Among the world's most famous hams, one that everyone in the food world knows is Parma ham, the ham of Parma in Italy. Let's get to know it.

What Is Ham?

Ham is a preserved meat product, usually made from pork and most often from the hind leg. It's a way of preserving food that has been practised since before the Common Era. Ham is generally made in one of 3 ways:

  1. Dry curing — raw pork is cured by packing it in salt
  2. Wet curing (brining) — the meat is kept in a salt solution, sometimes with herbs, spices, sugar, caramel or vinegar for extra tenderness or flavour, usually for less than 24 hours
  3. Smoking — the meat is flavoured and preserved by exposing it to smoke from burning or smouldering material; this gives smoked ham

What Is Parma Ham?

Parma ham, in Italian Prosciutto di Parma, comes from the city of Parma in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, where the winters are cold. People there traditionally made it to have food to last the winter. This method of preservation is called prosciutto, an old piece of food wisdom passed down through the generations.

What Makes Parma Ham Special

Parma ham can only be made from the hind legs of pigs aged about 9–12 months. The legs are salted for about 2 months to draw out moisture and season the meat, which slowly turns a pale pink as the salt penetrates.

After salting, the salt is washed off several times, and the legs are hung to cure and dry for 10–12 months or longer, until they have dried and lost weight. Only then can the ham be eaten raw. The ageing time depends on the producer, and the longer it's aged, the higher the price.

Raw Parma ham tastes slightly sweet and fragrant. It's high in protein and contains oleic acid, an omega-9 fat.

Another special thing about Parma ham is how strict its producers' consortium is: no chemicals, colourings, preservatives or other additives are allowed, only salt, and the ham may not be smoked or frozen. That makes it a completely natural product.

Parma Ham in Cooking

Because it comes from Parma, Parma ham is used in many Italian dishes. At Coco Chaophraya we use it in our Parma ham pizza and our rocket and Parma ham salad. Come and try them by the river, or order delivery through LINE @cocochao. For a festive pairing, see our Christmas dinner by the Chao Phraya ideas.

49/1 Phra Sumen Road, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 · Tel 02-281-9918 · Open daily 10:00–23:00

About us: Coco Chaophraya has been open for more than 10 years. We started at the front of Baan Chao Phraya before moving to the Chao Phraya riverside. Our chefs have more than 10 years of experience, and our professional baristas have more than 10 years of experience making coffee.