Prosciutto di Modena

Prosciutto di Modena is a matured, dry-cured ham produced exclusively in the hills of the Panaro river basin in Emilia-Romagna. Pear-shaped and without foot, it must meet defined analytical thresholds for moisture, sodium chloride, and protein breakdown, and weigh between 8 kg and 10 kg as a whole ham, never less than 7 kg.

About this designation

Prosciutto di Modena holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-IT-0066 and assigned eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013033, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996. The applicant body is the Consorzio del prosciutto di Modena. Production and curing must take place exclusively in the hills surrounding the Panaro river basin and its tributary valleys, up to a maximum altitude of 900 m, across a defined list of municipalities. Raw material is restricted to fresh legs of pigs born, reared, and slaughtered in ten specified Italian regions: Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Molise, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzi, and Lazio. The specification sets a minimum curing period of 14 months, reducible to 12 months for uniform batches with an initial size of less than 13 kg. The finished product must satisfy three analytical requirements: moisture content between 59 % and 63.5 %, sodium chloride content between 4.5 % and 6.7 %, and a protein-breakdown index between 21 % and 31 %. The whole ham weighs between 8 kg and 10 kg and is never less than 7 kg. Authenticity is secured by a stamp affixed to the skin by the Inspection Body. Labels of whole bone-in ham must bear the words 'Prosciutto di Modena' followed by 'denominazione di origine protetta'. The use of qualifications such as 'classico', 'autentico', 'extra', or 'super' is forbidden.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0066, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013033.
• The specification requires a minimum curing period of 14 months, reduced to 12 months only for uniform batches with an initial size of less than 13 kg.
• Three mandatory analytical thresholds apply: moisture 59 %–63.5 %, sodium chloride 4.5 %–6.7 %, and protein-breakdown index 21 %–31 %.
• Production and curing are confined to hills of the Panaro river basin up to a maximum altitude of 900 m across a named list of municipalities.

Tasting notes

Sweet dry-cured ham from Po valley, aged minimum 14 months. Pink-red meat, soft white fat, sweet delicate flavor, slightly less aromatic than Parma, smooth pleasant finish.

HoReCa use

Sliced for antipasto boards; rolled with melon or grissini for finger food.

Packaging

• whole-leg-bone-in-8-10kg
• whole-leg-boneless-vacuum-6-8kg
• half-leg-vacuum-4kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g