BLOG

This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

DOC, DOCG, IGT and DOG

What in the world is this about?! It’s about wine; that’s what it’s about!

“I’ll start with the highest classification system and go to the least restrictive”

Italy is unarguably* one of the best places in the world to grow grapes and vinify them into beautiful, outstanding wines. In the early 1960s, Italy came up with a regimented system to protect the quality of their wine. If a particular wine varietal (e.g. Brunello, Barolo, Chianti, Valpolicella, etc.) gains a reputation as a great wine, you don’t want some upstart winery coming in with their own formula using the very same varietal name to give that varietal wine a bad name and ruin everything. So, it’s kind of a marketing thing. And it’s kind of an safeguard thing. And, it’s kind of confusing thing on top of all of that.

You can see the DOCG designation written out at the top of the label, just above “2011”

So, the system that they developed is a series of laws that classifies Italian wines by quality of specific wine varietals, like those mentioned above. It’s a way to regiment the stature of Italian wines and to guarantee that they come from whence they say…in other words, they’re authentic. And not just where the wines come from, but their alcohol content, type of grape, and their aging are regulated in their classification systems.

It’s a good bit about geography, as wine zones have been set up within Italy. Within these zones, the growers and producers of wine must follow government regulations in order to have their wine certified within this system. You will find that most of the DOCG wines (defined for you just a bit later), for example, come from Tuscany (e.g. Brunello and Chianti), Veneto (e.g. Amarone, Valpolicella, and Soave), and Piemonte (e.g. Barolo and Barbaresco). This gives you a wide variety of wines from which to choose for your drinking pleasure.

And on the neck of the bottle is the serial number

Can the classifications lead you to the better Italian wines as you shop? Yes, they can. That’s pretty much the whole point. You will need to look for words on the label, like the words on the back label of the Banfi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino shown above where it says, “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”, i.e. DOCG. There will also be a paper band that has a serial number on the neck of the bottle…or it might cover the cork, like the band on the neck of that same bottle of Banfi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino, as seen here. A serial number? Are you serious? Yes, these Italian law-makers are serious about their wines. [More on Banfi wines here]

You may hear the word ‘appellation’ used. This comes from the French system of classifying their own wines. Basically, it refers again to a specific wine varietal.

Now to the classification system. I’ll start with the highest classification system and go to the least restrictive. Here’s how it works.

DOCG

Short for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or in English, “Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin”.

DOCG is the highest level of quality recognition which can be bestowed on an Italian wine. Because there were so many DOC wines (covered next), and because not all of those wines were of equal quality, this DOCG designation was created in 1980 to ratchet down the quality designations of those wines. Government officials actually have to taste the wines to give DOCG status! Hello…can we get one of these jobs?

Besides taste, they make sure that the grapes were grown in the correct geographic region, have a lower portion of blending grapes, come from lower yield fields, have a higher alcohol content, and receive longer aging. All of this creates and opportunity for a great wine to emerge from the certification process.

Who got the first DOCG designations? Piemonte’s nebbiolo-graped Barolo and Barbaresco, and Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, both of which come from the sangiovese grape. It was a presidential decree that gave these wines their DOCG status. Is it just me, or does the Italian government seem to be more on the ball than our own?! I mean, tasting wine, making decrees…life is good in Italy.

After the forces of government complete their evaluation, a wine is “guaranteed” with an official, government, serial-numbered seal/label, like the one shown a bit above. That’s what you look for whilst wine shopping. And, how many DOCG wine varietals might you find? That would be 74 at this moment.

Before we leave DOCG wines, I need to clarify something. Those 74 wines don’t represent 74 wines from 74 wine makers with a total of 74 wine labels. That number 74 represents the number of varietals of wines, not the number of producers with the label of DOCG attached to their bottles. For instance, whilst in Italy, I’ve seen hundreds of different bottles of Brunello di Montalcino with DOCG on their label in wine stores, and it’s the Brunello di Montalcino varietal that is but 1 in 74, not a particular wine makers issue of Brunello di Montalcino. It will clear things up a good bit if you click here to see the full list of DOCG varietals of Italy.

