PDO Parma Ham

HISTORY
The word “prosciutto” (ham) derives from the Latin prae exuctus, meaning 'dried up'. In the XIV century in Parma the salt proceeding from the wells in the thermal town of Salsomaggiore began to be used for pork meat storage. The ancient Gauls and Romans already knew since a long time the art of salting and preserving meats, in fact the earliest evidence on the processing and preservation of pork meat by salting can be found in the works of Cato dating back to the II century BC.

CHARACTERISTICS
PDO Parma Ham has a uniform colour between pink and red, interspersed and surrounded by the pure white of fat. The flavour is delicate and sweet, slightly salty and with a fragrant aroma. The process begins with the selection of the pig. Specifications establish the place of origin, which must be limited to the regions of Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, Veneto, Piedmont, Tuscany, Molise, Umbria, Lazio, Marche and Abruzzi; weight and age must be not less than 145 kg and 9 months respectively; and the race, which must be Large White, Landrance or Duroc. After the slaughter, the thighs considered suitable for the application are identified by the mark "P.P." and the initials of the slaughterhouse. The maturation of Parma ham can be extended up to 24 months or longer.
PRODUCTION AREA
To obtain Parma ham, a prerequisite is that the entire processing is done in "typical area": it means a very limited area which comprises the territory in the province of Parma located south of the Emilia road, at least 5 km away from it, up to an altitude of m. 900, bordered to the east by the River Enza and to the west by the River Stirone. Here and only here, the King of Hams can be produced.