History of Prosciutto di Parma:

One of the earliest references to ham production in Parma appeared about 100 B.C. in the writings of Cato, who described the practice of burying pork legs in barrels filled with salt. The meat was then dried and smoked. As the process of making air-cured Parma Ham® was refined, the smoking step was discontinued.

During classical times, hams from Parma were one of the delicacies featured on banquet tables. In fact, the pairing of melon or figs with Prosciutto di Parma® may have roots in the Roman custom of starting meals with fruit.

Nearly one thousand years ago, Hannibal is believed to have stopped north of Parma to fortify himself and his troops with local wine, bread and the ancestor of today’s Prosciutto di Parma. On the main door of Parma’s 13th-century cathedral is a sculpture depicting the months of the year. November is identified by the killing of a pig.Traditionally, every Parma family in the countryside kept a pig, which was butchered in late fall. Most parts were preserved, but this was also a time of feasting on every part of the pig. The winter festival called the “maialata” continues to be celebrated as a time when area restaurants serve all manner of pork specialties. Until the 19th century, private homes were pressed into service during the curing season. With hams suspended from ceilings in every room, Parma’s inhabitants literally ate, slept and breathed ham! Eventually, the home drying was supplanted by “apartment houses” with long narrow windows that opened to allow fresh air to circulate around the hams.

The five-pointed ducal crown is a reminder of the Duchy of Parma, which came into being with the Farnese family in the 15th century and continued under the regimes of the Bourbons, Napoleon and the Austrian Duchess Maria Luigia. Parma became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.

In Parma and elsewhere in Italy, a typical serving of Prosciutto di Parma consists of three or four slices draped artfully on a plate—with bread and perhaps a glass of dry Malvasia, the slightly sparkling white wine of the region.

Parma’s incomparable ham comes from a region known for other prestigious products, most notably Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar. Centered between Tuscany and the Veneto, Emilia-Romagna boasts exceptionally rich and varied culinary traditions. Typical dishes include tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese, vegetables pickled in balsamic vinegar and torta fritta (fried bread dough) wrapped around paper-thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma.

Specially Raised Pigs

The hams are made from the rear haunches of pigs bred in north-central Italy specifically for Prosciutto di Parma production. Their feed, too, is specially formulated—a blend of cereal grains and whey from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese production. The pigs are nine months old and must weigh a minimum of 340 pounds at the time of slaughter.

Trimming and Salting

At the prosciuttificio, or processing plant, some skin and fat are removed to give the ham its typical “chicken drumstick” shape.

A highly trained maestro salatore, or salt master, rubs sea salt into the meat, which is then refrigerated at 80% humidity for about a week. Residual salt is removed and the ham gets a second thin coating of salt, which is left on another 15 to 18 days, depending on weight.

By making daily adjustments in temperature and humidity, the maestro ensures that the legs absorb just enough salt to cure them—thereby preserving Prosciutto di Parma’s reputation as a “sweet ham.”

Resting and Initial Curing

The hams hang for 60 to 70 days in refrigerated, humidity-controlled rooms. The meat darkens but will return to its original rosy color in the final days of curing.

Next, the hams are washed with warm water and brushed to remove excess salt, then hung in drying rooms.

Now the hams are hung on frames in airy “pre-curing” rooms with large windows that are opened when the outside temperature and humidity are favorable. Connoisseurs believe that this period, when the Parma Hams are bathed in aromatic breezes, is critical to the development of the ham’s distinctive flavor. By the end of this phase, which lasts about three months, the exposed surface of the meat has dried and hardened.

Final Curing

The hams are moved to dark, cellar-like rooms, where the exposed surfaces are softened with a paste of minced lard, salt and pepper. The hams hang on racks for an additional three to five months—by the end, they will have lost more than a quarter of their original weight.

Altogether, the hams are cured at least four hundred days, and some are cured as long as 30 months.

Quality Testing

At the end of the curing phase, an inspector pierces each ham at five critical points with a porous horsebone needle, sniffing it after each puncture and inhaling the aroma. This helps determine whether the ham is of sufficiently high quality to be sold as Prosciutto di Parma. Only perfection will do: About 4% of the hams are rejected.

Fire Branding

Hams that pass all of the quality control tests are fire branded with the official mark of the Consorzio, the five-point ducal crown that identifies them as genuine Prosciutto di Parma.

Nutritional value:

A serving of two slices (roughly one ounce) of Prosciutto di Parma contains:

• about 75 calories
• 6 grams of protein
• 6 grams of fat, roughly two-thirds of it the “good” unsaturated kind.

Because Prosciutto has almost no carbohydrates, it is a wonderful choice for low-carb dieters. Endurance athletes such as bicycle racers and soccer players, in Italy and elsewhere, use Prosciutto di Parma as an energy booster because it contains free amino acids, a “quick metabolizing” form of protein. Prosciutto is also a good source of many B-vitamins, especially thiamin, and contains 500 milligrams sodium per serving.

A Source Of Energy

It is the free amino acids in Prosciutto di Parma that provide the “quick energy” needed by mountain climbers, bicycle racers and other athletes.The metabolic process of neoglucogenesis converts amino acids to glucose, the body’s main source of energy. The sodium content helps replace lost electrolytes during endurance activities. And, because Prosciutto di Parma is a cured meat with a relatively low moisture content, it can be carried on long hikes and climbs without fear of spoilage.

A Highly Digestible Food

Prosciutto di Parma is valued by Italians as a protein source that is easily digestible.
During curing, proteolytic enzymes break down the long protein molecules into smaller molecules called amino acids. The high content of free amino acids is the main reason why Prosciutto di Parma is so digestible.

Prosciutto di Parma is nearly always served in very thin slices. It is, therefore, easy to chew and the digestive enzymes can go to work quickly and efficiently to break down the protein for absorption.