Parma Ham – Daniele 7 kg

There’s something reassuring about the idea that the Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP we eat today has been made in exactly the same way as it was over 500 years ago. Once the legs pass an initial quality check, they’re left to firm up in a fridge or cold place for twenty-four hours before being salted, hung and then pressed. This pressing allows the salt to penetrate, and gives San Daniele hams their characteristic guitar shape. After a maturation period that lasts at least thirteen months, the exposed surface of the meat is smeared with a paste of lard and flour – called ‘sugna’ – to stop it drying out, and the ham undergoes regular testing to check on its progress. Two types of tests are carried out: producers carefully strike the leg to check the firmness of the ham, before pricking it with a needle to check the aromas within.

San Daniele is typically ready to eat after eighteen to twenty months, by which point it has developed a complex network of flavours and aromas. Good Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP should have a pinkish red hue with blank white fat when sliced – any yellow tones are a sign that the ham may not have been stored properly. In Friuli, San Daniele is often served on its own – this is the best way to appreciate the nuanced sweetness of the ham, which develops toasty flavours of malt and bread as it ages, alongside the younger fruity aromas – but it also works wonderfully with sweet fruits like melon and fig, creamy cheeses like mozzarella and burrata, or with a freshly baked focaccia.