How to taste it                .05

Tastino D.O.P. PARMA ham teaches Us how to recognise excellence:

Avoid buying :
  - Hams that are lightweight and weighing less that 9 kg (whole and bone-in)
  - Hams with a curing period of between 10 and 12 months (whole and bone-in)
  - Hams that are red in colour (either sliced or products for cutting)
  - Hams with fat that are yellowish in colour
  - Hams with lean parts that do not have a uniform colouring
  - Hams that are excessively lean - the pig rind is not a film, and the fat is not an add-on: it is a part that is important and in fact determines the success of curing.

How to taste it :
If we can, and if circumstances permit, we should pick the sliced ham with our hands and by so doing trust the product and avoid the coldness of a fork that represents an obstacle of coming into direct contact with the product. This is important in order to be able to determine instantly the consistency of the muscle and the greasiness of the covering fat. Reward your eyes by looking at the colour, for it is precisely the consistency of the product colour that has to strike us and this additional sign of trust will allow us to get closer to the product and savour its aromas. We should do this slowly in order to allow our olfactory papillae to become inebriated, and to appreciate its importance in full we must first crave it and the finally reward ourselves with the tasting. The word is appropriate we have to taste it and appreciate all of its characteristic and only then we will be able to pass judgement.

Its "sweetness" can be further enhanced by eating it with some UNSALTED home-made bread. Accompanied by a truly young, aroma - filled, sparkling wine. The best time to do this is about 3 hours after staring our daily work routine, when our bodies have shaken off the torpors of the night and have fully regained their functionality.

Tasting test