Culatello

Zibello, a town near Modena, is the centre for the manufacture of this famous Emilia-Romagna ham. Culatello is the heart of the ham, the most tender part, cut in a round, cured in brine and enclosed in a gut-like skin before being left to air-dry for a long time. It tastes very sweet and, if correctly prepared, melts in the mouth. To enhance the taste of this delicacy further, the air-dried ham can be stripped of its skin then soaked in red wine to moisten it and add flavour. Soaked or unsoaked, this very special ham is usually served thinly sliced as part of an antipasto or by itself.