Prosciutto di Parma: History, Information, Interesting Facts

What is prosciutto crudo?

Although many may already know what Parma ham (‘Prosciutto di Parma’) is, it may be not so obvious to many others, especially to all the ‘food lovers’ who don’t live in Italy. As it’s easy to understand from the name itself, it’s a type of ham from the province of Parma, the Italian city located in the Emilia-Romagna Region.
This delight for the palate is heir to a millenary tradition involving many ancient peoples, all of them in need of a kind of food that could be preserved over time without going bad. Treating pork meat with salt was one of the most appetizing solutions to this important requirement, giving birth to a technique destined to be improved during the centuries.

Parma ham, as we know it today, is the final result of the evolution of this technique: it consists of the back leg of particular breeds of pigs, properly treated and matured thanks to the skill of expert craftsmen. A specialty with a sweet and delicate flavor that, despite being the perfect ingredient for many exquisite recipes, certainly gives its best when eaten alone.

I PRODUTTORI PIU’ TRADIZIONALI

This article is the fruit of the collaboration between WebFoodCulture and the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.

The true Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham) is produced in a very small area located in the province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna Region): it’s bordered to the north by the Via Emilia, to the east by the Enza river and to the west by the torrent Stirone. Many of the manufacturing companies are based in the town of Langhirano.

The history of Prosciutto di Parma.

The earliest evidence of the production of ​​a specialty similar to what we now call ‘prosciutto’ in the Parma area date back to the Etruscan period. At that time, the populations settled in the Padan territories used a method involving the use of salt to preserve pork meat. The result was a kind of food not only appetizing but also extremely practical, given the extreme difficulty that the preservation of aliments once entailed. It’s therefore not surprising that it was much appreciated by both the Greeks and the Romans: the latter called the ancestor of ham ‘perna’ if it was made with the thigh of the pig, or ‘petaso’ if it was made with the shoulder (*1). When the Empire fell, it was the people of the Lombards who perpetuated the tradition.

During the Middle Ages, the ‘beccai’ guild took care of meat processing in the Parma area. In 1459 the ‘lardaioli’ guild, specialized in the treatment of pigs, was born. Many testimonials confirm the great success of Parma ham on the tables of the noble Renaissance families.
In the following centuries, the celebrity of this specialty further increased. Two years are particularly important in its history: 1963, when the Consortium was founded, and 1996 when the Protected Designation of Origin was assigned.

Note:
*1: One of the most famous Roman streets, via Panisperna, derives its name from the combination of two Latin words: ‘panis’ (bread) and ‘perna’ (ham/prosciutto).

Many testimonies about the origin of prosciutto have reached us thanks to famous Roman writers. Among them Cato the Censor (160 BC), who in his book ‘De Agri Cultura’ explains how to preserve pork thighs using salt, and Varrone (37 BC), who in the ‘De Re Rustica’ celebrates the great skill of the Gauls in treating pork meat (*1).

Ancient Romans considered the ancestor of ‘prosciutto’ particularly suitable for feeding their legions. This food, in fact, did not require cooking, allowing their armies great mobility, at the same guaranteeing the correct nutritional intake: both elements of fundamental importance in the campaigns of conquest.

Hannibal eats raw ham.

It is said (*1) that Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian general, during the campaign of conquest of Italy, after defeating the Roman army in the battle of Trebbia (218 BC), was joyfully greeted by the citizens of Parma. As a sign of respect, they offered him their most precious food: salted pork thigh. This specialty can be considered the true ancestor of Italian ham (‘prosciutto’).

Note:
*1: This anecdote is usually attributed to ‘John B. Dancer’, a pseudonym often used by Giovanni Ballarini, historian of gastronomy.

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

In 1996 the European Union assigned to Prosciutto di Parma the Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O./D.O.P.): thus recognizing the particular value of this product and its indissoluble bond with the territory of origin.
The PDO implies the legal protection of this ham under the aegis of the Community: to keep this right, the prosciutto must necessarily meet certain requirements, first of all, the geographical origin (*1), listed in a product specification document.

Note:
*1: The entire production process must take place in the ‘typical area’: a specific, well-delimited place, characterized by particular human and natural factors (such as the mastery of local artisans and the climate).

It’s no mystery that the famous Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini, who lived in the first half of the XIX Century and was the composer of famous operas such as ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’ (‘The Barber of Seville’) and ‘La Gazza Ladra’, was a great lover of good food. Less known is his passion for Prosciutto di Parma, which the musician used as an ingredient in some of the recipes he invented.

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It would be impossible to list here all the right wines, Italian and foreign, to accompany Prosciutto di Parma. The most suitable choice is certainly something quite aromatic and medium-bodied, to balance the sweet and delicate taste of the ham. Something like a ‘Malvasia dei Colli di Parma’ or a ‘Sauvignon’.

The ‘Consorzio del prosciutto di Parma’ is the association of the most traditional producers of the famous Italian ham. It was founded in 1963 to guarantee its quality, defend it from imitation attempts and at the same time promote it in the world. Today the Consortium includes 150 companies.

CONTACTS:
Address: Largo Piero Calamandrei, 1/a
43121 Parma (PR)
Website: www.prosciuttodiparma.com
Mail: info@prosciuttodiparma.com
Tel.: +39 0521 246211