DOC

Right below DOCG is Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or Controlled Designation of Origin. The lack of the word ‘guaranteed’ is the key here. Those government sponsored DOCG sippers and spitters aren’t there to put their official guarantee on these wines. Compared to the DOCG rules, think of these rules as strict, but generous. The wines still must be scrutinized for quality, and there are still rules about permitted grape varieties, maximum harvest yields, and aging requirements, but the rules tend to be less stringent than with DOCG, which adds a quality tasting panel to the mix.

The label of the Renato Ratti ‘Ochetti’, just above the word ‘Nebbiolo’ (the varietal), clearly states on the label that it is “Denominazione di Origine Controllata”. [You can see more about Renato Ratti here]

So, DOC isn’t as stringent as DOCG. Does that mean that the wines won’t taste as good. Not at all. You are the determinant of what you like…not designations, wine raters, and government types.

The DOC rules vary by region, but there must exist a traditional formula for the vinification.

In this label, we find that even Vin Santo can have a DOC designation.

How many have DOC designation? At around 329, they are much more common, but the number is a bit slippery. You can see the current full list here.

IGT

One of our favorite wines is IGT- so don’t shy away from them

Indicazione geografica tipica, or “Geographical Indication”, or IGT, was created in 1992 to recognize the unusually high quality of many of the wines not making the DOCG or DOC category. Mostly what you get with an IGT designation is the locality of their creation.

Don’t confuse this lower ranked designation with poorer tasting wines, as many Super Tuscans are in the IGT classification, and they can be quite tasty.

And that label in this photo for Allegrini’s Palazzo della Torre, shows IGT status, and I can guarantee you that it is an outstanding and inexpensive wine. [See more about Allegrini wines, and in particular Palazzo della Torre and the unique way that it is made, here]

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE (at least it was of interest to me): Sometimes, when the harvested grapes in a particular year are not of a superior quality, a producer might abandon the production of their normal DOCG- or DOC-designated wine because, with asperations lowered, they don’t want to adhere to the more stringent and costly standards using a lesser-quality grape that just wouldn’t wind up meeting the standards for the wine that it winds up producing. So, they drop down to the IGT designation and move on. They might even do this a year or two into the vinification of a wine that was destined for appellation status to cut their losses, yet in the meantime, they produce a pretty darned tasty wine of IGT quality. One more thing: quality can be defined as meeting the customer’s expectations…so if you have less of an expectation of an IGT-priced wine, you are more likely to have your expectations met. IGT wines can have a high quality-to-price ratio.

VdT

Vino da Tavola (VdT), or simply ‘Table Wine’ is a lesser known designation. It doesn’t have a geographical component. The wine must be made from grapes grown in Italy. I’m not sure that you’ll see the VdT designation in your local wine store, as they normally aren’t worth the effort of shipping them here. Our experience is that most ‘vino della casa’ (house wines) of a ristorante in Italy, often served from a spigot like beer, are usually good with their pasta and pizza, and I’m guessing that many of these would be of the VdT variety.

The Settecani Castelvetro Winery had a mishap…but a good one!

Not to belabor the point about wine from a spigot too much, here is an interesting anecdote. We all know who once turned water into wine…right? Though this time it was just an accident, earlier this year the people of Settecani, Italy thought they were seeing a miracle as they turned on their faucets to see water turn to wine. People were literally showering in Lambrusco from the Settecani Castelvetro Winery as the winery’s valves got a little out of kilter.

DOG

Finally we get to DOG. That simply spells ‘dog’. We tend to like dogs, so I’m just throwing this in. Thought you’d want to know. In Italian, that designation would be ‘CANE’. And maybe you’ve heard of the dyslectic agnostic who didn’t believe in Dog? Sorry — I’ll stop now.

