Do you believe that only from castrated Duroc boars, which were fed exclusively on chestnuts with fruit and fed with whey from the production of Parmesan, only in one single place on earth, where “the ideal microclimate creates all the conditions for the ripening of dry-cured hams” and where “the breeze blows from a certain speed and strength, without which it is impossible to obtain real Parma ham,” will it be possible to make the best ham in the world?

Taken from aquatek_filips V

Whether it is possible or not is not for me to judge, but the masters of prosciutto production, as the famous Parma ham is also called, claim that it is exactly as stated above. Only the right wild boars, only feeding with delicacies and only in the town of Langirano with its perfect breeze...
And then you will get the best and most famous ham in the world.

Well, okay, let’s leave the breeze and the diet of wild boars to the specialists, it’s better to see how the ham itself is made, when the wild boar has already been raised, fattened, sent to the land of eternal hunting and two hams have already been cut from it...

2. I’ll leave all my skepticism outside the scope of this post and tell you what we were told at the production of Parma ham, so to speak, without cuts..
Prosciutto production experts say that the most important thing in their business is the microclimate of the Parma Valley and the experience developed over centuries of producing the best ham in the world.
This zone, stretching all the way to the Apennines, is located 22 kilometers south of Parma, near the small town of Langirano. Only here the unique microclimate creates ideal conditions for the ripening of dry-cured hams.
There is no single producer of Parma ham. Several ham producers are concentrated in the vicinity of Langhirano, and only their products can be called Prosciutto di Parma.

3. To see the production of ham, we came to the Salumificio La Perla factory.
Despite the fact that this is the outskirts of Parma, the workers ardently support Juventus of Turin! But I digress...

4. To be called Parma ham, the product must meet the conditions established by law, namely: Parma ham can only be produced in the region of Parma, from the meat of pigs that were born and raised in Italy, 100% natural products must be used in the production of the ham Ingredients.
For the production of ham, pigs aged 9-10 months are used, raised in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Veneto and Marche. The breeds are called Duroc or Landrace. They are fed grains, chestnuts and whey from the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

5. The weight of the pig should be 100-130 kg, and the weight of the leg should be 15-16 kg. If the weight of the leg exceeds 16 kg, then it is cut and placed in parts in a mesh - from them a slightly different prosciutto will be made.
First of all, the meat is salted. Before salting, pork legs undergo cooling: they are kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2 degrees for 24 hours. Salting is carried out in two stages and is done manually, which allows the salt to be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the carcass. The first stage of salting lasts a week, after which the salt is carefully removed from the product and salted with sea salt for twenty days. After this period, the salt is completely removed.

6. In more or less large-scale industries, salt is removed using brushes on special equipment

7. After the salting has taken place and the meat has been cleared of salt, it is hung on special frames and sent to the refrigerator to rest.

8. The meat is washed...

9. ... and hanged

10. The hams rest in a refrigerator with a temperature of + 5-6 degrees for about 100 days.

11. By the end of the rest, it looks like this: the fat edges become yellowish in color, and the cut line is a hard crust.

14. After this, the meat is transferred to a room with large vertical windows, and it “rests” here for three months.

15. Of great importance here are windows that open every day at different distances and at different angles depending on weather conditions.
The same breeze should blow across the meat!

16. After seven months, the part of the pig's legs that is not covered with skin is coated with a special paste called sugna ("fat"). It consists of fat, salt, rice flour and pepper.

17. And after that he will hang for another 5 months...

18. ...all also in a room with windows that open according to a given schedule to let in the desired breeze

21. In rooms where hams are hung, temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. These parameters are extremely important for proper ripening

22. It is interesting that in many enterprises for the production of Parma ham, not only the hams of the enterprise itself are hung, but also the meat of clients is dried. They bring “their” legs, put special marks on the hams and then work with them according to a general algorithm, together with other client and own hams

24. And now comes the most important moment: the prosciutto is checked for quality.
This is done by a special inspector and only he has the right to decide whether the ham can be labeled as “Parma ham”.

