How to Taste Prosciutto di Parma

The stages of a prosciutto di Parma tasting include

• The examination of the exterior.
• The examination of a slice of meat.
• The olfactory analysis.
• The flavor analysis.

Visual tests

External structure: prosciutto should be pear-shaped, have pork fat covering all exposed areas, and the skin should be uniform in color
Color of the fat: white with light pink colored stripes
Color of the meat: uniform pink-red in all the areas of muscle meat
Slice structure: press both the fatty and lean parts of the meat with your fingers, checking for moisture and grease. Both should be moderate. The slice should be moist, but not shiny. In the center of the slice, identify the femoral artery. It should be clean and white with a soft consistency.

Smell and Taste tests

Odor: fragrant, delicate, sweet and balanced smell of aged meat.
Flavor: place a slice in your mouth and chew to warm up the meat. Move it around and press it against the roof of your mouth. Take note of the flavor and its duration. The prosciutto should have a sweet, slightly salty flavor. It should taste fresh and well balanced. You should notice a slightly bitter note in the back of your throat.
Aroma: swallow the sample, close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Notice the aromas and consider them in terms of quality, intensity and duration. You should experience the aromas of aged meat and red fruit.
Structure: evaluate how the prosciutto feels in your mouth when you chew. It should be tender, easy to bite through and have the sense of melting in your mouth. 

Positive Characteristics of Prosciutto di Parma

• The deboned ham should weight at least 16.5 lbs.
• The color of the sliced meat should be a uniform orange red, streaked with pure white due to the fat
• Aroma and flavor should be delicate and sweet, slightly salty, fragrant and typical of prosciutto di Parma.
• Pear-shaped and flat, un-damaged skin.
• The veins or external and internal hematomas should not be too large or evident.
• There should be no hair remaining on the skin.

Negative Characteristics of Prosciutto di Parma

• Excess fat in the lean areas of the aged pork thigh.
• Presence of blood in the femoral artery.
• Different colors spanning across a single slice of meat.
• Flavor of raw meat and odor of blood.
• White dots (or thyroxine crystals) in excess and crystallized in a way that makes the ham difficult to chew.
• Limited amount of fat (when there is too little fat the prosciutto is referred to as magrone, or lean).
• Flattened shape or uneven to the right or left.
• Yellow, rancid fat due to exposure to high temperatures.
• Presence of yeast and mold on the slice.

Visit our Online store to purchase Prosciutto di Parma.