So, I’ve always said that ‘I don’t know what’s supposed to be good, but I know what I like’. That covers it for wine, too. But, I have to say that in our experience, the wines that we really, really like happen to fall into the DOCG appellation. In the ‘really, really like’ category we find in no particular order: Brunello, Amarone, Valpolicella, Rosa Regale (a magnificent type of Brachetto d'Acqui, or sweet spumante red wine), Soave, Prosecco, Moscato di Asti, Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Vin Santo, Florus, and many more. I just had an epiphany! Right here, at this moment, I’m creating a new ‘RRL’ appellation…for ‘Really, Really Like” — so look for a little RRL appellation sticker on the bottom of certain Steve-approved wines.

And by the way, Ellen and I are generally available to join you for a meal and to sip Italian wines. Really. Just call. I’m serious. And, if you don’t want to cook, we can just drink wine.

Ciao for now,

Steve

* I said ‘unarguably’, but I’m not sure that there is anything that one can’t argue about these days…though I’m not sure I agree with that!

If you are not already ‘subscribed’ to my articles of Italy, click here!

Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore

Index of Articles

The church of San Giorgio Maggiore sits just where it should sit…where it needs to sit.

“Here is what I like about San Giorgio Maggiore: its front-and-center location...”

Yes, it is placed where it is best viewed by the millions who have visited Venice over the centuries. That place is its own little island just off the eastern tip of the Giudecca Island of the Venetian lagoon. That’s it dead-center in the aerial photo.

I like this church, sitting on its own little island. Read on to see why.

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is dead center

The Church

The church interior isn’t as charming as many in Italy…as a matter of fact, it’s a bit austere. It gets its just attention from the location just across the Bacino San Marco (St Mark’s Basin) from the heart of Venice, Piazza San Marco. If you’ve browsed photos of Venice, you’ve most likely seen the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

‘San Giorgio Maggiore’ you’re wondering? That’s ‘Saint George the Major’…not to be confused with any lesser Saint Georges. This is the one that slayed the dragon in the days of dragons. Be thankful that his work gave us one less thing to be worrying about these days.

There was an original church sitting in the same location in about 790. That church was given over to the Benedictine monks. But alas, in 1223, the buildings of the island were destroyed by an earthquake. The very famous architect of his time, Palladio, came along in the 16th century, and he built the present Palladian-looking church.

The Benedictines

Benedictines? I don’t know much about them. But, I do know that if they had anything to do with creating the liqueur known as ‘Benedictine’, which is a key ingredient of ‘Benedictine and Brandy,’' further known by those of us who know it well as simply “B&B” — then I give them kudos for their early work at distillation. I think they are also known for chanting whilst thumping themselves on the forehead with their tomes of supplication…though I’m not sure that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is considered serious history.

The Campanile

Prominent when viewing the church is the campanile, also known as a bell tower.

You can see both the church and its campanile in this night-time, time-lapse photo.

The campanile was built just before Columbus headed west into the sunset, but it suffered the embarrassment of collapse in 1774. It was soon rebuilt to its present, stable (we hope) stance. It’s this campanile that gives the church my own blessing.

So, What’s There to Like?

Here is what I like about San Giorgio Maggiore: its front-and-center location and the great view of, and from, the afore mentioned campanile. You’ve seen the pirate movies where the pirate captain has his spyglass up to his eye, seeing a captain of another ship spying right back at him, right? That’s how it works for San Giorgio Maggiore…while you are spying it from across the basin, you are being spied upon right back from that well endowed campanile. The point? You get a superb view of the main island of Venice from the campanile, and versa vice.

Check Out the Views — Of San Giorgio Maggiore

Here are photos I’ve taken over the years of San Giorgio Maggiore.

And here is Glenn’s favorite view of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Check Out the Views — From San Giorgio Maggiore

So, here we will be spying back the other way, just like Craig and Leslie are doing, here.

The expansive view of the Venetian sestiere of San Marco

If we turn our backs to Venice proper, we get a view of the Benedictine hedge maze, called ‘Labirinto Borges’ . It looks to be a great plot element for a Venetian mystery novel, complete with Benedictine monks chanting and sipping a B&B or two whilst being maze-chased by a despicable monk-loathing villain.

And then there’s the view of the exclusive Hotel Cipriani, of the-only-swimming-pool-in-Venice fame.

