Bresaola is air-dried salted beef fillet that has been aged about 2-3 months until it becomes very hard and a dark red, almost purple colour. It originated in the Valtellina valley in northern Italy's Lombardy and Piedmont regions, where locals first began stringing up pieces of beef to cure in the cool Alpine air.

It is lean, has a sweet, musty smell and is tender.

Its rich taste stems from a strict trimming process, where legs of beef are thoroughly defatted and left to macerate with a dry rub of coarse salt and spices. It is swathed in a natural casing, and then sits to dry for ten days. Afterwards a curing period follows, which lasts between one and three months depending on the particular bresaola's weight. Up to 40% of the meat's original weight is lost during aging.

As an antipasto bresaola is usually served at room temperature or slightly chilled, is sliced paper thin, and is drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and a smattering of cracked black pepper. Bresaola may also be served with freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Other names or similar products are beef prosciutto, buendnerfleisch and viande séchée.

Sliced bresaola should be stored well-wrapped in a refrigerator.

The word comes from the Italian, diminutive of Italian dialectal bresada, which is the past participle form of brasare, meaning to braise, from French braiser.