Prosciutto di San Daniele

Production is restricted to the town of San Daniele, where moist air from the Adriatic meets dry air off the Julian and Carnic Alps in a hill position with gravel soil that drains well. The only permitted ingredients are Italian pork legs and sea salt: no nitrates, no smoke, no other seasoning. The hams are pressed, which gives the characteristic flattened guitar shape, and the trotter is left attached, a visual mark of the designation. Minimum curing is thirteen months and many go longer. Producers open their curing rooms during Aria di Festa, an event held in the town each June.

What you actually see

• The two ingredients - pork and sea salt, nothing else permitted.
• The pressed shape - a flattened ham with the trotter left on.
• The curing rooms - racks of hams in ventilated halls above the town.
• Aria di Festa - a June event when producers open to visitors.

When to go

Year-round for shops and tastings; Aria di Festa in late June is when the curing rooms open. Producer visits at other times usually need booking.

Honest expectations

Most producers are industrial facilities requiring booked visits, not open cellars. The town itself is small. Prices for long-cured hams are high.

Nearby

Udine lies southeast; the Carnic Alps rise north.