked chicken breast slices at the deli counter. This is where they come to get smoked wrecks and wrecks of the meat mixture are placed into molds, then put into the smoker. It takes several hours of low and slow smoking to cook it. It's what gets it to firm up into the familiar log or round shape you see at the deli counter.

[Trusty]

Now we're talking. Yum. And what if it's not smoked? What if it's say, oven roasted turkey, for example?

[Salami Sal]

Same process, only it's a walk in oven instead of a walk in smoker.

[Trusty]

You don't want to walk into that either, I suppose.

[Salami Sal]

No. After this, the meats are packaged whole and sent to your local grocery store deli, ready to be sliced as thin or as thick as you want at the deli counter.

[Trusty]

Gotcha. Speaking of delis and deli counters, how did they come to be? We've talked about deli meats, but what makes them deli meats?

[Salami Sal]

Great question, trustee. The deli as we know it first appeared in Europe, Germany, to be exact. A long, long time ago.

[Trusty]

Smartypants, how old do you think the world's oldest delis are? Is it A, 100 years old, B, 200 years old, or C, 300 years old? If you said C, you're right.

[Salami Sal]

Yep. 324 years old, to be exact. The Diemeyer Delicatessen in Munich, Germany, is one of the oldest in the world, if not the oldest, it's definitely the largest in Europe.

[Trusty]

So obviously deli meats come from a shortened form of the word delicatessen. But what's a delicatessen?

[Salami Sal]

Well, delicatessen is a German word which actually comes from the French word delicatesse, which actually comes from the Italian word delicatesse, which actually comes from the Latin word delicatus.

[Trusty]

Okay, and what does this Latin turned Italian turned French turned German word actually mean?

[Salami Sal]

That's the best part. Delicatus means pleasing or delightful, giving pleasure.

[Trusty]

Okay, so a deli is a place that gives pleasure. I mean, I do take great pleasure in buying and eating my delicious deli meats and cheeses.

[Salami Sal]

I know you do. But get this. The delicatessen that started in Germany hundreds of years ago didn't actually sell deli meats right away. In fact, they sold something pretty different than meat.

[Trusty]

Hmm. Smarty pants, what do you think the Die Meyer Deli specialized in selling when it first opened in the year 1700, was it a, exotic fruits from tropical climates, B, school supplies like paper and pencils, or C, live chickens, hens and roosters? Well, if you said C, that's a great guess, but the answer is actually a Exotic tropical fruits.

[Salami Sal]

Later, they expanded to sell a broad range of goods like packaged foods, bread, cheese, and of course, your deli meats. Today, delis all across Europe are much the same. But what they call a deli in Europe, we would call a gourmet food store here in the United States. Delis on this side of the pond, a little bit different.

[Trusty]

Really? How so?

[Salami Sal]

Well, we've got deli counters at supermarkets, of course, but the most famous well known delis in the United States are also sit down restaurants that serve delicious deli meat sandwiches.

[Trusty]

I see. So not just a store.

[Salami Sal]

Exactly. The first delis in the United States opened in the 1800s. You'd mostly find them in big cities with large populations of European immigrants. Delicate hands. I'm talking Jewish delis, German delis, Italian delis, Eastern European delis. By the 1930s, New York City had about 1500 delicatessens.

[Mindy]

Whoa.

[Salami Sal]

Today there's a lot less. But some of the ones that are left are quite famous. Like Katz's Deli in New York City. They're definitely one of the most famous delis. They've been around since 1888. They're known for their humongous pastrami sandwiches.

[Trusty]

Smarty pants. If you've never tried pastrami and you're not vegetarian, I highly recommend it. Same goes for corned beef and brisket, all of which are sold at all delis.

[Salami Sal]

Oh, good stuff, I tell you.

[Trusty]

First of all, why is it pronounced Bologna but spelled B O, L, O, G N A, which should be pronounced Bologna. I know there's a city in Italy spelled the same way, except the city is pronounced Bologna, not Bologna or Bologna. So what's the deal? Does this beautiful old Italian city have anything to do with Bologna, which, let's be honest, is kind of boring. No offense.

[Salami Sal]

None taken. And to answer your question, yes, bologna and Bologna are related.

[Trusty]

I knew it. And we'll find out how right after this short break. And a word from our sponsors.

[Salami Sal]

I can't open this jar of pickles.

[Trusty]

Let me try, Grandpa.

[Salami Sal]

Ha. You've clearly been drinking your milk. Milk can help you build muscles. Free. We're finally free. Wait, who said that milk can't stop pickles from coming alive.

