Prosciutto

Name: Prosciutto — Italian dry-cured ham, made from the hind leg of the pig, salted and air-dried for 12 months or more, then sliced paper-thin. The most famous types are prosciutto di Parma and prosciutto di San Daniele, with protected status, and it is eaten raw (prosciutto crudo).

Description

Prosciutto has been made in Italy for over 2,000 years, in the hills around Parma, where the climate allows the salted legs to dry slowly. A true prosciutto di Parma is made from only pork, salt, air and time, with no additives, and has a sweet, delicate, savoury flavour and silky texture.

It is typically served raw, thinly sliced, with melon, figs, cheese or bread, or wrapped around other foods, or added at the end of cooking. It is salty, but the flavour is so intense that a small amount is enough.

Main nutrition value

Processed meats provide protein, but they are typically high in salt and saturated fat, and cured products contain added nitrites. Prosciutto is high in salt, but the traditional product contains no added nitrite in some protected versions, and has moderate fat, which can be trimmed.

How best to be consumed

Prosciutto is eaten raw in small quantities, thinly sliced.

1. Serve a few paper-thin slices with melon, figs, fresh fruit, mozzarella or breadsticks.
2. Add to pasta, pizzas and salads at the end of cooking, so it stays tender.
3. Wrap around asparagus, chicken or fish, in small amounts.
4. Pregnant women should avoid raw cured ham, or cook it until steaming hot, because of Listeria and Toxoplasma.
5. Keep refrigerated once opened, and use within a few days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Prosciutto is a processed meat, best occasional, with a pregnancy caution.

1. Higher risk of bowel cancer and other conditions with regular intake of processed meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as carcinogenic to humans, because of nitrites, salt and smoking, so keep it occasional.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products.
3. Listeria infection from cold cured or sliced meats and pâté, a particular risk in pregnancy, older age and weak immunity, so these groups should avoid them or heat them until steaming hot. Raw cured ham is also a possible source of toxoplasmosis, which is a risk in pregnancy.
4. Nitrites and nitrates used in curing, which can form cancer-linked nitrosamines when cooked at high heat, so avoid charring cured meats. Some prosciutto is made with added nitrites.
5. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.

GroupsProcessed MeatMammals (red meat)ItalianCured or salted

Related foodsPancettaBaconChorizoCorned BeefHamPastrami

Wikipedia — Prosciutto, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosciutto