Guanciale is a cured Italian meat product made from pork jowl or cheek, and used in dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara and amatriciana. It's a traditional ingredient in central Italian cuisine, particularly in the Umbria and Lazio regions. Guanciale is known for its rich, fatty, and salty flavor, and it has a velvety texture. It's commonly used in pasta dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia, where the rendered fat adds a lot of flavor to the sauces.
While both guanciale and pancetta are cured pork products, guanciale is made from the jowl (cheek) of the pig, while pancetta is made from the belly.