Prosciutto di Parma

Prosciutto di Parma is a PDO-protected aged raw ham produced exclusively in a defined zone within the Province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna. It is made from the hind legs of heavy pigs using sea salt as the sole preservative addition, and is identified by a heat-affixed five-point crown mark before release for consumption.

About this designation

Prosciutto di Parma holds PDO status registered under file number PDO-IT-0067, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996, and is listed in eAmbrosia under identifier EUGI00000013034. The applicant group is the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, based in Parma. The production area is confined to land in the Province of Parma lying within 5 kilometres south of Via Emilia at an altitude of no more than 900 metres, bounded to the east by the Enza river and to the west by the Stirone river. Raw material originates from a broader area covering all municipalities in ten named Italian regions: Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Molise, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzi and Lazio. Pigs must be at least 9 months old, weighing approximately 160 kilograms with a permitted variation of 10 percent. Fresh hind legs must weigh no less than 10 kilograms and may not be frozen; they must be kept at an internal temperature of between −1 °C and +4 °C during storage and transportation. The specification permits the addition of sea salt only; no other preservation treatment is permitted. The minimum ageing period before release for consumption is 12 months for all sizes. The finished ham is identified by a heat-affixed mark reproducing a five-point crown accompanied by the wording 'Parma'; only hams bearing this mark may carry the designation. The inspection body is the Istituto Parma Qualità, located in Langhirano, Parma. Slicing and packaging must be carried out within the production area.

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-0067; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013034.
• Sea salt is the sole permitted addition during processing; no other preservation treatment, including freezing of fresh hind legs, is allowed.
• The minimum ageing period before release for consumption is 12 months for all sizes.
• Only hams bearing the heat-affixed five-point crown mark ('duke's crown') accompanied by the wording 'Parma' may lawfully carry the designation.

Tasting notes

Aged dry-cured ham (minimum 14 months, often 18-24), sweet rosy meat with marbled white fat, delicate aroma of dried meadow flowers and dried fruit, signature sweet-savory balance with no bitter aftertaste — the global benchmark of Italian raw ham.

HoReCa use

Sliced paper-thin for antipasto; classic with melon, fig, mozzarella di bufala, or grissini; layered in panini and pizzas; cured ham bone for risotto stock; ribbons in pasta dishes.

Packaging

• whole-leg-bone-in-9-13kg
• whole-leg-boneless-vacuum-7-9kg
• half-leg-vacuum-4-5kg
• quarter-vacuum-2kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g
• deli-sliced-vacuum-80g
• pre-sliced-tray-150g
• gift-pack-200g