At the foot of the immense Po Valley, surrounded by rolling hills, stands one of the brightest jewels of Emilia-Romagna, Parma. This magnificent city is known throughout Italy for the great elegance of its buildings and the magic that runs between the main streets of the historic centre. Despite its great beauty, in history the city of Parma has distinguished itself in many fields, bringing prestige to its name. The most important among its many and incredible qualities is the great and varied culinary scene, which offers many specialties, famous not only throughout Italy, but all over the world. The king of these delicacies, which stands out undisputed among all other dishes, is Parma Ham.
Despite its humble origin, it is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product, renowned for its light but tasty flavours, officially present on tables and in hearts all over the world. Its image and its production are protected by the Italian State, to better protect a product with such a special history and process. Its ingredients are few and simple: pork, salt and time for seasoning. So, what makes it so unique and unrepeatable?
First of all, its history has its roots in ancient times. It is assumed, in fact, that this renowned cut of meat and its production dates to the Etruscan traditions and the populations of Northern Italy. In particular, it is believed that the recipe owes its origins to the techniques with which these populations tried to preserve the meat over time, through salification processes. Traces of these techniques can also be found during the Roman Empire, with high level testimonies. In fact, in the De Agricultura by Catone or in the testimonies of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, there are numerous passages in which this dish is described.
Thanks to this original guided tour, you can carve out a small afternoon of relaxation and dive into the spectacular world of Parma Ham. You will be accompanied by an expert tour guide, available to put his knowledge at your service in Italian and English, who can show you the Parma Ham Farm. He will carefully show you all the steps that expertly take you from the ingredients to the final product, in order to reveal to the public, the care and craftsmanship that are indispensable for its creation. And it is only through this painstaking work of care that the final product can be promoted by the Parma Consortium and receive the official quality mark.
Over the years, the simplicity of this recipe has been handed down to the present day. To preserve its goodness, the namesake consortium has decided to control and certify the production process of Parma Ham, so as to keep its processing intact and close to its origins. In fact, the production of Parma Ham is praised for being able to use the original recipes, without the use of chemicals, preservatives or additives, to keep intact the original taste and the long artisan tradition that envelops this humble culinary product, protected from artificial and chemical processes that can affect its unique flavour.
During the Parma ham tour, the certified staff of the company will be happy to show you the most important areas of the building, starting from the famous aging cellars, where the weather conditions are carefully checked to obtain the right level of humidity. You will also be shown and explained the different stages of processing the product, together with all the necessary machinery. At the end of the tour, you will be given a great surprise, a special tasting of handmade products, where Parma ham reigns supreme, accompanied by local wines that will enhance the magical flavour of this timeless dish.
Seize this unique opportunity and take part in this tour, which will make you spend your afternoon in a different way, in search of the roots of the Italian regional and national culinary tradition. You will have a taste of the great craftsmanship, of which our country has been proud for centuries and you will be able to witness with your own eyes, the care and passion behind the creation of the simplest and most typical products. At the end of the tour, it will be clear why Italian cuisine, until today, is renowned for its timeless goodness and will remain so in the future.
