Prosciutto

Prosciutto

A plate of prosciutto
Alternative names	Parma ham
Course	Antipasto
Place of origin	Italy
Similar dishes	Pancetta, bacon

Prosciutto (/prəˈʃuːtoʊ/,Italian: [proʃˈʃutto],) is an Italian dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian (or simply crudo) and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto.

A number of regions have their own variations of prosciutto, but the most prized is the Prosciutto di Parma from the Emilia-Romagna region.

The word prosciutto is derived from Latin pro (before) + exsuctus (past participle of exsugere "to suck out [the moisture]"); the Portuguese presunto has the same etymology. Compare also the modern Italian verb prosciugare "to dry thoroughly" (from Latin pro + exsucare "to extract the juices from").

Antipasti prepared with prosciutto and melon are "based upon ancient medical principles."

Prosciutto is made from either a pig's or a wild boar's hind leg or thigh, and the base term prosciutto specifically refers to this product. Prosciutto may also be made using the hind leg of other animals, in which case the name of the animal is included in the name of the product, for example "prosciutto cotto d'agnello" ("lamb prosciutto"). The process of making prosciutto can take from nine months to two years, depending on the size of the ham.

A writer on Italian food, Bill Buford, describes talking to an old Italian butcher who says:

When I was young, there was one kind of prosciutto. It was made in the winter, by hand, and aged for two years. It was sweet when you smelled it. A profound perfume. Unmistakable. To age a prosciutto is a subtle business. If it's too warm, the aging process never begins. The meat spoils. If it's too dry, the meat is ruined. It needs to be damp but cool. The summer is too hot. In the winter—that's when you make salumi. Your prosciutto. Your soppressata. Your sausages.