MODENA HAM TOUR
The origins of Modena Ham rooted in ancient times, probably to the Bronze Age: the first documents date back to the Celts, who introduced the practice of preservingmeat with salt, and Romans who cheered their banquets with hams adn sausages. The Roman soldiers were leaving for the long war campaigns with large quantities of salt pork and ham that came from florida plain of the river Po. The area of Modena Ham has long been considered a benchmark for the processing pork thanks to the ancient and deep-rooted tradition and gastronomic delicatessen.
The Modena Ham processing
The production zone of Modena Ham corresponds to the strip of hills and valleys running along the hydrographic basin of the Panaro River not exceeding 900 metres of altitude commencing from the foothills, including the territories of the Bologna and Reggio Emilia provinces also: discoveries made and authoritative bibliographies reveal that production of ham in these zones was already taking place in Etruscan times
The production of Modena Ham commences with the paring of of the fresh thigh, by means of elimination of the excess fat and part of the rind: the ham has, in this way, acquired its characteristic pear shape and is ready to move on to the salting phases
After the rest phase, the thighs are subjected to a particular type of washing and drying for the purpose of reducing the high percentage of humidity; they then commence the true and proper curing phase in environments realised to ensure natural conditions of humidity and temperature, thanks to constant ventilation and aeration