Culatello

It was time for a trip to Feduzzi to get some of their own import Parma Ham, Parmesan and fresh pasta. When I ordered the Parma Ham, they suggested I try their newest offering – Culatello. It’s amazing! Like the fillet of Parma Ham.

I did some quick research and it turns out that Culatello is so prestigious that it only recently made it out of Italy. At least commercially. It’s the highlight of cold cut platters at NYC’s top Italian Babbo – even earning ingredient of the month honors.

As with many great foods, the production process does not lend anyone to believe that the end result is edible, let alone a delicacy. Making Culatello apparently involves tucking the meat in a pig’s bladder and letting it age for 12 months in a humid, dirt-floored cellar.

Only the small back side of the pig’s thigh is used, significantly less than for regular prosciutto. The result is magnificent – an intense, slightly salty flavor with an incredibly smooth, almost creamy texture.

At Feduzzi, sometimes criticized for high prices, Culatello costs € 37,50 per kilogram. Actually less than the rather average Albert Heijn Excellent Prosciutto di Parma Ham, which costs € 47,87.