Crudo di Cuneo

Crudo di Cuneo is a dry-cured ham produced exclusively in the Cuneo province of Piedmont, Italy, from fresh legs of pigs born, reared, and slaughtered within the designated area. Salting uses dry or partially moistened salt, preservatives are not permitted, and ageing continues until the end of the tenth month after salting began. The designation was registered as a PDO on 5 September 2005.

About this designation

Crudo di Cuneo holds PDO status registered on 5 September 2005 under file number PDO-IT-0490, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013652. The specification requires that only fresh pork legs from animals born, reared, and slaughtered within the production area may be used; frozen legs are not permitted, nor may boars or brood sows be used. Permitted breeds are the traditional Italian Large White and Landrace breeds as improved by the Italian herd book, offspring of boars of those breeds, offspring of Italian Duroc boars as improved by the herd book, and offspring of boars of other breeds or mixed-breed boars from selection or cross-breeding schemes consistent with herd book aims for heavy pig production. Animals must reach a final live weight of 80 to 156 kg in the fattening phase. Pork legs must come from animals slaughtered not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours before processing. Dry-salting lasts a minimum of two weeks, followed by a maturation period of not less than 50 days, with ageing continuing until the end of the tenth month after salting began. During ageing, sugnatura is applied — a mix of pig fat, salt, and rice or wheat meal spread on the muscle surface — either once between the fifth and seventh month or repeatedly between the fourth and eighth month. Preservatives are not permitted. The inspection body is I.N.O.Q. — Istituto Nord Ovest Qualità — Società Cooperativa a r.l., based in Moretta, Cuneo. Each ham released for consumption must bear a branded seal and a logo incorporating a stylised ham and a triangle or wedge, together with the producer's identification number within the checking system. The applicant group is the Consorzio di tutela e promozione del Crudo di Cuneo.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 5 September 2005 under file number PDO-IT-0490, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013652.
• The use of frozen pork legs and preservatives is expressly prohibited by the specification.
• Ageing must continue until the end of the tenth month after salting began; salting itself lasts a minimum of two weeks.
• Each ham must carry a branded seal and logo — incorporating a stylised ham and a wedge shape — plus the producer's individual identification number.

Tasting notes

Piedmontese dry-cured ham, sweet and delicate, less aromatic than Parma or San Daniele, soft pink meat with thin layer of buttery white fat, gentle salt-aged flavor.

HoReCa use

Sliced thin for antipasto boards in Piedmontese restaurants; served with grissini Torinesi and Castelmagno; used in regional vitello tonnato adaptations.

Packaging

• whole-leg-bone-in-9-12kg
• whole-leg-boneless-vacuum-7-9kg
• half-leg-vacuum-4kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g