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 There's a lot a person could do with a ham. In an Almodovar
film, an exasperated housewife uses one to kill her husband. The Italians
have turned to making it a culinary work of art, dedicating 9 to 18 months
to the process, depending on weight. The proof of their efforts lies in the
taste and texture of the best cured hams in the world, universally known as
prosciutto. Particularly good are those from Parma and San Daniele,
enjoyed in paper-thin slices. In addition to these prominent products,
there are myriad Tuscan and Umbrian prosciutti, prosciutto di montagna
(mountain ham) and the greatest delicacy of them all - culatello, a legendary
super-prosciutto from the Emilia region. Parma ProsciuttoParma is a cultivated city, wealthy and well-disposed, located in the EmiliaRomagna region. This is one place where people know how to live well:Sunday mornings are whiled away breakfasting (for at least 2 hours!) on cold-cuts and champagne at a bistro with friends. People who know so well that there's a time to work and a time to enjoy, couldn't do anything but produce a truly perfect prosciutto. More than 200 curers are located in the Parma region, where hams are sent from all over to be cured without added chemicals in the area's exceptional air. At the end of the curing process,the hams graduate with honors: certified prosciutti di Parma with a characteristic cornelian red color and melt-in-your-mouth taste.The "Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma" is the farmers' union safeguarding the quality and goodness of Parma prosciutto. In order to be entitled to the"Parma prosciutto" distinction, a prosciutto ham must bear the mark representing a five pointed ducal crown, symbol of the Consorzio. (ph. 0521-243987). Recipe  San Daniele ProsciuttoThe curing process depends on a delicate balance of curing and"resting"phases: one slip and the ham is ruined. Prosciutto is possessed of a delicate constituion which does not allow it to be cured just anywhere. It demands a rather particular climate. Producers in Veneto have known for centuries that conditions in the San Daniele area bordering Friuli effect the best results. In San Daniele whole pork hinds, including the foot, are cured. These "graduates" are of a pinky-red hue, marbled with veins of fat which ensure tenderness and should absolutely not be discarded. They also have a flatter pan shape, compared to Parma prosciutto which is usually rounded. Recipe Prosciutti di Montagna Like less distinguished but worthy scholars, the prosciutti crafted in Umbria and Toscana, too, merit a diploma. These are often produced by family farm businesses and are full of character. Norcia, a city in Umbria noted for its cold-cut production, inspired the term norcineria , which is another name for a salumeria (= a store specialized in cold cuts and cheese). The prosciutti di montagna are relatively salty, one reason why they go so well with the unsalted breads of central Italy. These hams are sliced by hand in thick slices.  CulatelloThe king of the Prosciutto is scarcely found outside Zibello, a community in Parma province whose claim to fame is due solely to culatello. In centuries past, the name culatello was rarely spoken, owing to its similarlty to the word culo, a none-too-fine Italian name for the derrière. Legend has it that the culatello was actually born of an error made whena butcher's boy accidentally cut into the most prized section of a pork hind, the rump. From that time on, the boned rump has been worked into its characteristic pear shape, kept tender inside by a knob of white or rosy fat and protected externally by a layer of fat all round. If you happen upon a true culatello, snap it up: it could very well be a once in a lifetime chance. Recipe |
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