How to savour Parma Ham

Parma Ham is the “King” of salumi, therefore it must be savoured adopting some good tactics.

First of all, you have to rigorously cut Parma Ham with the slicer, in thin slices as “a wedding veil” (as it is reported by the experts). This will let you to perceive all its sweetness and it makes possible that the slice slightly melts in your mouth.

As far as the slice is concerned, it has to exhibit a colour between red and pink and the edge of white grease. It doesn’t have to appear dry, bright or show vaguely yellow or too much red shades . These elements allows us to understand if you really have a high quality product in front of you .

In addition it should have a delicate, tasty and few salty flavour to the palate.

Parma Ham is excellent to taste alone, in order to fully appreciate its delicate and distinctive flavour, but it combines well with a bread not too much savoury and with breadsticks.

In Parma it is a tradition to consume Parma Ham with the typical still warm “torta fritta”, so that the grease dissolves.

A typical combination which plays on the contrast sweet-salty is the match with the seasonal fruit, above all melon; it is also excellent with figs and exotic fruit, instead sour fruit is to avoid.

As far as vegetables is concerned, you should choose the most delicate varieties. In addition it is good in combination with courgettes, potatoes or carrots, preferably steamed or boiled, but also baked with a little bit of oil. It is excellent in summer to enrich salads, maybe adding some thin slices of raw mushrooms.

And what can you drink? It fits well with white fresh wines such as Malvasia, Lugana or Soave; if you choose a red wine, a fruity Lambrusco or other wines with the same characteristics of lightness are perfect in combination with Parma Ham.