The Man Himself

Whilst making one’s way around the campanile, you will get a view of Saint George, himself…standing atop the dome of the church. But, here’s a mystery for you.

In this photo that I took in 2012, we see that alas, Saint George may not have gotten the best of that dragon as reported throughout history!

But ahhh, here we are during our 2018 visit, and we find that St George has been able to assemble all his parts into one place, including his famed dragon-killing spear. Great recovery, George!

I’ll leave you with a view captured by Claude Monet, just one of many he produced in a series featuring San Giorgio Maggiore.

Claude_Monet,_Saint-Georges_majeur_au_crépuscule.jpg

I highly recommend that you visit the church of San Giorgio Maggiore during your Venetian explorations. The view from the campanile is all-encompassing, and on a clear day, you might be treated to a backdrop of the Alps.

It is a quick vaporetto ride from either the Zattera vaporetto stop of Dorsoduro, or the San Zaccaria stop of San Marco. And don’t fret over climbing several flights of steps to get to the observation deck, as an elevator will carry you there, leaving your breathily exhalation for the view.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Not Yet a Subscriber to My Articles? Resolve that Issue Here!

Transformation x 2

Just a couple of transformations today, as I’ve bene busy shoveling snow! Someone has to do it…right?

Trasformazione Uno

For this first transformation we go from a really blah snapshot of a door on a slightly inclined street, to something much more appealing. So, let’s get started.

Here’s that blah snapshot. I wasn’t wrong about the blahness, was I? I’m glad you agree.

As usual, I want to get rid of modern distractions, like the plumbing and its tarnishment, the address plaque, and that vestige of graffiti to the right of the door.

Now that it’s cleaned up a bit, it’s time to work on the color. I’ll work on the plaster by giving it a bit of old-world patina.

And as you know, I just have to do something with that humdrum door. So, here is the final image. Better, huh?

Trasformazione Due

Ouch! Why did I even bother to capture this image?! I guess that I thought I could do something with it back home, so I might as well give it a try.

Such a clutter of ‘stuff’ to resolve, like the address plaques, mail slots, doorbell ringers, chotskies, etc. So, here goes.

Here I am back after a bit of clutter removal. I’ll give the door a bit of color while I’m at it…I’m not happy with that dark green. Now that reflection behind the iron work has to go.

Reflection done and gone.

I’m ready to give the plaster some of that patina that I like so much.

And, for the final product, I’m going to brighten up that door so that the photo will look better on our wall.

There you have it. Two quick transformations in one sitting. Now I’m going out to shovel a bit more snow. I’ll be back next week with more on our favorite place…Italy, Our Italy.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Eat This: Italian Meats - Part 2

Index of Articles

When last we met, we were busy tasting Italy’s cured meats, like prosciutto. Today, we move on to the sausage and fat/lard categories.

“There just has to be something wrong when we classify fat and lard as a meat”

And right up front, I need to tell you the bad news about bringing back Italian meat products from your trip abroad. Those cured hams, like prosciutto, and the soon to be described salami, cannot be brought into the U.S. Lest you think I jest, here is a direct quote from the USDA’s website: “Cured hams (prosciutto) and salami from areas within …Italy…may not be brought into the United States by travelers. These items may only enter in commercial shipments because there are special restrictions that require additional certification and documentation.”

So, now that we got that unsavory government business out of the way, let’s talk sausage.

SAUSAGE

The meats in this category are ground, mixed with spices, and encased, as opposed to being whole, cured hunks of meat as discussed last week.

SALAMI

Pork (sometimes beef)

I’ll start with salami, as there is a bit of confusion…at least there was in my mind…and there are still confusion echoes rattling around in there. That confusion stems from the fact that most of the sausages mentioned below are technically a form of salami. It seems to be both a general and specific term.

It's a sausage made mostly with ground pork and cubes of fat, seasoned with garlic, salt, and spices. You will find it to be fairly large, at 3” to 4” in diameter. It’s stuffed into the pig's large intestine…I know, right? Yuck…but then, it tastes good, and always has. There is a smaller version called salamino, which is only 1-inch across.

