Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/724773
4 8 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t In the northwest corner of Emilia-Romagna lies Parma, an ancient city hemmed in by the fertile Po River delta to the north and the rocky spine of the Apennine Mountains to the south. It's a land of stalwart castles, Romanesque churches and seemingly endless bucolic countryside. Rolling hills stippled in oak transition from summer's leafy green garb to autumnal hues of ochre and burnt sienna, echoing the sunbaked tile roofs of farmhouses and agriturismos that dot the land. This is the birthplace of Prosciutto di Parma. Temperate air flowing from the Mediterranean Sea over the crest of Apennines is said to contribute to Prosciutto di Parma's distinctive and delicate flavor. The curing process has been honed and perfected over thousands of years, an evolving body of knowledge passed from one generation to the next, in absolute harmony with Parma's unique climate. The earliest record of Parma ham coincides with the birth year of Julius Cae- sar—100 bc, when Cato the Censor penned an account of a succulent ham from curing houses just outside city walls. In addition to the region's unique terroir, in 1996 Pro- sciutto di Parma was one of the first food products to be awarded PDO or Protected Designation of Origin status. PDO is a stringent European Community certification system designed to protect names and traditions of high-quality European foods within a defined geographic region. In Parma, prosciutto can only be made from specific breeds of Italian-born heritage pigs. The pigs are raised by strict guidelines set by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, a local governing body that monitors every step of the process, from the day the pampered PRESERVED INGREDIENTS K A master salter rubs a precise amount of salt into each Prosciutto di Parma ham leg to begin the curing process. In Parma, Italy, prosciutto can only be made from specific breeds of Italian- born heritage pigs raised under strict guidelines, including feeding them cereal grains and whey, which leads to sweet, nutty undertones to the ham's flavor.