info@eatin-parma.com
Follow us:
Among the Emilia-Romagna’s food, the Culatello is indeed unmissable: born from the fog around the river, an essential element for its taste, is one of the most precious and typical food of Emilia tradition.
Culatello, mentioned, according to some, for the first time in a document of the eighteenth century.
The Culatello di Zibello can only be produced in a specific and limited area in the period between October/November and February, when the “Bassa”, an area in the province of Parma located on the south side of the Po river, is shrouded in fog and cold.
In Emilia Romagna is also possible to visit The Culatello Ham Museum, located in the complex of Antica Corte Pallavicina, in Polesine.
One of the secrets ingredients of this famous cured meat is something untouchable but widespread in the production area: the fog.
A fog that entering the drying cellars during the autumn nights, creates “precious” molds capable of giving exceptional flavors and aromas.
Also, above all, the times have their importance: for the ageing to be complete, the Culatello needs at least ten months, during which it is exposed to natural light and humidity.
The sweet and delicate taste of culatello makes it excellent even if accompanied by a slice of homemade bread.
Better to avoid too strong sauces: with an excellent product like Culatello you don’t need anything else to have a perfect match.
Culatello is superb as an appetizer together with cream cheeses or Parmigiano Reggiano flakes. Even with cheeses, it is essential to choose varieties that do not cover his flavor. Those are for sure valuable methods that assure a good tasting experience, but the best way is certantly to have it with curls of fine butter and bread.
Depending on how you combine the Culatello with the cheeses, you can choose the right wine to enjoy during the meal. Among the most suitable wines there are certainly red wines, medium-bodied ones, not too aromatic, or even white. Can even be sparkling but must be producted following the traditional method.
Do you want to taste it? Discover here our tours dedicated to the king of fog.
Your local food guide – Valerio