Prosciutto
Fruiterie Milano has the largest selection in Greater Montreal!
Prosciutto is the most famous Italian cured meat in the world. Nitrite-free, colorant-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, and preservative-free, with only sea salt and sometimes a few spices, it is the most natural and healthy cured meat to consume.
Made from a pork leg that is salted, dried and aged in cellars, it is best enjoyed in very thin slices, accompanied by sweet fresh fruit, cheese or fresh bread.
Its flavor varies depending on the number of months it’s aged, but also on its processing method and the region it comes from. The fat around the edge is also key! This thin layer gives it a more delicate taste and masks any saltiness in the mouth. The tasting experience will be truly remarkable!
The ripening time: it makes all the difference!
Depending on its drying and aging time, there will be noticeable differences in the taste, texture, and color of the meat.
The older it is, the less salty it will be and the more its meat will tend to melt in the mouth. Conversely, if it is salty, it means the prosciutto is of lower quality and, consequently, its meat will be less tender and have a more elastic texture.
Although the transformation process is specific to each region or according to the specifications of the different consortia, there are still some notable similarities with the aging time of prosciutto.
- Taste: slightly salty
- Texture: elastic, meat less tender
- Color: red meat tending towards a brownish hue, white fat fillet slightly yellowish
- Taste: slightly salty and sweet
- Texture: soft
- Color: rose red
- Taste: unsalted, mild and delicate
- Texture: soft
- Color: bright red, slightly brownish
- Taste: unsalted, mild and delicate
- Texture: tender, melts in the mouth
- Colour: cherry red, with a streak of fat tinted towards greyish-white
- Taste: unsalted, mild and delicate
- Texture: tender, melts in the mouth, the meat may seem drier
- Colour: cherry red, with a streak of fat tinted towards greyish-white
There is also the one produced in North America. This type of prosciutto is aged using a fan in an accelerated manner, for no more than 12 months, and its meat is very salty and elastic compared to Italian prosciutto.
The quality of the prosciutto
The price range may vary, but the explanation is simple: quality.
Although several companies offer different types of prosciutto, there are consortiums that control production rules to guarantee an exceptional product for consumers. The most common are best known as Parma or San Daniele prosciutto.
Among other things, they must come from the Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, respectively. The production methodology and the types of pork used differ between the two, which explains the difference in their taste, texture, and even the color of the meat.
You can recognize them by the branding with a five-pointed crown for Parma or by a symbol in the shape of a pig’s leg and numbered to identify the producer for San Daniele.
It’s all a matter of preference, but the quality and delectable taste of these two types of prosciutto will give you a completely different and worthwhile experience!
OUR BRANDS
Devodier
Prosciutto di Parma DOP, 30 months and 36 months
Masters in the making of Parma prosciutto, the Devodier family has been dedicated to the production of Italian charcuterie for over 120 years.
In the 50s, Enrico Devodier, one of the original founders in 1963 of the Parma prosciutto consortium, left the city of Parma to settle in the surrounding hills in Langhirano, just south of Parma, and built the cellars there which are still today at the heart of the establishment and its production practices.
The most delectable prosciutto is aged for over 30 months in a “secret” cellar, a tiny, entirely underground, windowless space where the aging process concludes and the final touches are applied to create an exquisite product. These are very limited-edition products with a delicate flavor and absolute tenderness.
Citterio
Since 1878, Citterio has produced a variety of fine cured meats. It was one of the first Italian food companies equipped with an in-house chemical and microbiological analysis laboratory to study, analyze, and inspect production in its factories. Today, eight factories—seven in Italy and one in the United States—produce their cured meats, allowing the company to be recognized worldwide as synonymous with trust, passion, innovation, and quality.
Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, 18 months
San Daniele DOP ham is an Italian specialty known throughout the world. In their San Daniele facility in the province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, their master butchers ensure they follow the consortium’s rules to guarantee an exceptional prosciutto and proudly brand their product.
Different aging periods are available, between 14 and 20 months, but the most well-known is the 18-month aged version. Its delectable taste reveals aromas of dried fruit and barley malt, and it pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit and cheese.
Salame di Milano
Originally a Citterio recipe, Salame di Milano is one of the best Italian salamis and the very first product marketed by the company.
Rather compact, its mixture consists of meat from Italian pigs, salt, and pepper. Easily recognizable by its red color and marbled meat with small pieces of fat no larger than grains of rice, its texture is fatty, but its flavor is delicate. Furthermore, it is a gluten-free salami and contains no dairy products.
Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP
18 months
San Daniele DOP ham is an Italian specialty known throughout the world. In their San Daniele facility in the province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, their master butchers ensure they follow the consortium’s rules to guarantee an exceptional prosciutto and proudly brand their product.
Different aging periods are available, between 14 and 20 months, but the most well-known is the 18-month aged version. Its delectable taste reveals aromas of dried fruit and barley malt, and it pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit and cheese.
Salame di Milano
Italian Salami
Originally a Citterio recipe, Salame di Milano is one of the best Italian salamis and the very first product marketed by the company.
