What is Parma Ham?
Parma ham is a type of dry-cured ham from the Parma region of Italy. It is one of the most well-known varieties of prosciutto crudo, an uncooked ham. Parma ham is used in a wide range of meals, and can be enjoyed on its own as an antipasto.
Parma ham is cured in Parma because of the unique geography of the place, which ensure constant gentle breezes coming across the hills. More than two-hundred curing facilities are found in Parma, and all the world’s Parma ham is made there. Like many specialty foods and beverages in Italy, the production of Parma ham is tightly regulated, to ensure a certain level of consistent quality throughout.
Parma ham begins its life as a Duroc or Landrance pig, the only breeds which are allowed to be turned into Parma ham. They are fed on full cereal diets, often enriched with whey to give them added calcium. The pigs are sent to butchered and sent to the curing house at about 26-30 pounds (12-14kg). They’re then trimmed down to the classic ham leg shape. The ham skin is then wet salted, and the flesh itself is dry salted, and the entire leg is hung in a refrigerator for about a week at between 34 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 4 degrees Celsius), with humidity of around 80%.
At the end of the week, the excess salt is brushed off, and the Parma ham is put through a round of quality control, where experts appraise the scent and texture of the ham. Ham that makes it through this quality control is salted again, and placed in another cold chamber, this time at 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) with humidity of 60%. The ham remains in this chamber for two weeks.
Next, the Parma ham is rested. It is placed in a chamber with humidity of 75% between 34 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 5 degrees Celsius) and left there for eight weeks or so. The hams are then rinsed with warm water, to get rid of most of the excess salt. When they’ve dried, they are placed in the actual curing chambers, where they will remain for three more months. The curing chambers are not artificially cooled or humidified, and are at the whim of nature to dictate how the ham cures, assisted a bit by people opening and closing windows to regulate the temperature as best they can.
During this penultimate curing the Parma ham is also covered in a mixture called suino, which contains salt and pepper, lard, and occasionally a bit of ground up rice. This keeps flies off of the meat, and stops it from drying too quickly. Coating the meat is all done by hand, and there are scores of workers whose job consists solely of dipping their fingers in the lard pots and reapplying the mixture.
Finally, the Parma ham is moved into a cellar, where it will finish curing in the dark. They’ll stay in the dark for a year or more, before being tested for final quality, and ultimately branded with a seal of approval. Parma ham in Europe is usually sold on the bone, where it will keep maturing and becomes even more delicate over time. For export, however, it is usually stripped and packed, making it somewhat rougher in texture.
Written by Brendan McGuigan
