About Production

For centuries, Prosciutto di Parma® or Parma Ham®—the names are  interchangeable—has been prized for its enticing aroma and incomparable flavor. By law this famous ham can be made and cured only in the gently rolling countryside near Parma, Italy.

Four ingredients are essential to the production of Prosciutto di Parma®: Italian pigs, salt, air and time. Prosciutto di Parma® is an all-natural ham--additives such as sugar, spices, smoke, water and nitrites are prohibited.

Making a Parma Ham® is a long and painstaking process. The curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it. By the end, a trimmed ham will have lost more than a quarter of its weight through moisture loss, helping to concentrate the flavor. The meat becomes tender and the distinctive aroma and flavor of Prosciutto di Parma® emerge.

 Production zone for Parma Ham

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