Drnis Prsut

Drnis ham is made by salting the leg, pressing it, lightly smoking it over hardwood, and then hanging it to dry in the bura, the cold dry wind that comes down off Dinara and does most of the work - the combination of light smoke and wind drying is what separates Dalmatian prsut from the unsmoked Istrian style and from Italian and Spanish hams. Drnis had a serious reputation before the twentieth century, with the ham reportedly served at the Vienna court, but the industry was destroyed along with the town in the 1990s war and had to be rebuilt from very little. Producers around the town now sell direct and an autumn fair marks the season.

What you actually see

• Light smoking and bura drying - the Dalmatian method.
• Different from Istrian prsut - which is not smoked at all.
• An industry rebuilt after the 1990s - the town and its trade were destroyed.
• An autumn fair - marking the curing season.

When to go

Year round; the fair is in autumn. A meal.

Honest expectations

Quality varies widely between producers and supermarket product is not the same thing. Buying direct usually means calling ahead. The town is quiet and off the tourist routes. Prices for good ham are not low.

Nearby

Krka national park is south; Knin is north.