Dalmatian prosciutto is a non-perishable charcuterie product made of pork loin with bone, skin and under-skin fat tissue. It is dry salted with sea salt and no other additives, smoked by mild burning of the hard beech tree, oak or hornbeam. It undergoes drying and maturation processes that last for at least one year. Its features are a specific aroma, mild salty flavour and even red colour of the meat.
From the salting phase to the finished product, Dalmatian prosciutto is produced within the geographical area of the Dalmatian counties and the City of Novalja, that is, as defined in the Protected Geographical Indication for Dalmatian prosciutto. The comparative advantage of this area for the production of Dalmatian prosciutto are the unique natural conditions not found in other parts of Croatia. The area of Dalmatia, especially the hinterland and mountainous area, in the terrain-geographical and climate sense, make up a unique unit at the border between the Mediterranean and continental-mountainous atmospheric air currents. During winters, due to the proximity of the warm Adriatic Sea, there are no extremely low temperatures while the air is dried and cooled by frequent mountain winds creating an ideal natural environment for salting and drying and additional prosciutto maturation. In terms of winds, almost the entire area of Dalmatia is dominated by the N, NNE and NE “bura” wind that blows from the land towards the sea and typically occurs in winter and early spring. In terms of annual frequency, the “jugo” wind follows. It blows from the sea to the land, that is, from the SE and SSE directions. Frequent winds and the knowledge and skills of the local prosciutto makers were and remain to be the deciding factor of the traditional but also modern production of Dalmatian prosciutto.
The name “Dalmatian prosciutto“ was registered at the level of the European Union on February 13th, 2016 under the Protected Geographical Indication protecting it from any type of misuse in the entire European Union. Only the Dalmatian prosciutto produced in accordance with the Product Specification for the Protected Geographical Indication may be sold on the market under the name of “Dalmatian prosciutto“. Only producers who have a valid Certificate of Product Compliance with Product Specifications issued by a competent control body may use the name.
Associate Professor Danijel Karolyi, PhD