25. They check the ham for maturity using a special bone needle stick, which I talked about yesterday mystery .
The leg of pork is pierced at five specific points, and the smell remaining on the sticks is used by the inspector to determine whether the product can be called Parma ham.

26. If the inspector considers that everything is in order and the ham is ripe, it is stamped in the form of a crown with the inscription “Parma”.
Naturally, every leg is checked without exception!

27. Now hams can be returned to customers, sent to customers and... eaten)

28. Well, the classic form of serving Parma ham - with melon and cool Lambrusco...

Among the culinary innovations mastered by our compatriots, the leading place is occupied by the delights of Italian cuisine. Probably, the inhabitants of this vibrant country are close to us, if not in spirit, then in their food preferences. Even if someone doesn’t like pizza, he is quite capable of choosing some delicacy from Italian cuisine that will conquer the picky eater for the rest of his life.

Among these stomach-churning discoveries is prosciutto. Not everyone knows what it is, but many people would be happy for themselves if they tried it.

Italian lard

Of course, calling this delicacy that way is rude and unfair. Prosciutto doesn't deserve that name. That this is a variety of bacon or ham is beyond doubt, but it is a very distinguished ham.

The history of prosciutto is lost in the darkness of centuries. It is certain that it already existed in the times of Ancient Rome, but since then it has greatly improved in taste. Some analogues exist among many nationalities: the Spaniards praise jamon, the French consider jambon the pinnacle of ham taste, but only the Italians have truly achieved perfection.

Manufacturing Features

Subtleties and tricks begin with the maintenance and fattening of cattle going to prosciutto. There is no doubt that this affects the taste of the final product. For any type of this ham, pigs are fattened with fruits and acorns, but in each prosciutto-producing province there are secrets even in the diet of the animals. One of the secrets revealed by Parma is that they feed the pigs there with the whey left over from the production of Parma cheese. As a result, the prosciutto of this province has a completely different taste from other areas.

The same goes for spices. If Parma uses only sea salt, then in other places they use pepper and garlic, and in others, specially selected herbs.

Varieties of Prosciutto

Based on the main technological differences, it comes in two types. When prosciutto ham, called crudo, is made, the pork butt is smoked raw. Moreover, for this variety, pigs are fed mainly with corn and fruits. Smoking takes at least eight months, and in some cases lasts up to two years. Among this category of hams, Cuneo prosciutto stands out. There is no doubt that this is also a crudo, but this bacon is made using vinegar, although there is only a little of it.

The second type of Italian bacon is called cotto. It is first steamed (or fried, depending on the place of production) and only then smoked, and the second stage is much shorter than in the case of prosciutto crudo.

How to buy quality prosciutto

First of all, when buying Italian lard, you need to carefully study the labeling. The packaging must bear the inscription PDO Prosciutto. If it is not there, most likely it is an imitation, not even made in Italy. Many of these imitations cannot be eaten without frying, and they do not even taste remotely like prosciutto.

It is also advisable to buy it not in a vacuum bag: the taste in such packaging is quickly lost, but the appearance remains the same. As a result, you will not get what you were striving for.

If we ignore the inscriptions and packaging, then prosciutto should have a thick layer of fat, and this fat should be white, turning pink at the transition to the meat. The meat layer is not brown, not bright pink and even tender in appearance. They'll give you a try, don't refuse. If you feel an unpleasant taste of rancidity, you should not take the product or it was stored incorrectly, or the expiration date is expired, or this piece was removed from the vacuum film.

Can Italian ham be homemade?

Once you try the famous prosciutto, you really don’t want to give it up. In stores it is often not of very high quality; such ham must be stored in compliance with certain rules. Therefore, many people have a question about whether it is possible to make prosciutto at home? There is only one answer to this: absolutely not! Remember where dry-cured ham begins with a properly fed pig. And if you don’t have your own pig farm, plus oak forests for collecting acorns, plus the secrets of Italian masters, you won’t be able to get suitable meat for prosciutto. Even in his homeland, not all provinces are entrusted with fattening livestock for the beloved bacon.

