Consorzio di Tutela del Culatello di Zibello
Culatello di Zibello PDO
HYSTORY
Culatello was first explicitly and officially mentioned in 1735, in a document of the City Council of Parma.
Instead, the first literary citations can be traced to 1800, first to the dialectal poet from Parma, Giuseppe Callegari, and then to the sculptor, Renato Brozzi, who exchanged opinions on the Culatello with the famous poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. The Culatello is deeply rooted in the historical memory of farming culture, and is firmly maintained to date on farms situated in the lower Parma area where tradition ensures the quality of inimitable food. Culatello di Zibello is the heritage and asset of that specific stretch of land along the great river Po as a result of the crucial climate for maturation and seasoning of the epitome of cured meats. The art of producing Culatello di Zibello is handed down through the generations, charged with the history of a land, the traditions of its people and the characteristics of a particular climate.
The area experiences cold, long, foggy winters and scorching sunny summers. The alternating dry and humid periods favour the slow maturation of cured meats to develop the unmistakable fragrances and flavours that have made Culatello di Zibello DPO world famous. Hence, these Culatelli are renowned for their subtle, savoury flavour and the softness of each slice on the palate. They are much appreciated by all those who seek genuine foods, the result of the skills, commitment and passion of men who are driven by love for their work.
Consorzio di tutela del Culatello di Zibello
Piazza Garibaldi 34
43010 – Zibello (PR)
Tel: 0524 99131
Fax: 0524 939100
Mail: info@consorziodituteladelculatellodizibello.com
Web: www.consorziodituteladelculatellodizibello.com
Product description
Culatello di Zibello is a typical pear-shaped cured meat with a fine layer of fat in the convex part, bridled with rows of twine to form a sort of net with a large mesh.
When it is cut, the slices must present a uniform red colour with white intramuscular fat. The fragrance is intense and typical, and the flavour is subtle and delicate. These unique features are, especially, the outcome of seasoning that takes place in the humid environment of the lower Parma region, a few kilometres from the river Po and from its thick foggy atmosphere.
production tecnique
Culatello di Zibello is produced from the thigh of the adult pig that is bred according to traditional methods.
From the thigh, lacking of the bone and rind, the smallest part is separated and the Fiocchetto obtained.The remaining part, which is the best, most tender and precious, is precisely trimmed and shaped, spread with salt and vigorously massaged for the salt to penetrate into it. At this point it is left to rest. After the rest, it is stuffed into the pork gut and artistically tied to create the typical “pear” shape.
The humidity, after the first drying period during which Culatello di Zibello needs a dry environment that is at times heated, maintains the cured meat soft and allows its typical slow maturation. The combination of summer heat and autumn fogs presents Culatello di Zibello on our tables with its incomparable flavour already the winter after being processed.