IT might be a region a quarter the size of county Limerick but the Italian comune of Parma packs an economic and epicurean punch far above its weight n an international level. Having shared the story of Parmigiano Reggiano last month, this week it is the turn of Parma ham or Prosciutto di Parma and who would have thought that it would have become the sensation that it is…well i am sure the Italians did.
And so having covered the wondrous wheels of cheese, the shift is made to ham and their 12 month curing with nothing more than the legs of Italian pigs, air, salt and time.
The product is still produced in the same way that it has been done for years and that uniqueness is now protected under the Ducal Crown as a PDO product (Protected Denomination of Origin) which means it can only be produced and cured in the traditional production area near Parma. That way you know you are getting the real thing.
Production relies on uniqueness and the conditions of the region have stood the test of time and indeed that is what has made the production of the highest quality hams possible to this day. Low in cholesterol might sound somewhat of a stretch but eaten as part of the main Italian diet has proven this very fact and its incorporation into many menus, aside from accompanying melon or fig, has brought Parma ham right through the food journey such a product deserves.
Part of the trip encountered a stop at Rosa dell Angelo, just outside the city bounds and in the surrounding hills and landscape. Picturesque and magical, the land and form is breathtaking but that is only a sidebar to the real reason we are there. The curing of pig legs for Parma ham is big business, not necessarily of the multinational global domination kind but one filled with pride and more so pride of place and purpose. That’s Italian big business.
The curing house uses pigs that roam free on the farm in Rivalta and the black leg variety eat and graze on the lands bounty that in turn naturally flavours the meat in the final stages. This open air approach to breeding is key to the protection of the traditions that are associated with Parma ham, traditions that are set to last long after us.
There is a link formed also with the region’s other famous export, Parmigiano Reggiano, as the pigs are often fed the whey from the cheese production process often adding a salty characteristic.
The company say that their handmade raw ham takes two forms:
Two pigs
Two flavours
The black pig ham, of a deep red colour and intense flavour, reminds most of the wood’s scent and is deeply sweet due to the breeding and feeding in the woods.
The white pig ham has a lighter colour and an elegant flavour deriving from grains and the sweetness of milk rennet.
With a view to strengthening their position, In 1963, the Parma Ham Consortium, an organisation of producers (then 23, now 160) who use and safeguard the traditional processing method, was set up to defend and protect the quality of the King of Hams.
Since then, the Consortium protects Parma Ham through specifications that lay down the characteristics and production methods of the most highly regarded cured ham in the world.
The Consortium ensures compliance with production specifications so as to guarantee a good, genuine and completely natural product to consumers.
The Consortium’s signature – the five-point ducal crown – is a true quality mark and a warranty to the consumer.
Looking to the production and indeed the raw product, the pig selected for Parma Ham is a “special” pig born and reared in 10 regions of central northern Italy, exclusively of Large White, Landrace and Duroc breed, and fed on quality food such as maize, barley and whey from the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. A heavy Italian pig, characterised by mature, firm, compact and tasty meat: the ideal raw material for an excellent, healthy and wholesome product.
The Parma Ham Consortium was set up to guarantee the unmistakable sweetness of Parma Ham. In pursuit of this aim, it has imposed a precise method on the producing companies with full respect for tradition: Parma Ham must successfully pass
all the production stages that end with a careful examination and subsequent fire “crowning” with the well-known brand.
Here is a detailed description of the procedure for producing
the true, sweet Parma Ham:
1. Cutting – the pig must be healthy, rested and have fasted for 15 hours
2. Cooling – the leg is cold stored for 24 hours
3. Trimming – fat and skin are removed to give that typical shape
4. Salting – humid and dry salt is liberally applied by hand
5. Rest – it rests for 60 to 70 days with the excess salt removed
6. Washing/drying – excess salt and impurities are removed and the hams air-dry
7. Pre-curing – the hams are hung on wooden frames under regulated air flow
8. Greasing – a paste of lard, salt and pepper is applied to the exposed meat area
9. Curing – the hams are transferred to the cellars for curing after seven months
10. Branding – after 12 months the hams are branded with the Ducal Crown
Then it can be enjoyed as the product we have known for years.
Some facts and figures:
160 companies producing over 9million which were branded in 2011
4781 Pig farms are responsible for a Parma Ham production value of €740 million
Consumer turnover runs at €1,500 million
Sales Abroad totalled €210 million in 2011 through some 2.3million hams exported
The tour to Parma was facilitated by the Dialogue Agency in London.