And to produce dry-cured pork, you need a smokehouse and skills to work with it. Without a doubt, you can learn, try, acquire the necessary equipment and, as a result, get high-quality ham that is much superior to store-bought varieties. But for prosciutto only go to Italians!

What to eat with prosciutto

It is usually consumed just like thin slices of ham with something. The nuance is that kiwi, figs or melon are served along with prosciutto, which emphasize and highlight its taste.

However, Italians also use their bacon in complex dishes, such as soups. In this case, it is added at the very end of cooking so that it does not lose its unique aroma and does not boil out.

Prosciutto also goes into pizza, which becomes almost a festive dish. If it serves as the meat component of a dinner, boiled vegetables like peas or asparagus become a side dish. An interesting dish with prosciutto is the recipe for which our people already liked: they wrap it like a sausage, for example, veal or, on the contrary, hide the prosciutto itself in a bread straw or a small melon.

This wonderful ham is also included in salads. One of the most delicious with arugula, tomatoes and Parmesan. To prepare it, the cheese is rubbed to form an airy mass. The arugula is arranged artistically, the tomatoes are cut into thin slices and placed on top. The mound is sprinkled with cheese, and prosciutto strips are laid out on it. All this richness is flavored with a sauce of mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper. Tasty until you lose your pulse!

Prosciutto is also a complete dish: a recipe with potatoes and mushrooms. For it, mashed potatoes are prepared, mushrooms (whatever you have) are fried in butter, after which garlic, wine and mustard are added to them. In this form, the mushrooms need to be stewed for a couple of minutes, then add cream and another couple of minutes. Beef steaks are wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto and fried in vegetable oil for 3 minutes on each side. Then the steaks are wrapped in foil, under which they languish on the table for several minutes until you set the table. With mashed potatoes, mushrooms and lettuce, this is a simply great dish.

Among the culinary “novelties” mastered by our compatriots, the leading place is occupied by the delights of Italian cuisine. Probably, the inhabitants of this vibrant country are close to us - if not in spirit, then in their food preferences. Even if someone doesn’t like pizza, he is quite capable of choosing some delicacy from Italian cuisine that will conquer the picky eater for the rest of his life.

Among these stomach-churning discoveries is prosciutto. Not everyone knows what it is, but many people would be happy for themselves if they tried it.

Italian lard

Of course, calling this delicacy that way is rude and unfair. Prosciutto doesn't deserve that name. That this is a variety of bacon or ham is beyond doubt, but it is a very distinguished ham.

The history of prosciutto is lost in the darkness of centuries. It is certain that it already existed in the times of Ancient Rome, but since then it has greatly improved in taste. Some analogues exist among many nationalities: the Spaniards praise jamon, the French consider jambon the pinnacle of ham taste, but only the Italians have truly achieved perfection.

Manufacturing Features

Subtleties and tricks begin with the maintenance and fattening of cattle going to prosciutto. There is no doubt that this affects the taste of the final product. For any type of this ham, pigs are fattened with fruits and acorns, but in each prosciutto-producing province there are secrets even in the diet of the animals. One of the secrets revealed by Parma is that they feed the pigs there with the whey left over from the production of Parma cheese. As a result, the prosciutto of this province has a completely different taste from other areas.

The same goes for spices. If Parma makes do with sea salt exclusively, then in other places they use pepper and garlic, and in others - specially selected herbs.

Varieties of Prosciutto

Based on the main technological differences, it comes in two types. When prepared as crudo, the pork butt is smoked raw. Moreover, for this variety, pigs are fed mainly with corn and fruits. Smoking takes at least eight months, and in some cases lasts up to two years. Among this category of hams, Cuneo prosciutto stands out. That this is also a crudo is undoubtedly, but this bacon is made using vinegar, although there is not much of it.

The second type of Italian bacon is called cotto. It is first steamed (or fried - it depends on the place of production) and only then smoked, and the second stage is much shorter than in the case of prosciutto crudo.

How to buy quality prosciutto

First of all, when purchasing Italian lard, you need to carefully study the labeling. The packaging must bear the inscription PDO Prosciutto. If it is not there, most likely it is an imitation, not even made in Italy. Many of these imitations cannot be eaten without frying, and they do not even taste remotely like prosciutto.

