Traditional
Italian Cooking
~Blog
Post #4~
April
20, 2015
By:
Samantha Millán
Like
any other dish, each ingredient is special when making a traditional meal. Italians
focus on two main factors: using high quality ingredients and having deep
respect for how they are used. Those Ingredients are: Pasta, grains, cheese, vegetables,
garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, fish and seafood, pork, beans,
capers, nuts and dried fruit, and citrus fruit. Along with the ingredients
there comes techniques. Those are: boiling and simmering, sautéing, braising,
roasting and grilling, and baking. I bring up the techniques because they are
as important as ingredients. 
One
particular ingredient I’m going to cover is Prosciutto di Parma. Prosciutto di
Parma is made by rubbing and massaging the hind legs of pork with an amount of
salt matching to the weight of the meat. The history of the Prosciutto de Parma
goes back to the Roman period. A man named Varrone wrote that the local neighbors
raised large herds of pigs and were naturally skilled in curing ham. Later, in
the 2nd century, another man known as Cato the “Censor” wrote in one
of his books, De Agricoltura. He explains
the amazing flavor of the air-cured ham. To prepare Prosciutto di Parma you
have to rub and massage the hind legs of the pork with an amount of salt
matching the weight of the meat, as I stated in the beginning. Then, the ham
has to be washed, dried and left in aging rooms for 10 to 12 months. 
There
are many ways to incorporate Prosciutto di Parma into any dish not just Italian
dishes. Just click this link to make endless dishes using Prosciutto di Parma! http://www.prosciuttodiparma.com/en_UK/recipes/list?c=1
Sources:
http://www.academiabarilla.com/the-italian-food-academy/meats-charcuterie/prosciutto-parma-1.aspx
http://parmacrown.com/why-prosciutto-di-parma/
http://www.prosciuttodiparma.com/en_UK/recipes/list?c=1
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=218291&sc=3022
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