Lonely Planet

72 Lonely Planet Traveller October 2017TASTE TOUR ITALIAMILE 0ParmaSpend five minutes in Parma and it becomesclear this is a city of the well-heeled.Lamborghinis and Maseratis zip round itsoutskirts. In the pedestrianised historiccentre, men in sharply tailored suits and women inpearls and stilettos cycle past ducal palaces, Baroqueopera houses and the medieval cathedral. Boutiquesare plentiful, but some of the most elegant shopwindows belong to the delis, where hams and cheesesare displayed as meticulously and stylishly as thecontents of an Armani store.To the south lies the source of much of the city’swealth: fields packed with pigs and the factorieswhere their hinds are salted, cured and transformedinto Parma ham. Among the smaller-scale producershere is Rosa dell’Angelo, which offers guided visits ofits farm. Manager Luca Ponzoni shows guests aroundthe pens where his hogs play in the dust under old oaktrees, treating themselves to fallen acorns. ‘When youeat our ham, you’re tasting Parma’s countryside,’ saysLuca. ‘It’s not just what the pigs eat – it’s how it’s aged.We leave the windows open to dry the meat. The windbrings in the aroma of beech, oak, chestnut and pine.’Luca ushers the visitors into his 4WD and ferriesthem to the Rosa dell’Angelo Prosciutto Bar aroundthe corner, so they can test his claims. Waiters shavepaper thin, rose-coloured slices, laced with whiteribbons of fat. After the tasting, Luca reveals thecellars where enormous haunches dangle fromwooden frames. The air in these smells sweet, because``````of the sugars in the meat, with a slight, nose-tinglinghint of the white pepper used to coat it. Each hambears the fire-branded outline of a crown, the signit has passed official inspection and can be sold asProsciutto di Parma.As well as rearing white pigs for Parma ham, Rosadell’Angelo has started selling prosciutto made froman ancient local black breed. These black pigs area key ingredient of another regional speciality,culatello. Even more highly prized than Parmaham, this cured meat is sold at £110 a kilo. In thecountryside northwest of Parma, at Antica CortePallavicina, a Michelin-starred restaurant in aRenaissance mansion, the impeccably moustachioedmanager, Giovanni Lucchi, shows off one of the fewcellars in the world where culatello is produced.Hunks of meat the size of boxing gloves hang lowfrom the ceiling and from walls of metal chains.In the half-light, the culatello appears fuzzy. ‘That’sthe mould – we’re closer to the River Po here thanthe hills where Parma ham is made, so we get moremoisture,’ says Giovanni, as he ducks to avoidknocking into the suspended meat. He explains thatthis is all part of the normal ageing process that givesculatello its unique flavour, a bit like some cheeses.Back out in the daylight, the tour continues to thepigpens. ‘This black breed grows very slowly.Then the meat is aged for at least 18 months,’says Giovanni. ‘You could say the secret to goodItalian food is taking your time.’``````THE PERFECTPORKERTo be officially recognisedas Parma ham, prosciuttoneeds to be made from oneof three breeds of white pigs.These were only introducedafter WWII, but becamepopular with farmers as theywere bigger and fastergrowing than local hogs.Some producers are nowchoosing to craft prosciuttofrom heirloom breeds ofblack pig, claiming the meatis more flavoursome andcloser to how hams usedto taste in the region.``````WHITE PIGLarge White,Landrace andDuroc. Growsup to 380kgand takesnine monthsto mature``````BLACK PIGNero diParma.Grows to240kg andtakes twoyears tomature``````V