The famous prosciutto is not just a delicacy for Italians. This is a real gastronomic symbol of the country, which occupies a worthy place on a par with pasta and pizza. What is prosciutto and what is it eaten with in Italy – you can find out from this review.
Prosciutto is not just ham
This national delicacy is treated with special reverence on the Apennine Peninsula. In Italy, the term “prosciutto” is used to refer to two completely different meat products:
- Prosciutto crudo is a dry-cured ham rubbed with salt and not subjected to heat treatment at any stage of production.
- Prosciutto cotto is a ham that is pre-boiled and is ham in the traditional sense of the word.
Cured meat in Italy is much more popular than boiled ham. Therefore, when talking about prosciutto, here, as a rule, we mean its dry-cured variety.
Different regions have their own traditions of preparing the famous delicacy. Only the highest quality meat is used for production. Pigs from which ham is made are fed corn and fruit in Italy.
How to make prosciutto: the hams are dry-salted and then dried for at least 10 months. In Italy, there are varieties that use only ham and salt, but in some areas of the country spices, garlic or pepper are added. Ready Italian prosciutto meat has a pearly pink color, amazing aroma and exquisite taste.
It is customary to cut the meat into paper-thin, translucent slices. Do this immediately before serving. Hand cutting is especially valued – this is also a special skill, no less important than the preparation itself.In total, about 10 varieties of prosciutto are produced in Italy.
Parma ham is also prosciutto
The most famous type of prosciutto in Italy is dry-cured Parma ham (Prosciutto di Parma). It is distinguished by its characteristic pink color when cut, thin layers of fat and a mild spicy taste. The delicacy is made in numerous small factories in the vicinity of Parma.
To produce the famous ham, pigs are selected that were born and raised in the middle and northern regions of Italy. Manufacturers are interested in specific breeds: Landrance, Large White and Duroc. Selected animals must be at least 9 months old and weigh at least 150 kg. The finished ham weighs 15-16 kg.
To prepare the delicacy, no additional ingredients or spices are used, only sea salt. This is one of the differences between Parma ham and prosciutto, in the production of which spices can be used. Another difference is in the animal feed. Pigs intended for Parma ham are fed especially strictly in Italy: selected grains, chestnuts and whey left over from the production of Parmesan cheese.
Independent inspectors check the readiness of the meat. Pig feet that pass the test are marked with an iron seal and a stamp depicting the crown of the Duchy of Parma in Italy. This sign indicates that this is an original high-quality product.
According to experts, the most delicious variety of Italian Parma ham is culatello. It is believed that the production of this product should begin in November or December – this is the only way to achieve the highest quality and fantastically delicate taste. Even in Italy, where many varieties of prosciutto are produced, culatello is not easy to find on sale. The product is not cheap: the price is about 50-80 € per kilogram.
Prosciutto is not an analogue of jamon
Both Italian prosciutto and Spanish jamon are made from pork butts – what’s the difference between them? Both of these products are nothing more than dry-cured ham. However, the meat comes from different breeds of pigs. In the case of the most expensive varieties of jamon, these are black Iberian pigs, whose diet includes cork oak acorns.
Another difference is the production time. The minimum aging time for serrano jamon is 7 months (for expensive Iberico varieties it can reach 48); for prosciutto it ranges from 9 to 24 months. The longer the Spanish delicacy is aged, the more refined it becomes. However, this is not the only reason for the difference.
For prosciutto, the special microclimate of the surrounding area of Parma is of great importance. It is the clean local air with the aromas of various herbs that prosciutto owes much of its incomparable taste. After all, one of the nuances of the production process is the ventilation of the premises where the delicacy is stored. And after salting, the jamon is first dried and then cooled.
Finally, the difference lies in the meat itself. Compared to jamon, prosciutto is more juicy, tender and soft. In addition, when cut, Spanish ham has a dark red color, closer to burgundy, while its Italian “brother” is always pearl pink.
And a few more interesting differences:
- Prosciutto has the optimal combination of lean meat with a small surface layer of fat. Jamon meat is permeated with thin fatty veins that form an original marble pattern.
- Prosciutto has a slightly spicy taste with sweet notes. Jamon has an intense aroma and a sharper, richer salty-sweet taste.
- Spanish gourmets most often eat jamon with olives , cheese and vegetables. In Italy, connoisseurs of haute cuisine enjoy prosciutto with melon and fruit.
- The taste of jamon is perfectly complemented by sherry or red wine. And it is recommended to serve white Italian wines with prosciutto . The taste of Parma ham is best revealed in combination with slightly sweet wines – Lambrusco and Spumante.
Prosciutto is a popular gastronomic souvenir
Tourists love to bring prosciutto back from their trips to treat their family and friends with a real Italian delicacy. True, in this case, a logical question arises about how to preserve the product and prevent it from losing its unique taste.
Methods for storing meat differ depending on its type: with or without bone. The whole ham can be kept in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. If these conditions are met, the shelf life is up to 12 months, and throughout this time the slow drying process will continue. After the first slices are cut, the pork leg should be placed in the refrigerator, maintaining a temperature of no higher than +10 °C.
Boneless ham is sold in vacuum packaging. In intact film, meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months. It is not recommended to freeze it, as the original taste will then be hopelessly lost. Prosciutto is a 100% natural product. No preservatives are used in its production, so after removing the packaging it should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 7-8 weeks. The cut must be covered with cloth, cling film or foil.
The best place to taste prosciutto is Proshutteria
Prosciutto can be found on the menu of almost every Italian restaurant. But it is much better to immediately go to special establishments – proshutteria (prosciutteria). Often there is not only more supply, but also lower prices. In Italy, some popular proshutteria include:
- La Prosciutteria Firenze (Florence);
- Prosciutteria Cantina Dei Papi Trevi (Rome);
- La Prosciutteria Milano Brera (Milan).
In addition to the already well-known prosciutto, proschutterias offer a wide variety of meat delicacies and cheeses , as well as good Italian wine. As a rule, snacks are served assorted on plates and can cost from 10 to 20 €.
And in Langirano, Italy, there is a Prosciutto Museum. Here, the manufacturing process of this traditional product is recreated in detail. The exhibition tells about the history and features of the technology of its preparation, the raw materials for production and local culinary traditions.
During the annual Parma Ham Festival in Langhirano, participants eat almost a ton of the delicacy and wash it down with equally impressive volumes of wine.
The entrance fee to the museum is 4-5 €, and participation in the tasting will cost each tourist 3 €. There is a shop at the museum where you can buy delicacies. The cost of prosciutto di Parma from different manufacturers is from 15 to 25 € per 1 kg.