Generality
What is parma ham?
Prosciutto di Parma is the name of a typical Italian raw salami, specific to the Emilia province of Parma.
This food product has DOP recognition (Protected Designation of Origin), based on a specification that regulates its production and limits its area of origin (area located 5 km below the Via Emilia, no more than 900 m above sea level, which begins to the west with the river Stirone and ends in the east with the river Enza).
Parma ham is a preserved meat, more precisely a "sliced", obtained by seasoning the whole leg of pork ( Sus scrofa domesticus ); the only ingredients of Parma ham are: meat and salt.
Note : there is also the "parma cooked ham", which however undergoes a completely different processing and is considered a less valuable product.
Parma ham is eaten mainly in thin slices, raw, on bread or with other baked goods, but it is also an ingredient widely used in cooking. It is a natural source of high biological value proteins, some water-soluble B vitamins and specific minerals; it also contains a conspicuous dose of sodium, average concentrations of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Nutrition
Nutritional properties of Parma ham
Prosciutto di Parma is a food product that belongs to the fundamental group of foods (Meat, Fish and Eggs).
It has a medium energy supply, whose calories depend above all on the total quantity of fatty acids; in the context of cured meats it is instead a lean and low-calorie food (such as bresaola and roast beef).
Parma ham is an excellent source of high biological value proteins, therefore it contains peptides characterized by all the essential amino acids in proportions similar to those of human beings. It does not contain carbohydrates, while the lipid portion is very relevant.
Fatty acids are predominantly unsaturated, even though the fraction of saturates is not negligible; the amount of cholesterol is significant.
Among the vitamins, excellent amounts of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (PP) are appreciated. With regard to minerals, phosphorus and potassium concentrations are considerable; also the iron content (in the table counted only in its highly bioavailable part) is discreet.
On the other hand, Parma ham is also a significant source of sodium, an element which, in excess, contributes to the pathogenesis of sodium-sensitive arterial hypertension; it is also potentially harmful to certain stomach diseases. However, remember that, in the cured meats group, Parma ham is among the products that contain the least.
Not defatted, Parma ham must be taken in moderation in case of obesity and hypercholesterolemia.
It is free of lactose, gluten, glutamate, nitrates and nitrites; on the other hand it is quite rich in histamine (a harmful molecule for intolerant subjects).
Parma ham does not lend itself to vegetarian and vegan philosophy, and is not suitable for religious nutritional regimes such as the kosher diet, Muslim and Hindu.
The frequency of consumption of Parma ham is occasional; it does not have to replace fresh meat.
Regarding the portion it is advisable not to exceed 50 g (3-4 slices, equal to 70 kcal for the defatted ham and 130 kcal for the whole one).
| Parma's ham | Parma's ham, degreased | ||
| Edible part | 100% | 100% | |
| water | 50.6 g | 61.5 g | |
| Protein | 25.5 g | 27.5 g | |
| Lipids TOT | 18.4 g | 3.9 g | |
| Saturated fatty acids | 6.15 g | - g | |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | 8.40 g | - g | |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids | 1.60 g | - g | |
| Cholesterol | 72.0 mg | - mg | |
| TOT Carbohydrates | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | |
| Starch | 0.0 g | 0.0g | |
| Soluble sugars | 0.0 g | 0.0g | |
| Dietary fiber | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | |
| Power | 268.0 kcal | 145.0 kcal | |
| Sodium | 2578.0 mg | - mg | |
| Potassium | 373.0 mg | - mg | |
| Iron | 0.7 mg | - mg | |
| Football | 16.0 mg | - mg | |
| Phosphorus | 261.0 mg | - mg | |
| Thiamine | 1.77 mg | - mg | |
| Riboflavin | 0.20 mg | - mg | |
| Niacin | 5.50 mg | - mg | |
| Vitamin A | 0.0 µg | 0.0 µg | |
| C vitamin | Tr | tr | |
| Vitamin E | - mg | - mg | |
Purposes
Culinary use
The gastronomic uses of Parma ham are innumerable.
We begin by remembering that this food has no need to be accompanied and can be enjoyed very well on its own. That said, it fits perfectly with:
- Other meats, especially fresh (veal, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, etc.)
- Seasoned cheeses (first of all Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano)
- Fresh cheeses (stracchino, squacquerone, mozzarella etc.)
- Eggs (of hen, quail, goose, etc.)
- Products of the peach (above all crustaceans like prawns and mazzancolle of sea, lobster, lobster and scampi)
- Ricotta (especially cow's, fresh)
- Cereals, legumes and derivatives (all kinds of bread, also very characteristic like the couple from Ferrara or the Lombard michetta, pizza, sandwiches and sandwiches, or whole boiled and cooled cereals and legumes)
- Dressing fats (such as delicate extra virgin olive oil, butter and lard beaten with garlic and rosemary)
- Cooked and raw vegetables (all types of leaf, such as rucola, soncino, lettuce and radicchio, but also cabbage and broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, tomato, courgette, courgette flowers and aubergine)
- Fruit (famous the combination with the melon, but does not disdain apples, pears and plums).