There are several types of salami, the differences being the region of Italy where they are made. For instance, Genoa Salami is a hard, dry cured meat that is typically made of pork, salt, garlic, pepper, fennel seeds, and wine. Then there’s Finocchiona Salami, which is a spicy Tuscan specialty that is dry cured and made with fennel seeds and black pepper.

I guess we can add pepperoni to the list, though it is an American variety of salami, made from a cured mixture of pork and beef seasoned with paprika or other chili peppers. Pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red in color. I’m not sure it falls into the Italian meat category.

And oh, you know that white powder covering the casings of salami. It’s a white mold that helps in salami’s curing.

SALSICCIA

Pork

Salsiccia are link sausages made with ground pork, cubed pork fat, spices, and herbs.

Fresh salsiccia can be cooked in its casing (like American breakfast link sausages). More often though, you will remove the salsiccia from the casing before cooking (like the tubes of sausage we get at the supermarket…can you say Jimmy Dean?) and use it as just one more ingredient in a recipe.

Then there is an aged variety, i.e. cured sausage. This creates a completely different taste profile. After aging for a couple of months, they start to resemble salami.

SOPPRESSATA

Pork

The Italian soppressata is a traditional dry salami/sausage that varies significantly within Italy. They are mainly prepared with roughly cut pork meat and fat.

The dry Soppressata is a dry-cured Italian deli meat made from coarsely ground pork sausage.

There are two distinct forms of soppressata. First, there’s Soppressata di Basilicata which is made using only coarsely ground fillet and thigh meat.

Then there’s Soppressata Toscana, which is made with ham, pork shoulder, and tongue with a ton of added spices ranging from nutmeg and cinnamon to orange peel and lemon zest. The Toscana version might not sit well on our American palettes…looks kinda like headcheese, doesn’t it?

VENTRICINA

Pork

The folks in the Abruzzo and Molise regions put together a cured sausage known as Ventricina.

Like the soppressata, there are significantly different varieties.

Ventricina del Vastese is a hard, cured sausage made with coarsely chopped lean pork, garlic, sweet and spicy pepper, black pepper, and wild fennel seeds.
Then we have Ventricina Teramana. It is a soft, spreadable variety made with fattier parts of pork, lard, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, peperoncini, orange zest, and salt.
Let’s not forget what they do in Molise, If you see the shape of Italy as a boot (kicking the soccer ball of Sicily), Molise would be where your ankle would be situated. Their Ventricina di Montenero di Bisaccia is a round sausage stuffed in a pigs stomach, and is made with pork from local pigs that feed exclusively on cereals (probably not raisin bran and Cheerios) and dried legumes.

NDUJA

Pork

Uhmmm, don’t ask me how to pronounce it. But whatever, the Nduja sausage is considered to be an Italian delicacy, It is produced in Calabria (the toe of the afore mentioned boot).

Nduja has the texture of pâté, and you would consume it much as you would a pâté…like smeared on toasted bread. Add some ricotta and you’ve got a tasty treat.

MORTADELLA BOLOGNA

Pork

I just love to say the word ‘mortadella’…it sounds so Italian, doesn’t it. And, it’s so much more sophisticated sounding than what we call it…baloney.

The ancient Etruscans found that a diet of acorns and tubers created a unique pork taste, and they incorporated that pork into Mortadella, and that’s how it is still done today. But today, pistachios are added to the pork and spices.

The name mortadella stems from the word ‘mortaio’. And a mortaio is a large mortar where the ground pork is mashed into a paste. If you don’t like that etymological concoction, some sources say that the name comes from an old Roman word for myrtle, which was used for seasoning instead of pepper. I guess it’s really not that important, so let’s move on.

After the squishy paste is squeezed into its casing, Mortadella is a cooked for several hours at a low temperature with low humidity.

Mortadella Bolgna is no baloney…which is what most of us called Mortadella Balogna when we were young and ill informed. Balogna or baloney - it’s the same thing. I considered it an extra-special treat when mom would fry my round of baloney…sorry, I mean bologna…before putting it on my sandwich.

