 Prosciutto di Parma | |
| Alternative names | Prosciutto crudo |
|---|---|
| Type | Ham |
| Place of origin | Italy |
Prosciutto (/prəˈʃuːtoʊ,proʊˈ-/prə-SHOO-toh, proh-;[2][3][4][5]Italian:[proʃˈʃutto][6]), also known asprosciutto crudo, is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-curedham. It is usually served thinly sliced.
Several regions in Italy have their own variations ofprosciutto crudo, each with degrees ofprotected status, but the most prized areProsciutto di ParmaDOP, fromEmilia-Romagna, andProsciutto di San Daniele DOP, fromFriuli-Venezia Giulia. Unlike speck (Speck Alto Adige) from theSouth Tyrol region, prosciutto is not smoked. There is also a tradition ofmaking prosciutto in southern Switzerland.[7]
InItalian,prosciutto means any type of ham, either dry-cured (prosciutto crudo or simplycrudo) or cooked (prosciutto cotto),[8][9] but in English-speaking countries, it usually means either Italianprosciutto crudo or similar hams made elsewhere.[10][11][12] However, the wordprosciutto itself is not protected; cooked ham may legally be, and in practice is, sold asprosciutto (usually asprosciutto cotto, and from Italy or made in the Italian style) in English-speaking regions.[13][14][15]
The wordprosciutto derives in turn fromItalianasciutto (lit. 'dry'), withprefix substitution,[16] or fromVulgar Latinpro (before) +exsuctus (past participle ofexsugere, 'to suck out [the moisture]');[17] the Portuguesepresunto has the same etymology. It is similar to the modern Italian verbprosciugare ('to dry thoroughly'; fromLatinpro +exsucare ('to extract the juices from')).[18]
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Prosciutto is made from either a pig's or a wild boar's hind leg or thigh, and the base term prosciutto specifically refers to this product. Prosciutto may also be made using the hind leg of other animals, in which case the name of the animal is included in the name of the product, for exampleprosciutto di agnello (lit. 'lamb ham'). The process of making prosciutto can take from nine months to two years, depending on the size of the ham.
A writer on Italian food,Bill Buford, describes talking to an old Italian butcher who says:
When I was young, there was one kind of prosciutto. It was made in the winter, by hand, and aged for two years. It was sweet when you smelled it. A profound perfume. Unmistakable. To age a prosciutto is a subtle business. If it's too warm, the aging process never begins. The meat spoils. If it's too dry, the meat is ruined. It needs to be damp but cool. The summer is too hot. In the winter—that's when you makesalumi. Your prosciutto. Yoursoppressata. Yoursausages.[19]
Today, the ham is first cleaned,salted, and left for about two months. During this time, the ham is pressed gradually and carefully to drain all blood left in the meat without breaking the bone. Next, it is washed several times to remove the salt and is hung in a dark, well-ventilated environment. The surrounding air is important to the final quality of the ham; the best results are obtained in a cold climate. The ham is then left until dry. The time this takes varies, depending on the local climate and size of the ham. When the ham is completely dry, it is hung to air, either at room temperature or in a controlled environment, for up to 18 months.
Prosciutto is sometimes cured withnitrites (eithersodium orpotassium), which are generally used in other hams to produce the desired rosy colour and unique flavour, but onlysea salt is used inprotected designation of origin (PDO) hams. Such rosy pigmentation is produced by a direct chemical reaction of nitric oxide withmyoglobin to form nitrosomyoglobin, followed by concentration of the pigments due to drying. Bacteria convert the added nitrite or nitrate to nitric oxide.
Under theCommon Agricultural Policy of theEuropean Union (EU), certain well-established meat products, including some local prosciutto, are covered by aprotected designation of origin (PDO) and other, less stringent designations of geographical origin for traditional specialties. Various regions have their own PDO, whose specifications do not generally require ham fromfree range pigs. The simple Italian descriptionprosciutto, used alone or withcrudo orcotto, is not in itself a protected term.
The two famous types of Italianprosciutto crudo are:prosciutto crudo di Parma, fromParma, andprosciutto crudo di San Daniele, from theSan Daniele del Friuli area, in theFriuli-Venezia Giulia region.[20]Prosciutto di Parma has a slightly nutty flavour from theParmesan whey that is sometimes added to the pigs' diet.Prosciutto di San Daniele is darker, and sweeter in flavour. For both of them, the product regulations allow salt as the only additive to the meat,[21][22] prohibiting additives such as nitrite and nitrate that are often used in unprotected products.
European protected designation of origin (PDO) andprotected geographical indication (PGI) apply for several prosciutto varieties in Italy, each slightly different in colour, flavour, and texture:[9]
Culatello con cotenna [it] is similar to prosciutto, but is made from the filet or loin of the hind leg. It is aged in a cow or pig's bladder as a casing to prevent spoilage and contamination.Culatello di Zibello possesses PDO status. It is commonly served as anappetizer (antipasto).
Strolghino is a salami prepared from leftover cuts ofculatello.[23]
Prosciutto, locally calledpršut, is produced inMontenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Slovenia (especially theKarst Plateau and theVipava Valley), andCroatia (Dalmatia, the island ofKrk, andIstria).Pršut from Dalmatia andHerzegovina are smoked, unlike the Italian product, while that from Slovenia, Istria, and Krk is not smoked.[24] The mountain village ofNjeguši, in Montenegro, produces the smokednjeguški pršut.
The following types ofpršut have aprotected status in the European Union and the UK:[25][26]
| Country | Geographical Area | Name | Geographical Indication | Year of registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | part ofDalmatia | Dalmatinski pršut | PGI | 2016 |
| Croatia | Šibenik-Knin County | Drniški pršut | PGI | 2015 |
| Croatia and Slovenia | part ofIstria | Istarski pršut /Istrski pršut | PDO | 2015 |
| Slovenia | part of theKras | Kraški pršut | PGI | 2012 |
| Croatia | Krk | Krčki pršut | PGI | 2015 |
Prosciutto means 'ham' in Italian and is a term particularly used to describe ham that has been seasoned, cured and air-dried.Prosciutto cotto is cooked, andprosciutto crudo is raw, although, because it has been salt-cured, it is ready to eat.
Additives: None. Only the use of salt is allowed (sodium chloride).
Sea salt is used exclusively for salting, as the use of other chemical substances, preservatives and additives is completely prohibited throughout the preparation.
Prosciutto at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject| Types of ham | |
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| Ham dishes | |
| Ham producers | |
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