Not just prosciutto and culatello: the parmesan charcuterie is a world full of excellent products, sometimes little known, but worthy of being tasted and brought to your tables.
Here is our ranking of the 5 little-known cured meats that are worth a stop in Parma City of Gastronomy:

1. Spalla Cruda di Palasone

Slow Food Presidium, Spalla Cruda is a typical salami of the Lower Parma area. Less known than the Spalla Cotta di San Secondo, it is made with the front shoulder and the coppa of the pig, stuffed in the pig’s bladder, tied and lightly salted and peppered to be then aged in the cellars of the Bassa Parmense. After about 10-12 months of maturation, Spalla Cruda is ready: a rare, precious salami with a light but persistent flavor. Perfect paired with a glass of Fortana wine.

2. Strolghino
If there is good wine in a small barrel, a small cured meat such as strolghino can only be exquisite. Obtained from the trimming of the lean parts of Culatello and stuffed into a thin casing, Strolghino, unlike other cured meats, is to be consumed young, after about 20-30 days of aging. Soft and sweet, the strolghino is a must for a perfect aperitif or parmesan appetizer.

3. Culatta or Culaccia

Noble and precious, the Culatta or Culaccia is none other than the Culatello with rind. Culatta is obtained from the thigh of the pig, deprived of the stem, the bow and the femur, processed by hand and aged for at least 10 months. The particular softness of the culatta is given by the rind and by the greasing of the lean part of the thigh.
Soft, sweet but intense, the culatta will amaze you with its unique flavor: try it with bread and butter curls!

4. Raw Mariola
There is a cooked version and a raw version of the mariola. The latter was considered the “noble” mariola: only the lords could afford the seasoning. Stuffed into a natural casing, despite the long maturation, mariola remains very soft thanks to its large size. Typical of the Bassa Parmense, where it matures in the humid cellars together and Culatello, salame and strolghino, mariola is a rare, precious and delicious product.

5. Black pork cured meats
Special mention should be made of all Parma black pork cured meats. A native breed of our territory subject to an important recovery process, the Black Pig of Parma stands out for the delicacy of its dark red meat with a strong marbling. The result is cured meats with an ancient and intense flavor: from salame to pancetta, from lard to ham, the meat of black pigs will amaze you with unforgettable flavors.

Here is our small ranking of the little-known cured meats of our territory that are worth a culinary visit to Parma, did you know them? Let us know on our social networks! And if we have made you want, you can buy these cured meats directly from the producers or in the shops of Parma City of Gastronomy!