Rather compact, its mixture consists of meat from Italian pigs, salt, and pepper. Easily recognizable by its red color and marbled meat with small pieces of fat no larger than grains of rice, its texture is fatty, but its flavor is delicate. Furthermore, it is a gluten-free salami and contains no dairy products.
Villani
La Santo, Mortadelle Bologna IGP
Master butchers since 1886, the company was founded by Costante Villani and Ernesta Cavazzuti in the small Emilian village of Castelnuovo Rangone, at the gates of the city of Modena.
As one of the oldest Italian and Emilia Romagna charcuterie companies, Villani is today the benchmark in the world of charcuterie.
Their mortadella is one of their most exquisite products. Lightly seasoned with fresh garlic, its slow cooking gives it a unique and delicate flavor. With or without pistachios, it has a wonderfully silky texture.
Protected by the consortium, the mortadella is prepared according to the specifications. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, additive-free and glutamate-free, an amino acid that is a component of food proteins of animal and plant origin.
Rovagnati
Porchetta
In its early days in the 1940s and 50s, the company produced butter and sold cheese. In 1960, the family business decided to expand into the production of fine charcuterie. Since then, the company has operated six factories and holds 40% of the Italian charcuterie market. Each factory specializes in the production of specific products, all of which are lactose-free and dairy-free.
Porchetta is one of their finest cured meats. It’s essentially a whole suckling pig roast seasoned with herbs and spices, slowly roasted for several hours at a controlled temperature. Not only does this herby meat melt in your mouth, but its fat content gives it a balanced, silky texture and a delicious flavor. Furthermore, in addition to being lactose-free and dairy-free, it’s also gluten-free.
Culatello di Ziebello DOP
Culatello di Zibello is considered the king of Italian cured meats. This cut of meat is recognized as the finest, most tender, and most prized part of the leg, the inner muscle of the pig’s thigh. Culatello is made from the muscle of the pig’s leg, the same leg used for Parma ham.
During the salting process, the meat is also massaged and tied before being bagged. Its curing period lasts a minimum of 10 months in humid, well-ventilated cellars. The region’s humidity encourages the slow formation of mold, a key element in producing a mild and flavorful cured meat. Before consumption, the culatello is soaked in dry white or red wine for 24 hours. Once removed from its skin, it can be sliced thinly.
Its flesh is bright red, very tender, with a delicate taste and intense aroma derived from the salt and garlic and pepper flavorings used during the curing process. The consortium also authorizes the use of sodium and potassium nitrate, as well as dry white wine.
Because it is controlled by a consortium, its production is only authorized in the province of Parma, more specifically in the municipalities of Zibello, San Secondo, Busseto, Sissa, Polesine Parmense, Roccabianca, Colorno and Soragna.
It is an extremely popular Italian cured meat. It is delicious with fresh bread and pairs perfectly with parmesan shavings, fresh cheeses or sweet fruits.
Golfera
Gardenia cooked ham, nitrite-free
Golfera began its cured meat production in 1960 in Lavezolla, a village near Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region. Focusing on quality above all else, the company selects the finest Italian pork legs for the production of its Gardenia cooked ham.
With no added salt, polyphosphates, nitrites, or nitrates, this ham is one of the most natural on the market. The curing process uses a blend of natural flavorings including garlic, ginger, juniper, black pepper, sea salt, onion, and vegetable extracts of Swiss chard and carrot.
This slightly dry ham will surprise you with its quality and exquisite taste.
Terra di Siena
Guanciale
Established for over 120 years in Siena, Tuscany, this family business has ensured the transmission of the art of fine charcuterie production from generation to generation. From raising pigs in their natural environment, in the woods and meadows of the Sienese countryside, to production and marketing, everything is orchestrated and operated by the Gambassi family.
The meat comes exclusively from Italian breeders of Cinta Senese pigs, an Italian breed from Tuscany, belonging to the consortium called “Consorzio di Tutela della Cinta Senese DOP,” of which Terra di Siena is a member. The lard from this pig is rich in oleic acid (omega-9), beneficial for lowering bad cholesterol levels, and in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3).
Their know-how, expertise, and passion are constantly reflected in the quality of their products, such as guanciale. This cut of meat, taken from the pig’s cheek, is slightly fattier than pancetta. It is seasoned before being cured, and its flavor enhances the taste of various dishes. It’s the perfect choice for preparing pasta carbonara or amatriciana!
Lardo di Colonnata IGP
Porchetta
Lardo di Colonnata comes from the fatty tissue under the skin of the neck, back, and kidney of Italian pigs, which are almost entirely devoid of meat. Produced using an ancient method in the municipality of Colonnata, on the slopes of the Apuan Alps in the province of Masse and Carrara in Tuscany, producers must adhere to the regulations outlined in the Lardo di Colonnata IGP consortium’s specifications.
The pieces of bacon are massaged thoroughly with coarse sea salt. They are then layered in white marble vats that have been previously rubbed with fresh garlic, and the layers are separated by natural flavorings and spices. The bacon remains in these large vats for a minimum of six months. Before being packaged, all the pieces are carefully seasoned with salt and spices and stamped with a traceability seal.
At the end of the process, the result is a gluten-free product with a delicate taste and full of natural flavor and aromas.