It is also advisable to buy it not in a vacuum bag: the taste in such packaging is quickly lost, but the “appearance” remains the same. As a result, you will not get what you were striving for.

If we ignore the inscriptions and packaging, then prosciutto should have a thick layer of fat, and this fat should be white, turning pink at the transition to the meat. The meat layer is not brown, not bright - pink and tender even in appearance. They'll give you a try - don't refuse. If you feel an unpleasant taste of rancidity, you should not take the product - either it was stored incorrectly, or the expiration date is ending, or this piece was removed from the vacuum film.

Can Italian ham be homemade?

Once you try the famous prosciutto, you really don’t want to give it up. In stores it is often not of very high quality - such ham must be stored in compliance with certain rules. Therefore, many people have a question about whether it is possible to make prosciutto at home? There is only one answer to this: absolutely not! Remember where dry-cured ham begins - with a properly fattened pig. And if you don’t have your own pig farm, plus oak forests for collecting acorns, plus the secrets of Italian masters, you won’t be able to get suitable meat for prosciutto. Even in his homeland, not all provinces are entrusted with fattening livestock for the beloved bacon.

And to produce dry-cured pork, you need a smokehouse and skills to work with it. Without a doubt, you can learn, try, acquire the necessary equipment and, as a result, get high-quality ham that is much superior to store-bought varieties. But for prosciutto - only to the Italians!

What to eat with prosciutto

Usually it is consumed just like ham - in thin slices with something. The nuance is that kiwi, figs or melon are served along with prosciutto, which emphasize and highlight its taste.

However, Italians also use their bacon in complex dishes, such as soups. In this case, it is added at the very end of cooking so that it does not lose its unique aroma and does not boil out.

Prosciutto also goes into pizza, which becomes almost a festive dish. If it serves as the meat component of a dinner, boiled vegetables like peas or asparagus become a side dish. An interesting dish with prosciutto is the recipe for which our people already liked: they wrap it like a sausage, for example, veal, or vice versa - they “hide” the prosciutto itself in a bread straw or a small melon.

This wonderful ham is also included in salads. One of the most delicious is with arugula, tomatoes and Parmesan. To prepare it, the cheese is rubbed to form an airy mass. The arugula is arranged artistically, the tomatoes are cut into thin slices and placed on top. The mound is sprinkled with cheese, and prosciutto strips are laid out on it. All this richness is flavored with a sauce of mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper. Tasty until you lose your pulse!

Prosciutto is also a complete dish: a recipe with potatoes and mushrooms. For it, mashed potatoes are prepared, mushrooms (whatever you have) are fried in butter, after which garlic, wine and mustard are added to them. In this form, the mushrooms need to be stewed for a couple of minutes, then add cream - and another couple of minutes. Beef steaks are wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto and fried in vegetable oil for 3 minutes on each side. Then the steaks are wrapped in foil, under which they languish on the table for several minutes until you set the table. With mashed potatoes, mushrooms and lettuce - just a great dish.

The famous name of prosciutto can be carried by dry-cured ham, created exclusively in Italy. Its preparation technology has been carefully preserved and followed since Roman times.

Prosciutto is prepared in different regions of Italy using a similar recipe. But the difference in seemingly insignificant nuances allows the taste of ham prepared, for example, in Parma, to differ significantly from jambona Valle d’Aosta.

Jambon is also a dry-cured ham; it’s just that the region’s proximity to French territories gave it such a sonorous name.

Most prosciutto varieties have the obligatory DOP in their name, Prosciutto di Parma DOP, Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, Prosciutto di Modena DOP, Prosciutto Toscano DOP, Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo DOP, Prosciutto di Carpegna DOP, Valle d'Aosta Jambon de Bosses DOP.

This abbreviation protects products of national brands. This is a kind of guarantee that prosciutto is made only in the place stated in the name, with the strictest adherence to technology and cooking features.