FAT/LARD

There just has to be something wrong when we classify fat and lard as a meat. But then again, as they say, “When in Italy…”.

Lardo di Colonnata

Not only is this meat made of fat, or lard, the prefix to the word ‘colonnata’ doesn’t thrill me, either. But, we’ll give it its due.

There is a Tuscan province known as Massa Carrara, where Michelangelo got his marble. In that province is the very small village Colonnata, with just a few hundred souls who like fat. They start with lard, they salt it, and then they season it with pepper, rosemary, garlic and coriander. Then they smash it all up.

‘Do they age their fat?’, you ask. Yes they do…for about six months. They can’t hang up the gooey mixture like a pork leg, so they stuff it in marble tubs called canaloni (not to be confused with cannelloni)…after all, they are located between a couple of Carrara marble quarries.

What do they do with it after it is aged in these marble tubs? I have no idea. I guess they eat it…or maybe give it away as Christmas gifts to distant friends instead of fruitcake. I jest of course…but I really don’t know what they do with it…spread it on toast? Let’s go with that.

Hold the presses, I have late breaking news about Lardo di Colonnata. Some typical Italian taverns in the Massa Carrara area offer menus based entirely on Lardo di Colonnata, from cold starters to pasta, main courses and, amazingly, even ice cream! Based on this information, I will stop joking around about the lard-eating proclivities of those in Massa Carrara, and I offer my apologies for having done so.

Well, we’ve come to the end of our meat-fest, and none too soon, as it is time for lunch. Ellen has put together a charcuterie platter with cheeses and a vast selection of thinly sliced Italian meats…except for the colonata thingie, which she’s put into a pastry piping bag. It’s time for me to go now…after this tasty lunch, I have to go get my cholesterol checked.

Ciao for now,

Steve

PS: You know, the colonnata wasn’t half bad. As you can see here, Ellen found some with quite a bit of meat!

Don’t want to miss out on more articles about eating fat?…Subscribe here

Eat This: Italian Meats - Part 1

Index of Articles

Today we delve into the world of Italian meats. Here are a few photos taken over the years as we’ve visited Italian meat markets.

“I’ll start today with just the cured meats…done the Italian way. Next week, we’ll cover the sausage/salami and lard meat categories”

Most of what I’ll cover will be cured meats classified as ‘cold cuts’, or ‘salumi’ (not to be confused with ‘salami’ or ‘salame’) in Italian. And most are created from pork, though a few may have beef, venison, wild boar, horse or donkey. I wouldn’t worry about getting anything made from the latter two, though it can be found in an occasional meat market (macellaio) of Italy.

In these photo, you can see that these non-traditional products (at least in the U.S.) are clearly marked as ‘cavallo’ or ‘asino’, respectively. Alas, sorry to disappoint, but we’ll just stick to meat products made from pork and beef.

When I say ‘products’, that’s what they are. The subject of today’s article is not a beef steak or a pork loin, but natural cuts of meat that have been transformed into a completely different product, like cold cuts and sausages.

Like me, you may have grown up eating sandwiches made with baloney (American slang for Bologna) or salami. Those were probably a mass produced Americanized version of the real thing…though there is typically no comparison to the ‘real thing’ of Italy.

I will be discussing these fine Italian meat products in three categories: cured, sausage/salami, and lard…yes, lard prepared in a special Italian way is considered to be a delicacy to be enjoyed like other cold cuts.

Because the cured meats are the most popular…in particular prosciutto, I’ll start today with just the cured meats…done the Italian way. Next week, we’ll cover the sausage/salami and lard meat categories. And, as prosciutto is the king of cured meats of Italy, I’ll spend a lot of time describing how it is produced…and I’m not pulling your leg!

CURED MEATS

Italy is well known for its cured meats, known as salumi. Methods and curing ingredients vary by region and local customs, based on their curing traditions, with some traditions going back centuries. So, salumi in one place can be distinctly different than salumi found in another place, where herbs and other ingredients differ.

Some of the cured meats are cooked during their processing, but most are air-dried after getting some distinctive treatment during their preparation. I’ll start the salumi discussion with one of the most popular, and that is prosciutto.

