One of the favorite treats of northern and central Italian cuisine is Italian prosciutto, a raw, salt cured, dried ham. The making of Italian prosciutto dates back many centuries. In fact, Cato the Elder, a writer from the second century BC, made mention of a ham that was salted, dried and oiled, thought to be an early form of Italian prosciutto.

Italian prosciutto is made by first cleaning and salting a ham. The salt prevents the meat from turning an unattractive gray color as it ages, slows the fat from spoiling and inhibits bacteria from forming on the Italian prosciutto.

Afterwards, the Italian prosciutto is hung to air dry, first at warm temperatures until the moisture in the meat evaporates, and then in cooler temperatures. The length of the drying depends upon the climate and the size of the ham and can take from six months to a year or more. When the curing and drying process is complete, the ham has become a delicious Italian prosciutto.

Two areas in Italy known for their Italian prosciutto are Parma and San Daniele.

The Italian prosciutto of Parma is seasoned and dry-cured for a year or more. The Italian prosciutto of San Daniele is salted and dried, but after the Italian prosciutto is dry it is coated with a mixture of lard, water, flour and pepper and aged for at least 12 months. The San Daniele prosciutto is cured with the leg bone in, which differentiates it from other types of Italian prosciutto.

When purchasing Italian prosciutto, look for a marbled meat with a nice rosy brown color. That's the real stuff. To prevent the Italian prosciutto from drying out, store it in an airtight container.

Because it has been cured, Italian prosciutto is regularly eaten raw. Raw Italian prosciutto is called "prosciutto crudo" and is often cut into paper-thin slices and served as an appetizer or antipasto. It can be used in salads or eaten with cheese on a slice of crusty bread.

Try serving Italian prosciutto with sweet, fresh fruit, which will balance the saltiness of the prosciutto. Italian prosciutto can also be cooked and is sometimes boiled and used as sandwich meat.