Tropicana Jul-Aug 2018 #119 Hot Stuff

THE COOKBOOK
The day before the Michelin event, I tour the
Galloni factory in Langhirano, 12 miles south of Parma,
and observe the exacting application of sea salt and
seasoning which delivers mouthwatering Parma ham to
the top tables. (Tours can be booked through the local
tourist office.)
Federico Galloni calls his army of workers 'salatori',
or salty men; they scrutinise the ham hocks before
smothering them in salt and hanging them up to dry
for months.
A convivial man wearing an elegant cardigan under
his white lab coat, Federico is a grandson of one of the
five brothers who established the business in 1960.
Today, they can produce 300,000 cured hams every year.
Federico says it could produce five times that amount
if he chose to switch to a fully automated production
line, but he instead keeps faith with the serious salty
men, who do not smile at gawping visitors as they are too
engrossed in their time-honoured handiwork.
In the ominous-sounding ham chamber, we marvel
at the 'spiking' process, conducted with a horse's shin
bone to assess the odour of the prosciutto. The best legs
are awarded the famous five-pointed crown stamp of
Parma ham. A tasting session is soundtracked by Verdi
in a dedicated sampling room where we wash down the
luscious ham with lightly sparkling pignoletto wine.
“So dedicated to cuisine are the people of a northern
region blessed with a humid subtropical climate,
that their excellence in food standards was this
year recognised by the Michelin Guide.”
97 JULY/AUGUST 2018 | TM