PROSCIUTTO

[proh-SHOO-toh]

Pork

A custom cutting stand for thinly slicing prosciutto

Prosciutto is made from the hind leg of a pig. There are actually two famous prosciutti in Italy, that from Parma and that from San Daniele, though Prosciutto di Carpegna and Tuscan Prosciutto Crudo can also be found. Here’s the lowdown on this tasty haunch of pork.

Rigid Standards

Whether it is Parma or San Daniele, prosciutto can only be produced from Italian-born and bred pigs raised according to the highest standards, which are monitored, inspected, and traced. Acceptable pigs are the Large White, Landrace, and Duroc breeds. Whether for Parma or San Daniele prosciutto, the pigs are all raised within the same 10 northern and central Italian regions.

Two Styles

We know prosciutto as a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked…this style is called prosciutto ‘crudo’ (raw) in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, or prosciutto ‘cotto’ (cooked). And though it is uncooked, it really isn’t as raw as you might think…that’s where the curing comes into play. A well-cured prosciutto has a deep red meat and pure white fat.

The Curing Process

For the curing of prosciutto, one would want a dry climate…and that’s what you have in the Parma and San Daniele regions of Italy. For curing, you also need salt…lots of salt. A salt master, or Maestro Salatore in Italian, is in charge of determining just how much salt is appropriate for the legs that our well-cared-for pigs have given up for your dining enjoyment.

Here are salt-rubbed legs prior to aging.

Here are legs seen in two stages: to the left, they are ready to have their open ends rubbed with a fat-salt protective coating; and to the right, that coating has been applied.

You are probably wondering how long the curing process lasts…I mean, we don’t want the meat to spoil and go bad, right? Well, there’re two phases to curing: the resting phase, or riposo; and, the drying, or sugna, phase. The resting phase finds the ham literally hanging around for about 3 months.

After that, the drying phase begins when the legs are smeared with a rice flour, salt, and pork fat mixture. This salty paste is what begins the curing process. And, that pork fat seals the cut end of the leg to prevent spoiling. Using a very thin horse bone, the caretakers occasionally insert it into the ham, withdraw it, and then smell it. If it isn’t malodorous, all is well. This part of the curing process lasts at least a year, and sometimes three years, when its unique full-bodied flavor is at its best. So, three years without being spoiled…that’s the benefit of salt curing.

Here are a couple of expert sniffers sniffing their horse bone picks.

The Taste of Prosciutto

How does it taste? Some say sweet…some say salty…and some say sweet and salty. You’ll have to try it to make your own decision. It’s always served thinly sliced and satisfyingly salty. We’ve eaten it wrapped around cantaloupe melon, asparagus, dates, cheese…all good uses. You can also savor it by itself, or on a charcuterie plate.

From the San Dan website: “The more mature the prosciutto, the stronger the aroma, offering hints of crusty bread and notes of dried fruit and barley malt. The flavor is also unmistakable: subtle yet deliciously tasty mixed with the tang of cured meat to create a perfectly balanced flavor that transforms every mouthful into a multisensory experience.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Why so thinly sliced? It’s expensive, that’s why…you want it to go a long way. We ran across a shave-it-off-the-leg yourself situation at the Lodge at Vail years ago…unheard of since! Prosciutto heaven.

Have you cooked with diced speck? It comes from the hind leg like prosciutto, but that’s the only similarity. Speck is smoked during the final step of the curing process, and the smoky flavor tastes similar to bacon. Speck can be used as you would pancetta, which I will cover a bit later.

Most definitely, don’t confuse prosciutto with American-style smoke-cured ham…there’s no comparison. If you confuse the word prosciutto with prosecco, please take a few moments to get centered, go have a glass of prosecco, and then come back to continue reading about Italian meats.

