In today's globalized world, Italian regional delicacies are now widely available in different restaurants and even supermarkets all over the world. Prosciutto, or Italian ham, is prized for its sweet-salty flavor. Although the overall process of producing prosciutto is the same- trimming, salting, air curing, greasing, and then further curing, different regions produce different flavors of prosciutto, with their own specific secret recipe and standards.
Prosciutto is still produced by small breeders and farms, but undergoes rigorous quality checking. When buying prosciutto, it should be checked if it is a Protected Denomination of Origin, or PDO Prosciutto. Having a PDO label means that the prosciutto adheres to the strict standard of that particular area. San Daniele is one such famous town, whose high-quality prosciutto is attributed by residents to the low humidity, mix of warm and cold breezes, and hillside climate.
For PDO Prosciutto di San Daniele, the pig must be at least nine months old, weigh more than 353 pounds, and its uncured thigh with a weight of 25 pounds. The hams are sprinkled with local sea salt and aged for at least 12 months to two years, stacked one atop of the other with weights so the sea salt can penetrate faster. As a result, San Daniele Prosciutto is longer and flatter than others, and the hoof is also included. Prosciutto is enjoyed worldwide in various ways, from simply wrapping it around fruit like lemon and figs to stuffing it in other kinds of meat for main dishes.
No comments:
Post a Comment