There is no small step that can get past us, you know. How come? Due to maximum attention to details during the production process. Thanks to the meticulous work we perform and to the effort we put into it everyday, we managed to constantly improve the San Daniele Dop. In this regard, one of the pivots that allows our prosciutto to become synonymous with excellence all over the world is the maturing. This process cannot be taken for granted, despite what one might think, and it takes a lot of patience too.
How and when does maturing take place?
What is maturing, first of all? This word is used to identify a quite long step of the prosciutto production cycle during which the pig thighs rest and “age”in special rooms, where they are stored after the washing stage. In these rooms, thanks to absolutely unique temperature and moisture conditions, the so-called enzymatic processes activate in the meat. The conditions here are completely natural, favoured by big windows which allow two key actions: the moisture perfectly balances the internal micro-climate and the breezes of San Daniele continuously surround the pig thighs. We are not joking when we tell you about the importance of the river Tagliamento and of the winds coming from the sea and the mountains! These athmospheric conditions allow the meat to get that distinctive bouquet and unmistakable flavor. This is why the prosciutto production process must take place strictly inside the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli.
When does the maturing start? The pig thighs go into the special rooms four months after the beginning of the production process and stay there at least until the thirteenth month, as required from the Product Specification. Prosciutto di San Daniele therefore needs time to become one and that happens only after a long period of rest. The maturing process goes slowly, just like life in the Friulian village of San Daniele, the custodian of an ancient expertise passed down through generations.
Micro-climate and maturing
Let’s step back. We were speaking of micro-climate. We can understand its importance as a genuine key factor in the maturing of Prosciutto di San Daniele also by reading the Product Specification. The text indeed says that the intersection of the winds, the presence of the river Tagliamento and the soil composition develop a “consistent and unique micro-climate”. This peculiar climate set-up appears only in the area of San Daniele del Friuli and is featured by a soft air movement and very little moisture. These two elements create a combination “known to be perfect for the maturing of the prosciutti”. And, as not enough, these environmental conditions yeld “further characterization elements by the means of microflora conveyance, which results in the typical aromatic features of the product”.
It is no coincidence that the EU has given the Dop brand to our San Daniele. The Product Specification points out the importance of the close connection between the product and the territory. Besides, as stated in the text: “the fact that both in the past and at present (and especially in the past) the production site developed only and exclusively in San Daniele, confirms beyond any doubt that the environmental conditions in this small area offer the product type basis and the reason to exist to the economic history and success of the product name.”
A slow and patient maturing process, like we said, made unique by a microclimate nowhere to be found, is the only way to make the real Prosciutto di San Daniele.