The Curing Environs

Parma prosciutto is produced near the town of Parma, along the Po River valley. San Daniele Is produced in the hilly area around the town of San Daniele in the province of Udine, which is in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. If you go as far as you can to north-eastern Italy -- way up there on the right -- you are in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The Pig’s Diet

As mentioned previously, the pigs are raised within the same 10 regional areas. However, the Prosciutto di Parma pigs seem to have a bit better pre-prosciutto existence. You’ve heard of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (simplified in the U.S. as ‘parmesan cheese’), right? Well, there’s a link to this cheese and the prosciutto from Parma. Besides the usual grain and cereal diet (it’s hard to think of a pig having a ‘diet’ isn’t it?), these pigs often have parmesan in their diet. They aren’t actually eating a big chunk of cheese, but the whey from the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese producing process. As they say, “You are what you eat”, and that applies to these large pigs. The whey in their diet adds to the complex taste of their future-self as prosciutto.

The Leg’s Shape

The Parma leg is left in its natural shape…a bit stubby. But, the San Daniele legs are pressed to give them their characteristic "Stradivarian" shape, i.e. they have the shape of an oversized violin, so it’s longer and skinnier than Parma. Who presses the leg? Why women it seems, as men lack the ‘necessary touch’.

Here is a San Daniele prosciutto ham…it has a traditional flattened shape.

And the stubbier Parma prosciutto. Note the Parma Crown that has been branded onto the prosciutto.

Here is a glimpse of the branding process…less painful than a cattle brand (with a live cow).

Let’s shave off a piece to enjoy, shall we?

That’s it for prosciutto. Try it wrapped around ripe cantaloupe…prosciutto e melone…delish.

GUANCIALE

Pork

It’s hard to actually call this a meat…it’s a good bit of fat with some occasional color.

It is a similar fat product to pancetta and bacon, but it has a higher fat-to-meat ratio (that means a lot more fat than meat). It’s said to have a richer, sweet-savory pork flavor, though I’ve never tasted it…if you have, let me know how it was.

It is pressed into a pillow shape…thus the name guanciale, which means ‘pillow’ in Italian.

This cut of meat comes from the pork's cheek and is rubbed with salt, sugar, and spices and cured until it loses about 30% of its original weight. Guanciale has an intensely strong flavor and can be used as a substitute for Pancetta or bacon.

BRESAOLA DELLA VALTELLINA

Beef

The origins of this air-dried, salted, lean and tender beef can be traced waaaay back to the Lombardian Valtellina valley and Alps.

This meat is cured for two to three months after being rubbed down in spices. When it is completely dried out, it is hard and dark-red to purple, with a sweet and musky smell. Some say it’s like a lean prosciutto, though made with beef.

Ready to taste it? Do it the way the locals do and slice it very thin, drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and parmesan cheese shavings. Tasty sounding, isn’t it?

PANCETTA

Pork

Pancetta is a salumi made from salt-cured pork belly, sometimes spiced with sugar, fennel, pepper, or nutmeg.

One could call it an Italian bacon, as it is made from the same cut as bacon, However, unlike bacon, pancetta is not smoked, but merely cured and left to dry, usually for several months.

You will probably find it sold in thin slices or cut into small cubes. But, in its uncut state, It comes in two forms – rolled in the northern Italy style, and in its flat form of the central and southern Italy style.

Rather than being eaten by itself, it is mostly used to enhance the flavor of vegetables, meats, soups, and pastas. So it's almost always used as an ingredient in other dishes, like pasta carbonara or pasta arrabbiata.

CAPOCOLLO

Pork

Capocollo is made from pork…but not just any part of the pig. Specifically, it’s made from the dry-cured muscle running from the neck to the fourth or fifth rib of the pork shoulder or neck; this gives it a highly desirable meat-to-fat ratio.

So, it’s a whole-muscle salume.

Capocollo is dry cured, and it’s typically sliced thin, which is how you find it when it is pre-packaged at your local supermarket.

It is also known as coppa, capicola, or the slang ‘gabagool’.

It might be seasoned with red wine and it can have a spiciness because it is rubbed down with paprika during the curing process, which lasts about 75 days.

So, there you have the cured meats of Italy. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where we will take up sausage/salami…and of course, that promised fat/lard…makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?

Ciao for now,

Steve

Not already a subscriber to these blog articles? Click here for the remedy.