It's the Cure: A Prosciutto Primer

We've partnered with Legends from Europe to learn more about authentically-produced Italian hams and cheeses. Today: it's all about prosciutto (but, really, when isn't it?).

When chef and former Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani visited our offices, he brought along a whole leg of prosciutto. Scratch that, Fabio brought TWO legs of the cured ham: Prosciutto di San Daniele and Prosciutto di Parma. (And then he proceeded to make us all pizza topped with prosciutto.)

But, wait—prosciutto di what? If you're confused about the difference between the two, here's a quick rundown: 

Prosciutto di Parma
Ingredients: The hind legs of specialty-bred Italian pigs and Italian sea salt.
Made in: The city of Parma, Italy.
Cured: A minimum of 400 days and up to 3 years.
Flavor profile: It has a sweet and delicate flavor, and is great on pizza, in pasta, or all by itself.

Prosciutto di San Daniele
Ingredients: The thighs from Italian pigs and sea salt.
Made in: The city of San Daniele de Friuli, Italy.
Cured: A minimum of 13 months.
Flavor profile: It's sweet and aromatic and best with salads and sandwiches, or served with fruit (like melon or figs).

Fabio also gave our Managing Editor Kenzi the rundown on how to use both types—watch the video here:

Video by Kyle Oroz

We partnered with Legends from Europe and Fabio Viviani to learn about the Italian hams and cheeses that have Product Designation of Origin (PDO) designation.