Returning from the Zuarina production plant (Clai Group) in Langhirano, the reflection of the French historian Fernand Braudel came to mind: “The oak is born from the acorn. But this becomes and remains an oak only through favourable environmental conditions, which no longer depend on embryology”.
In the case of Parma Hams DOP , the matter is even more interesting and complex: it is not enough to let a pork leg mature in certain environmental or climatic conditions to have a certain product of a certain quality. Care and dedication are needed. It is not enough to let time pass, but it is necessary to look at how the color, smell, shape change week after week. There is nothing automatic: this is why visiting a factory is always surprising. You realize the great work that goes into making top-quality Parma hams, flakes and culatte; and you discover the value of well-done manual labor , without forgetting the most cutting-edge technologies. Because each leg has its own history, its 'custom' processing and its final destination. Above all, premium Horeca (including the legendary Cipriani and Eataly chains) and traditional retail.
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A fact that struck me a lot is that the leg carries its entire history 'on its skin': breeding in the Dop circuit, the slaughterhouse, production with the salting date, the CSQA controls and the legendary horse bone to feel the seasoning in five points and the final branding. Here, as in many other passages of our visit, there is no artificial intelligence that can help: no 'electronic nose' will ever be able to capture the aromatic nuances of the different parts of the ham, to dose the salt adequately or to carry out a proper greasing. And thank goodness...
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Source: Salumi&Consumi