[Trusty]

Hey, smarty pants. Quick question. Would it be cool to slice flying fruit out of the air like a ninja? I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well, last weekend I was actually doing it in my living room. Just me chopping watermelons and pineapples out of mid air while my dinner was bubbling on the stove. How Nex Playground. Nex Playground is a kid focused game system where your body is the controller. No joystick, no no buttons. The playground sees your moves and you're in the game. I've been crushing Fruit Ninja. And there's also Bluey and Ninja Turtles games. And an Avatar Earth Rumble tournament where I got to bend rocks. Dance games, sports games, over 50 games. Once you add play, pass smarty parents, here's the part for you. Playground is built kid safe. No ads, no in app purchases, no mature content, no online chat with strangers. Just your smarty pants moving their body, having a blast. Playing games that you can actually feel good about. It's the screen time solution that's also exercise, which means everyone wins. Check out next [e-mail] that's nexplayground.com Trust me, your living room is about to get a lot more interesting. Hey, who Smarted? Families trusty here. You know me, always here with the facts, the stories, the wild science. And today I have an extra special book series to introduce you to. Meet the investigators. Mango and Brash are two alligator secret agents who travel through the city sewers to fight crime and solve the most wonderfully weird mysteries. If you love the puns and silly humor we throw at you on every episode of who Smarted, you're gonna feel right at home. It's basically who Smarted Energy in graphic novel form. Over 4 million copies have been sold worldwide. 4 million. Now, there's nine books in the series, a special edition, and a spinoff. So if you plow through books, this is basically a gift. And the newest case just dropped. Investigators Whether or Not by John Patrick Greene. Where the city's water supply has been replaced with milk. The rain is turning green and monkey scientists are causing chaos. So grab your copy of Investigators, whether or not at your local bookstore, library, or online today. Now back to who Smarted? So, Salami Sal, what's the deal with the pronunciation of Bologna and the Bologna Bologna connection?

[Salami Sal]

It all has to do with one of the most fancy deli meats of all.

[Trusty]

Wait, what? If you ask me, Bologna is one of the least fancy of the deli meats.

[Salami Sal]

Oh, it is. But Mortadella is not.

[Trusty]

Oh, wait, what's that?

[Salami Sal]

The deli meat, Bologna gets its name from the beautiful Italian city Bologna, where they don't have Bologna. Instead, they have Bologna's fancier, tastier older cousin, Mortadella.

[Trusty]

Ah, so Bologna comes from Mortadella, which comes from the city of Bologna.

[Salami Sal]

Exactly.

[Trusty]

I see. And what makes Mortadella So great.

[Salami Sal]

What doesn't? First of all, it's made from better quality pork than that supermarket bologna you're used to. Secondly, it's dotted with little circles of fat, which makes it even richer and tastier. And third, it's often dotted with pieces of pistachio nuts.

[Trusty]

Ooh, fancy.

[Salami Sal]

You bet. The city of Bologna takes its mortadella so seriously that in 1661, a law was written defining exactly what can and cannot be in mortadella. If you were caught making or selling fake mortadella, the punishment was severe.

[Trusty]

Oh, yeah? What did they do to you? Did they throw you in the mortadungeon?

[Salami Sal]

Okay, relax. But actually, if you were caught making or selling fake mortadella, your body would be stretched out on a rack not once, not twice, but three times. Then you'd be fined 200 gold coins, and all the fake mortadella you made would be destroyed.

[Trusty]

That is quite the punishment.

[Salami Sal]

They don't do that stuff anymore, of course, but they do have strict standards on making what is arguably the world's fanciest deli meat.

[Trusty]

Smartypants. Did you know lots of other delicious Italian foods you love come from the city of Bologna. Which of these sauces do you think comes from Bologna? Alfredo sauce, bolognese sauce, or pesto sauce? If you said Bolognese, you got it.

[Salami Sal]

One of my favorites. Sal Meaty. Hey, trusty, are you a fan of tortellini pasta?

[Trusty]

Of course.

[Salami Sal]

Well, that comes from Bologna too. And in Bologna, they stuff their tortellini with mortadella.

[Trusty]

Mmm. They should call that mortalini or tortadella.

[Salami Sal]

Ha. You should tell them that.

[Trusty]

Really? You think so?

[Salami Sal]

Hey, what's the worst they could do? Stretch out on a wreck?

[Trusty]

You know what? Maybe I'll just take my meats and go make a sandwich. Think. A big shout out to Gabby and Mason in Idaho. Thanks for listening to who Smarted every night and even during the day. I'm so glad you find smarting with us a fun way to learn. Keep on smarting on YouTube this episode. Deli Meats was written by Phil Pastrami Jarmi and voiced by Adam Delicounter Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Spice Ham Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Cold Cuts Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Send a salami to your boy in the army, Suarez. With lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an atomic audio production.

[Salami Sal]

Who Smarted?

[Mindy]

Hey, grown ups. Mindy here from wow in the World and your family's next favorite game show podcast to what's in a People who Wow Edition. In this Getting to Know youw game show, we are visited by some of the world's most interesting people to get the wows and the wahs of their lives. Like this one from 300 time Guinness World Record breaker David Rush.

[Salami Sal]

I had the longest time balancing a running chainsaw on my chin.

[Mindy]

So is this a true wow record he broke or a big phony?

[Narrator/Announcer]

What?

[Mindy]

Listen to two what's in a People who Wow Edition were. Wherever you get your podcasts, just follow on the wow in the World feed and meet a new person who wows every Friday.