TRADITIONAL CULATELLO

Culatello is a cold cut with unique taste characteristics, obtained with an artisanal processing of 100% italian pork meat. An original and traditional cured meat from the province of Parma, recognized everywhere as a symbol of quality and refinement.

It is characterized by a reddish color with parts of white fat. When tasted, it has a very sweet and delicate taste and a very fresh and slightly savory typical scent. Its greatest admirers consume it in purity, alone, in order to savor all its nuances of aroma and taste. Sometimes accompanied by a glass of white wine from its area of ​​origin such as Fortana. However, to add a more gluttonous touch, we recommend pairing it with fried cake, the Parma variant of the Modena “gnocco fritto” or the Bologna crescentina. Otherwise, we recommend trying it, to add an exclusive touch, to first and second courses, such as for delicious meat rolls or in a risotto.

Processing

Culatello is obtained by processing the pork, specifically from a very valuable portion of the animal, the muscular part of the thigh. For the Culatello production, the fat, bones, bow and rind of the pork thigh are removed. With this processing process you get the characteristic “pear” shape. Subsequently, the meat is salted, stuffed, tied by hand with a string and, finally, seasoned. The seasoning goes from 10 to 14 months depending on the size of the product.

Background

Culatello finds its origins in the historical memory of peasant culture, still present today in the farmhouses of the Lower Parma area, where thanks to the lively culinary tradition, the quality of the food remains an undisputed aspect. The production of Culatello, exclusively artisanal, was linked to the habits of peasant families; they raised and butchered only one, or at most two, pigs a year intended for their own diet. It is said that Culatello was born “by mistake”, or following a clumsy cut of a ham from which the need to portion it emerged. Others, on the other hand, say that it was the very humid climate that prevented the whole pork leg from maturing. Therefore, the fresh ham was boned and the two parts obtained were seasoned separately: the Culatello and the fiocchetto (which corresponds to the smaller part).