Pleasures of Parma - Prosciutto Crudo and Parmigiano Reggiano
The Province of Parma
The province of Parma is another jewel in the crown of the Emiglia Romagna region. It is famous for its rolling Apennine hills, the beautiful city of Parma and being the birthplace of one of Italy’s most famous composers Giuseppe Verdi.
However, there are two special things in particular which make Parma known across the world.
The first is Prosciutto di Parma, also known as Parma ham, a delicious cured meat which is produced exclusively in this region.
The second is the ‘king of cheeses’ Parmigiano Reggiano, sometimes referred to as Parmesan. This region is home to the original and the undisputed best which is exported all over the globe.
Before heading to the city of Parma, we head into the nearby hills, to visit Castello di Torrechiara. The castle sits gracefully atop a small peak and on a sunny day is a delight to behold.

We arrived in Parma just in time for lunch, we had planned to eat at ‘Trattoria del Tribunale’ but when we got there it was fully booked with a long line outside of hungry patrons! Nightmare! *Note to myself and my readers: book ahead to avoid disappointment!
Lucky we were in Emiglia Romagna so good food is never far away. We found a little sandwich shop, with a wide-ranging menu, and were rewarded with sandwiches of the highest grade. Mine made with Porchetta and artichoke pesto cream, yum!
After Lunch we explored Parma, an elegant city through and through. From its beautiful architecture, especially that of Palazzo del Governatore, the Baptistery and the Duomo, to its incredibly stylish residents. There is an underlying vibrance to Parma, everyone and everything seems to be in a constant flux of motion. The centre of the city is car free, so it is lovely to walk around.
While Parma is beautiful, I have come here to experience the products it is famous for the world over, Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Prosciutto di Parma
Prosciutto di Parma is made wonderful not only by its taste but also its simplicity. To make it one only needs to combine pork, salt, air and time. The hills surrounding Parma are said to provide a unique microclimate, with crisp breezes from the Adriatic Sea, which contribute to distinctively sweet flavour of Parma Ham.
The type of pork used is also vital, utilising either Duroc, Large White or Landrace breeds of pig which are fed a special diet. The diet provides a delightful link to the regions other culinary claim to fame, Parmigiano Reggiano, as the pigs are fed the milky whey (not the chocolate bar, sorry) left over from production. This also contributes to the slight nuttiness quality of the ham.
The hams are treated with salt, hung and aged over at least one year. Hams can be aged anywhere between 1, and up to 5 years. At each different age the ham takes on slightly different flavour, colour and textural qualities, so you get a different taste experience with different ages.

The production of Parma Ham is protected as a ‘Denomination of Protected Origin product’. This means it can only be produced here under the conditions outlined above. There is even a group of experts ‘Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma’ who are responsible for authenticating the production of every leg of ham.
This means that when you eat Prosciutto di Parma, it is of the highest quality.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano is a special cheese, whether grated, shaved or in chunks, the intense, slightly salty and nutty flavour of this cheese makes it a great contrasting partner for many savoury dishes.
This royalty among cheeses is produced in the regions of Parma and Reggio Emiglia, which both contribute to its name. The name Parmesan, as the cheese is widely referred to across the English-speaking world (although this can also include poor imitators, beware!), is the term also used to describe someone from Parma.
Like its meaty sister, prosciutto, it is protected by ‘Denomination of Protected Origin product’ status, and it must meet strict production rules and pass inspection before being branded as Parmigiano Reggiano.
Each wheel of cheese weighs around 38kg and producers use around 550 litres of milk for each one. The wheels are stored in huge temperature-controlled warehouses and are matured for at least 12 months, and up to 36 months.
With so much product sat on shelves for up to 3 years, the farmers have special arrangements with local banks, where they use their cheese as collateral for loans to help with cash flow.

Back to Parma
Now you know a little more about the products, you can appreciate how special and unique they are, but to give you an idea of the flavour we visited one of Parma’s oldest and authentic bars; Bar Tabarro.
The bar itself is small with minimal seating outside, but we’re early and so we have a table, well.. a keg at least. It is ancient and unassuming inside, but what it lacks for in aesthetics, it makes up for in the passion and knowledge of the barman who greets me when we arrive.
First to drink, he recommends a prosecco to accompany prosciutto. He suggests a local made prosecco, Malvasia, actually produced in the shadow of Castello del Torrechiara. It is a golden and dry prosecco, pretty good.
We ordered a plate of Prosciutto di Parma, an astonishing 41 months aged, that’s three and a half years of hanging! It is a dark red, but when held up the light shines through the partly translucent meat making the meat appear pink.
The taste is incredible, soft, so delicate it sort of tickles the tongue as it dissolves, and it has a bold nutty-sweet flavour reminiscent of a mild blue cheese, this is called the ‘funk’.

The prosecco combines excellently with the meat, exciting the taste buds further while not overpowering the huge flavour of the ham. The rustic bread served in accompaniment provides a rest bite contrast along with a slight sourness which seems to extend the flavour of the ham.
After we have devoured the plate of meat, we move on to a cheese plate. There was a 28-month old Parmigiano Reggiano, Robiola di Vacca and Castelmagno (the last two are actually from Piemonte).
The crumbly Parmesan was lovely, exactly what you would expect, at first its flavour intense, then it slowly coats the inside of your mouth with a delicate nutty, slightly salty essence.
The Robiola is slightly creamy at first then it hits you with a strong flavour. You eat rind ’n’ all so there is a contrast of hard and soft. It leaves a little heat and bitterness on the tongue.
Finally, the Castelmagno, whose smell is exceptionally strong, it reminds me of the smell that strikes you when you pass a farm in the car.
Once in the mouth the taste is strong, very strong, in fact this is probably the strongest cheese I’ve eaten to date! The Pear Mostarda (which is candied fruit in a mustard syrup) cuts across the taste well and provides some sanctuary from the cheese’s strong flavour.
And so that was our experience of Parma, and its wonderful produce, we saw out the afternoon chatting, drinking prosecco while taking in the hustle and bustle of the Parmesan streets.
Why not check out my other post from Emilia Romagna and the foodies paradise, Bologna:
https://onceuponaplate.net/bologna-tortellini-and-porticoes/
