Prosciutto


Prosciutto, also known as prosciutto crudo, is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. It is usually served thinly sliced.
Several regions in Italy have their own variations of prosciutto crudo, each with degrees of protected status, but the most prized are Prosciutto di Parma DOP, from Emilia-Romagna, and Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Unlike speck from the South Tyrol region, prosciutto is not smoked. There is also a tradition of making prosciutto in southern Switzerland.
In Italian, prosciutto means any type of ham, either dry-cured or cooked, but in English-speaking countries, it usually means either Italian prosciutto crudo or similar hams made elsewhere. However, the word prosciutto itself is not protected; cooked ham may legally be, and in practice is, sold as prosciutto in English-speaking regions.

Etymology

The word prosciutto derives in turn from Italian asciutto, with prefix substitution, or from Vulgar Latin pro + exsuctus ; the Portuguese presunto has the same etymology. It is similar to the modern Italian verb prosciugare.

History

The history of prosciutto begins in pre-Roman times in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Archaeological evidence of pig farming dates back from the 11th and 8th centuries BC. Celts settled the area around 600 BC, changed the land and water use, and bred pigs for meat. The practice became more organised after their first contact with the Roman Empire, as pork meat was a favourite in the Roman diet. The ancient Romans recognised that the local factors of low humidity, ventilation, and a hilly piedmont climate allowed for superior meat preservation, marking the origins of the specialized curing method based on the region's microclimate.

Manufacture

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 example prosciutto di agnello. 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:
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 with sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate, which are generally used in other hams to produce the desired rosy colour and unique flavour, but only sea salt is used in protected designation of origin hams. Such rosy pigmentation is produced by a direct chemical reaction of nitric oxide with myoglobin to form nitrosomyoglobin, followed by concentration of the pigments due to drying. Bacteria convert the added nitrite or nitrate to nitric oxide.

European Union–protected designations of origin

''Prosciutto crudo''

Under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, certain well-established meat products, including some local prosciutto, are covered by a protected designation of origin and other, less stringent designations of geographical origin for traditional specialties. Various regions have their own PDO, whose specifications do not generally require ham from free range pigs. The simple Italian description prosciutto, used alone or with crudo or cotto, is not in itself a protected term.
The two famous types of Italian prosciutto crudo are: prosciutto crudo di Parma, from Parma, and prosciutto crudo di San Daniele, from the San Daniele del Friuli area, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Prosciutto di Parma has a slightly nutty flavour from the Parmesan 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, prohibiting additives such as nitrite and nitrate that are often used in unprotected products.
European protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication apply for several prosciutto varieties in Italy, each slightly different in colour, flavour, and texture:
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 an appetizer.
Strolghino is a salami prepared from leftover cuts of culatello.

''Pršut''

Prosciutto, locally called pršut, is produced in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia. Pršut from Dalmatia and Herzegovina are smoked, unlike the Italian product, while that from Slovenia, Istria, and Krk is not smoked. The mountain village of Njeguši, in Montenegro, produces the smoked njeguški pršut.
The following types of pršut have a protected status in the European Union and the UK:
CountryGeographical AreaNameGeographical IndicationYear of registration
Croatiapart of DalmatiaDalmatinski pršutPGI2016
CroatiaŠibenik-Knin CountyDrniški pršutPGI2015
Croatia and Sloveniapart of IstriaIstarski pršut / Istrski pršutPDO2015
Sloveniapart of the KrasKraški pršutPGI2012
CroatiaKrkKrčki pršutPGI2015