PROSCIUTTO TOSCANO DOP, a MADE-IN-ITALY TRIUMPH

Risultati immagini per prosciutto toscano dop

One of Italy's most acclaimed gastronomic delicacies, Prosciutto Toscano DOP, travels from Tuscany to New York this weekend (30 June-2 July 2018) to participate in the prestigious Fancy Food Show at the NY Javits Centre. This is the latest appointment in an energetic international promotional drive that has seen the Consortium in London (EAT Europe's Art of Taste) last November and Montreal, Canada, for SIAL Speciality Food Fair in June 2018.

Prosciutto Toscano, which acquired the prestigious EU-recognized DOP status in 1996, can already count on a constantly growing international market. Germany, the UK and Northern Europe are already fans, especially with women. According to Consortium director Emore Magni, during the DOP anniversary celebration, market  research has revealed that women make up 60% of the fans of the Tuscan speciality: Tuscany ham appeals particularly to women because of  its distinctive delicate flavour and the fact that it is easily digestible.

Compared to most other certified hams, the Tuscany DOP has a lower moisture content, which exalts its flavour. It also claims to be a formidable health food, containing iron, magnesium, eight vitamins and a high percentage of unsaturated fat (that's the good type of fat). In addition, the curing process is completely natural. No artificial preservatives are allowed.

The Prosciutto Toscano Consortium was founded by a group of local producers in 1990 in order to set universal standards and guarantee authenticity. Rules are very strict. The hams all come from carefully selected pigs reared in Tuscany and other selected Italian regions. The animals must be at least 9 months old and weighing 160 kgs.

Tuscany hams are not smoked but slowly dried out and aged in a time-honoured process that takes at least a year. During this time they are moved from various temperature-controlled cells that imitate the same conditions as the seasons of the year. The process dates back to the Medici, who were the first to regulate it, but Etruscan farmers were probably already following similar curing procedures.

Italyupdate was shown a demonstration at the Gozzi processing plant near Arezzo. The prepared and shaped hams are first covered lavishly in salt, pepper and a mixture of herbs growing in the region. We were told that every member of the Consortium has his own secret herbal mix that gives his product a unique flavour.  

After about six months the hams are ready to be larded to protect them from excessive dehydration. The sugnatura as it is called, involves smearing them with a paste of pork lard mixed with flour (rice flour, which has no gluten, is now preferred to wheat flour) salt, pepper, garlic and typical herbs like juniper, fennel, bay, rosemary etc.

The crucial stage of approval comes next. This is entrusted to an expert with special olfactory gifts.  The Nose inserts a horse bone needle into the hams and sniffs it to detect any hint of mould or other defects and any hams not up to standard are destroyed. All those that pass the test are branded with the Consortium's quality guarantee logo as well as the producer's identification number and the month when the seasoning process began.

The Prosciutto Toscano DOP hams are now ready to go out into the world and conquer new markets.

Margaret Stenhouse

 

Info:Tel:+39.055.3215115  info@prosciuttotoscano.com  

 

 

Posted on 29 Jun 2018 by Editor
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