Italy Typical Foods: Prosciutto

Discover the secrets of one of the great Italy typical foods, prosciutto.

High quality prosciutto crudo is highly prized by Italian gourmets.

The making of this pork product involves great knowledge and months of care and aging. Each prosciutto is treated with great attention and almost tenderness by the manufactures.

Nutritional Value

Good quality hams don’t contain preservatives, sodium nitrate or nitrite, the only admitted ingredients for a high quality prosciutto are salt and pork.

This kind of ham is healthy and nutritious.

During the aging, la stagionatura, the proteins are broken down and become easier to digest.

Prosciutto is also a low cholesterol food. Actually it seems that most of the saturated fats of the raw meat, with a proper processing, turn into healthier unsaturated fats.

Best Italian Prosciutto

The best known brand are prosciutto di Parma and San Daniele, but many others are manufactured in Italy.

The contribution from Le Marche region to the production of this kind of high quality Italy typical foods is Prosciutto di Carpegna.

This kind of ham has been made in a small area on the mountains of Montefeltro since the Renaissance times.

Carpegna ham comes in two varieties the “San Leo”, sweet and fragrant and “Ghianda” of more intense flavor.

The ingredients are selected carefully and the processing of each prosciutto takes at least one year.

Preparation

The hams are pressed, massaged with salt, left to dry and then again washed with vine, treated with lard, flour and pepper and finally hanged to age in special cellars for at least twelve months.

During the aging period, the hams are tested with a horse bone.

I thought that the exclusive use of this kind of bone was rather extravagant but I am told that it has the property to absorb and release quickly the aromas which makes it the ideal tool for this purpose.

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Cutting ham in thin slices is almost an art form.

When sliced with a machine it comes in thinner slices, but nothing beats the taste of a ham cut by hand.

The proper knife is long, thin, sharp and mean looking. After freeing the prosciutto from the rind, the ham must be cut in thin slices following the muscle fibers and always leaving a little fat for sweetness and softness.

To learn how to slice the prosciutto like a pro click on fai il test del taglio virtuale on the top left of the page and take the test.


Prosciutto Tasting

Prosciutto with fresh Italian bread makes a great appetizer or a tasty lunch.

During the summer can be served with melon or figs for an unexpected sweet/savory contrast.