Pancetta is the famous Italian ready to eat version of belly bacon with a natural sweet, nutty taste. What’s the difference between Pancetta and Streaky Bacon?Bacon and more specifically streaky, or belly bacon may be smoked or unsmoked, must be cooked prior to eating and is not normally rolled.Whereas, only Pancetta Affumicata is smoked! Pancetta, in general, is also be subject to a significantly longer curing and maturation process than ordinary bacon, this results in a much greater depth of flavour.It may be eaten raw, or cooked as you would bacon. Due to the intensity of flavour, it is superior to standard bacon for the flavouring of other dishes, i.e. as an alternative to Guanciale in Spaghetti Carbonara.Despite its name – Pancetta Bacon, authentic pancetta is a ready-to-eat, Italian, deli or charcuterie meat, though it may also be cooked.