san daniele ham

A MAGICAL PLACE, A UNIQUE HAM

San Daniele ham is the pride of the area and is well known all over the world by gourmets who appreciate its sweet and refined taste. Its delicate flavour and the perfect balance between its winning taste and genuine nutritional properties make the ham a perfect ambassador for Friulian hospitality and of quality of life. Its fame grew much more rapidly than its production, which began to have an economic impact in the 1920s with the appearance of the first “prosciuttifici” (ham factories) that transformed the cellar of a residential outbuilding into a genuine, independent business activity. San Daniele ham began to find its place in the market in the 1960s with the arrival of some companies that became famous throughout Italy beginning in the 1980s.
The thighs that are destined to become “Prosciutto di San Daniele”, are obtained from pigs that are bred and reared exclusively in ten regions of central-northern Italy and fed according to a strict diet outlined by disciplinary regulations before being slaughtered.
The production process follows the traditional method: technology and modern plants are used only for organisation and the more mechanical aspects of production.

The forefathers discovered that low humidity, good air circulation and the climate found in the Piedmont hills allowed for a better preservation of the meat, which in fact, improved its taste. This is how they invented the seasoning, which is not merely the preserving of the meat but a much more complicated process, in many ways miraculous if you consider that it takes place using only ingredients that are completely natural. The only “trick” is the initial treatment with salt.
The real secret of this unique product is the micro-climate in the area of San Daniele, resulting from the meeting between the fresh air currents from the Alps and the humid currents from the Adriatic; moreover its moraine geography, with elevated spontaneous drainage, favours ventilation to guarantee the seasoning of these unique hams.
Thanks to its unparalleled features, San Daniele ham has been protected by the Italian Government since 1970 and then, in 1996, it was recognized as a P.O.D. product (Protected Origin Denomination) by the European Union as well.
The particular features of its ham which is appreciated the world over, make San Daniele a tourist destination for thousands of people throughout the year but especially during the last weekend in June, when “Aria di Festa” takes place. It is a great international event which re-enacts the medieval village ham festival transforming the streets, the squares of the city’s historical centre as well as some of the ham factories into fascinating places for tasting this singular product.

For information:
Consorzio del Prosciutto di San Daniele
Via Umberto I°, n. 26
33038 San Daniele del Friuli (UD) Italy
Tel. +39 0432 957515 – fax +39 0432 940187
www.prosciuttosandaniele.it
info@prosciuttosandaniele.it