Kraski Prsut

Kraški pršut is made on the Karst plateau, where the combination of the dry bora wind off the mountains and the mild air off the Adriatic gives conditions suited to drying meat. The legs are salted, pressed and then hung in open lofts for a year or more, unsmoked, taking their character from the wind rather than from any addition; the outside is later coated with lard and flour. It has been protected as a European geographical indication and is served in paper-thin slices with Teran wine.

What you actually see

• The drying lofts - open rooms hung with legs exposed to the bora.
• The salting and pressing - the first stages before the long air drying.
• The bora - the dry wind that makes the method possible on this plateau.
• The tasting - thin slices served with Teran, olive oil and Karst bread.

When to go

Year round; producers take visitors by arrangement rather than on fixed hours. Autumn and winter are the traditional salting season. Osmica open cellars appear in spring and autumn.

Honest expectations

Visits need booking and drop-ins usually find a closed door. Much of what is sold as Karst ham locally is not the protected product; the label is worth checking. Tastings are short and sales-oriented.

Nearby

Stanjel is north, and Lipica is south.