Food tour at the Culatello factory

Culatello stands out amongst the most appreciated Italian raw food. This is a unique, limited edition product created in the land that gave birth to Giuseppe Verdi. That is why gourmets from all over the world come to the Emilia Romagna region each year.

Culatello tour, your chance to discover the “king of hams”

Listen to us… this is one of the finest delicacies money can buy. If you are a gourmet, do not miss it. When in Parma get the chance to have a closer look at the farms where the best cured meats born. An expert driver will bring you inside, where food artisans are selecting the best pork legs. This is the starting point of our journey. A journey behind the scenes of Culatello, prosciutto’s noble cousin. The selection process is precise and severe. Only a few pork legs sent here are transformed into Culatello. During the tour, you will learn other important details. In the end, you will be aware of this cured meat tricentennial history. Then the visit will continue passing through the main areas of the factory. You will be able to see how the pork legs are manual cut and prepared. The butcher performs some quick suction and trims away a layer of excess lard. Once the bone has been removed, the leg is ready and the processing starts. The first machinery used is for bringing. It insufflates the salt through the pork’s natural veins. Then the culatello-to-be is submerged in a solution containing salt and spices. Secret ingredients like wild fennel, anise, garlic powder, ground white pepper. Even wine.

During this phase the pieces stay in the cold cell for 20-25 days, then they are moved into the warming cells. Here the culatello enters the final part of the maturing process. In these rooms, the cured meats find their final balancing with the help of a silent ingredient, the fog. Yes, it’s the high humidity level that characterizes the southern part of the Parma county that gives to the culatello its typical fragrance and aroma.

Your guided tour will end with a special tasting. You will try different types of culatello and strolghino di culatello (a special salami) served with a glass of Lambrusco.

Culatello, a limited-edition treasure

There is a reason why Parma is amongst Italy’s top culinary destinations. This is the birthplace of the Prosciutto, and the Culatello is the "King of Prosciuttos". It is produced in 8 town districts of the Parma county: Busseto, Roccabianca, Polesine Parmense, San Secondo Parmense, Zibello, Sissa, Soragna, Colorno.

These are the towns close to the Po river, where Giuseppe Verdi composed some of his best operas. Only eight villages where culatello hams can be made, all because of their climate conditions, offering the right mold.