フィオッコ・ディ・プロシュット

When you're surrounded by legends, it isn't easy to make your mark. This is what Fiocco would say if it could speak. Life as the 'younger brother' of Culatello, the King of Cured Meats, deals quite a blow to the self-esteem. When artisans remove pork thigh from the bone, Culatello is made from the upper (fattier and larger) part, leaving the smaller and leaner lower part for Fiocco di Prosciutto.

But do you think poor Fiocco gives up that easily? Certainly not. It is, after all, the brother of a king and you'll notice this as soon as you take your first bite. It has its own special sweetness due to the fact that it is strictly hand salted and thus perfectly balanced by expert artisans. An exceptionally lean cured meat, it undergoes sugnatura, a process designed to soften the meat. The last phase is crucial: curing takes approximately 9 months and occurs in temperature-controlled rooms, transforming an excellent cut into a cured meat which is perfect for all occasions. The simplest of serving suggestions brings out the best of this product: some homemade bread, perhaps toasted and garnished with a curl of fresh butter.

Just like with Culatello, once opened we recommend you wrap it in a perfectly clean cloth, slightly moistened with white wine. After cutting it is best eaten fairly quickly, but in any case remember to slightly dampen the cloth every three or four days and replace it after around 10 days. Stored in this way, a Fiocco will last for more than a month, although we're quite sure you will finish it before then.