Other condiments that lend themselves to accompanying Parma ham are the very famous traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena and certain spices such as berries (black pepper, green, rose, juniper, myrtle, etc.).
Parma ham can be cut into cubes and sautéed to accompany egg pasta (such as tagliatelle), added to risottos (including bone and rind, as in panissa), in legume soups and used as a ingredient of stuffed pasta (agnolotti, ravioli, tortelli), lasagna, cannelloni, crepes etc.
Oenological combination
Raw Parma ham (not sautéed) is served mainly with white wines such as Pinot Bianco dei Colli Bolognesi, Tocai Friulano from Colli Orientali del Friuli, Malvasia dei Colli di Parma, a classic method of various kinds or more soberly with of prosecco.
Description
Characteristics of Parma ham
Parma ham has a delicate taste, a slightly salty taste (to distinguish it from the more intense ones, it is also called "sweet ham") and a characteristic aroma.
When cut, to be made with a knife or with a slicer only after removing the outer rind or covering lard, it is red to pinkish (in the center) or brown (outside or towards the gambuccio), with edging external and white veins of the fat more or less thick or thick, and a soft consistency, not tenacious or filamentous, which increases at the end of the gambuccio.
Many prefer lean and / or defatted ham; as they say, "de gustibus non disputandum est", but it is important to remember that the fat portion unquestionably structures the olfactory and gustatory bouquet of the sliced meat. These characteristics vary depending on the producer, the degree of seasoning and obviously the animal.
Note : Parma ham does not contain nitrites or nitrates, it keeps a naturally turned color thanks to the "whole" seasoning process.
Production
Outline of Parma ham production
- Parma ham production begins with the breeding of pigs
- It continues with the slaughter and separation of the thigh (about 12-13 kg)
- This, after being put to rest in cold storage at 0 ° C for 48 hours, is then trimmed with a knife (cleansing)
- The surface salting is then applied by hand (with sea salt), “wet” (salt and water) for the rind and dried for the living meat
- The salted hams are then placed in another cold room (called precisely "first salt") at a temperature of about 1-4 ° C
- After a week the thighs are superficially cleaned and salted again
- They are then placed in another cell (called the "second salt") where they will remain for 15 days
- Once again, the hams are stored in the resting cell for at least two months and no more than 80 days
- After the necessary time has elapsed, the thighs are washed and dried or exposed to natural conditions (weather permitting)
- Maturation continues for about 6 months in large rooms with opposing windows that, day by day, will be adjusted to modulate temperature and humidity
- Only at this point is mixed lard mixed with salt, or the dough that will cover the raw-cut meat without rind
- The processing ends with the seasoning (12 and months and beyond) in maturing rooms or cellar rooms
- Finally we proceed to the "survey" (with the traditional horse bone) to verify the qualitative adequacy.
History
Background
The tradition of Parma ham has its roots in Roman times. Bibliographic records dating back more than 200 years before the birth of Christ indicate that the inhabitants of ancient Gallia Cisalpina (an area that includes the present-day Parma area) were already great breeders of pigs and producers of seasoned cured ham (preserved by salting in large barrels of wood); in all likelihood, the salting attitude was promoted by the presence on the territory of natural salt pans (like that of Salsomaggiore).
Later, in the Middle Ages, the art of butchery was born / spread throughout the peninsula but, as can be deduced by reading the writings of the following centuries, Parma ham continued to stand out for its value and quality, spreading even in the aristocratic social classes .
The production of Parma ham as we know it today is the industrial evolution of a traditional method conceived in the early 1700s by Guglielmo Du Tillot, prime minister of Don Filippo di Borbone.
To protect their product, in 1963 the Parma ham norcini founded the "Parma Ham Consortium" to monitor the choice of raw materials and processing, and to guarantee a high quality standard.
In 1996 the European Community awarded the DOP recognition to Parma ham, which requires specific production regulations.
Etymology of the name prosciutto di Parma
The Parma Ham Consortium believes that the noun ham descends from the Latin "perex suctum", meaning "dried up". According to others, instead, the name ham originates from the Emilian dialect "pàr-sùt", meaning "it seems dry", a typical aspect of the seasoned food that dries thanks to the osmotic action of the salt (which penetrating into the meat favors the loss of The first theory would seem more reliable, since the Parmigiano dialect (therefore also the term pàr-sùt) is chronologically younger than the Parma ham.
