Prosciutto Amatriciano

Appearance & taste

Apart from the foot, the ham has the shape of a pear. On the front, a large part of the meat is exposed, because fat and rind are removed with a bold semicircular cut reaching above half the height of the leg. After the minimum ripening period the ham weighs at least 8 kg.

The texture is elastic and compact, and the slices hold together well. The meat is pinkish red and interspersed with pure white fat. It tastes savoury but not salty, with a fragrant, sweetish and at the same time intense aroma. The moisture content is at most 60 %, the protein content in dry matter at least 25 %. The name “Prosciutto Amatriciano” is not translated on the label.

Production

The fresh legs come from pigs of the Italian Large White and Italian Landrace breeds or from boars of these breeds, from boars of the Italian Duroc breed and from boars of other breeds whose breeding programmes are compatible with those for the heavy Italian pig. The animals are raised as traditional heavy pigs and slaughtered at 9 to 15 months. A fresh leg with white rind weighs 12.5 to 16 kg; its outer layer of fat including the rind is 15 to 30 mm thick, depending on size.

The legs are trimmed high as soon as they are received. According to the specification, this enlarges the surface without rind and fat, so that the salt mixture is absorbed evenly and the ham dries better in the air during ripening; this is the reason for the lower moisture and higher protein content. In the area this is followed by selection and chilling, salting, desalting, cleaning and resting, washing, air-drying, pre-ripening and coating with lard, and ripening and marking. Ripening lasts at least twelve months from the first salting.

Origin & history

The area is mainly mountainous, with few plains, and stretches along the upper valleys of the Velino and Tronto. According to the specification, the altitude of up to 1,200 m, the harsh climate, the fresh air and a relative humidity mostly below 70 % during processing and the long ripening contribute to the sweet, intense aroma of the ham.

Since the beginning of the 20th century the ham has been associated with Amatrice, the reference point of the area. According to the specification, the high trim is based on the producers’ centuries of experience. In a text on “culture in Amatrice” from 1932, Cesare De Berardinis attributed the making of the “delicious hams” to the hands and care of the women of Amatrice.