Culatello di Zibello DOP

According to folk tradition, the culatello was created by accident. An inventive, if maladroit, butcher thought he could compensate for the lost meat in a boned ham by taking the remaining leg meat, salting and tying it up in string. The resulting product was so good that it instantly became a delicacy.

The culatello is the best piece of the pork shank, cut only by the hands of skilled experts. Careful salting and seasoning with pepper and garlic give the meat its essential flavor and sweetness. The culatello is then wrapped in the pig's bladder, webbed in string and stored for at least 10 months. The climate of Zibello (along the Po river in Emilia Romagna) is key to curing culatello - foggy in the fall and winter and with warm, dry winds in the summer.

To enjoy culatello, there are a few simple rules before slicing. First, remove the strings and then wipe the culatello with a damp sponge thoroughly clean, and finally peel off the pig bladder casing. For best flavor, hang the culatello in a dry, dark place for several days. By doing so, the outer meat softens and ripens to a full, delicate flavor. After cutting, the culatello should be wrapped in an oiled white linen cloth and stored in a cool, dry place. For more info: Consorzio del Culatello di Zibello

Prosciutto di Parma DOP

Parma ham, or prosciutto - the iconic natural product of Parma for two millenia - requires only four ingredients: a fresh leg of pork, salt, the special climactic conditions of the breezy Langhirano hills and patience. Prosciutto can only be made from pigs of the Large White, Duroc and Landrance breeds, which are older than 9 months and heavier than 150 kg. Each prosciuttio shank weighs 12-15 kg.

After the first 100 days of curing, excess salt is shaken off, and the ham is hung to air dry for a minimum of 12 months, during which it is moved to progressively warmer rooms. A paste of salt and lard protects the ham from completely drying out. Once mature, each ham is examined by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma. Only hams passing all checkpoints are released and given the five pointed crown seal of the Parma ham. Our ham is hung for at least 24 months.

Pata Negra "Bellota Ibérico"

"De bellota" means "from the acorn" and stands for high quality, pure Iberian ham from the world-famous ham village of Jabugo.

Iberian pigs graze free-range year-round, fattening themselves on acorns and grass. The richness of the acorn meat and the pig's constant movement as it searches for acorns give the ham a darker color and its distinctive juicy, aromatic (slightly spicy) taste. Due to their unique genetics, the animals store fat in their larger muscles, resulting in finely marbled meat, highly prized by Spaniards.

Curing lasts from 12 to 38 months.

Hungarian Cured Ham "Sonka László"

Hungarian pork has been famous since the middle ages and formed the basis of Habsburg cuisine. The key to László's ham, is location, breeding of pigs, slaughter, and curing. Goes well with light white Hungarian wines, sheep's cheese, dried fruits. Best when thinly sliced.