Cooking prosciutto: secrets of technology

The technology for preparing prosciutto in all regions is generally identical, but it also has its differences. The taste of the dish is affected by:

• pig breed,
• her grazing place,
• diet for fattening,
• weight and age of the carcass at the time of slaughter,
• set of spices used,
• salting and ripening period,
• even the climate characteristics of the area where the ham was dried.

Prosciutto at home: is it possible?

At first glance, it may seem that you can easily prepare prosciutto at home. This is wrong. Of course, such meat has no right to be called prosciutto, but it is quite possible to prepare a good homemade dry-cured pork ham.

To do this, rub the meat with dry sea salt, and very generously. The salting period depends on the weight and age of the ham - on average it is a period of 10 to 20 days. Then the meat is washed and allowed to rest.

It is advisable to put the meat under a press - this will allow any remaining excess moisture to come out. Then the open cut, not protected by skin, is greased with a mixture of softened lard, pepper, preferred spices and dried herbs. A mixture of Provençal herbs will give the meat a light Italian flavor.

Then follows the drying process, which is considered the most responsible: slight fluctuations in humidity can easily turn all efforts into dust. The ham may simply bloom, which is what happens most often. This is why not every cook can make dry-cured meat. That is why few people are involved in this matter; only true experts in this matter undertake the preparation of real prosciutto.

The ripening of the ham should occur gradually, with a slowly but surely increasing temperature and decreasing air humidity in the room. The drying period, again, is a matter of taste: it could be 10 months, or maybe two years.

Which type of prosciutto should you choose?

Prosciutto cotto

For your first experience of cooking ham yourself, it is better to experiment with cooked meat. In Italy, such ham is called prosciutto cotto, and there is no particular specificity in its preparation.

This is just a good, tasty, familiar ham, with which it is customary to prepare a delicious sauce for spaghetti Carbonara, and include it in the list of ingredients for many salads with prosciutto and appetizers. The popular “Prosciutto e fungi” pizza is prepared with cotto ham and mushrooms.

It is worth noting here that ham, which is sold in our stores at a price that does not reach the price of fresh meat, not only cannot be compared with prosciutto cotto, but by and large should not be called ham.

Prosciutto crudo

Prosciutto crudo is dry-cured meat. The method of preparing crudo is associated all over the world with the name prosciutto itself, so it is somehow not customary to mention it. Only one variety of prosciutto has this designation in its name - Crudo di Cuneo DOP. Thus, it was separated from the general list of dry-cured ham.

The fact is that this is the only type of prosciutto that uses vinegar in its preparation. Only at the beginning of our millennium did it receive the DOP designation and long-awaited recognition.

The taste of all varieties of prosciutto crudo is subtle and self-sufficient - it does not require improvements or additions, so most often this product is served as an independent dish.

Prosciutto di Parma

For a very long time, the most popular and beloved variety of prosciutto throughout the world has been the product from Parma. The legendary Prosciutto di Parma DOP has its own characteristic, pronounced and unique taste, about which there is actually a legend associated with the great and terrible Carthaginian commander Hannibal, who lived in the second century BC.

The age of the Parma prosciutto recipe is no less impressive than its delicate, subtle and slightly sweet taste.

Usually these are the thinnest translucent slices with crostini or fruit. Although experts do not recommend consuming melon during or after meals, it was in combination with melon prosciutto di Parma that conquered the world.

Prosciutto and jamon: the difference

Many connoisseurs of meat delicacies are wondering what is the difference between jamon and prosciutto?

Naturally, a product such as prosciutto cannot but have analogues in other countries. The Spaniards excel at preparing the equally famous jamon, which, like prosciutto in Italy, is a national treasure of Spain and has its own special marking for the uniqueness of its preparation and taste.

The general principle of preparing prosciutto and jamon is very similar, but a colossal number of distinctive nuances still make them different products. Connoisseurs can easily recognize the difference between jamon and prosciutto not only by the color and texture of dry-cured pork: the meat of animals fed on the acorns of centuries-old cork oaks has a special, unforgettable and incomparable taste.

When visiting Italy, do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying a real Italian delicacy - prosciutto. Treat yourself to an unforgettable celebration of taste!