Corned beef, which literraly means "salted ox", refers to a type of canned meat. It became popular in Italy at the end of the Second World War, when it was distributed to the population by the allied troops. It is pre-cooked salted beef, homogenized and canned with or without the addition of gelatin. It has a very bright color and a fairly strong flavour. Corned beef can be used for recipes that require further cooking, but this could enhance the salting, therefore it is preferable to use it as an ingredient for fresh salads.