A few tips on serving Parma ham

Parma Ham is one of those product that everybody loves to eat and serve. Make sure that you get the right kind and serve it the right way with the help of some great tips and tricks.

Sometimes you don´t want to cook anything complicated but still feel like nibbling on something. That´s when you should go for some high quality charcuterie. And if you would choose some Italian Parma ham, then what could go wrong?

In my photos you can see the classic combo of Cantaloupe and Parma ham. No recipe needed but here a few tips to keep in mind when serving Parma ham. If you want to try something only slightly more difficult I have a recipe for some delicious tomato crostini with Parma and Parmesan cheese. But first let’s get a few pointers.

• Parma ham is quality controlled and the only kind you can find is real Parma ham. Any other Italian ham is simply prosciutto (meaning ham in Italian)
• That does not mean that all Parma hams are the same. There can be a big variety in quality between producers and hams.
• Go to a shop that will slice the ham when you order. This way it will be as thick as you like and I think it tastes better as well.
• Don´t serve it ice cold, bring it out half an hour before serving to let it share the most flavor.
• But separate the slices before, otherwise they tend to stick together.
• Just as with the Cantaloupe Parma ham goes great with fruits but don´t get stuck on only Cantaloupe, serve what´s in season.
• A few fruits that I like with ham are apricots, pears, cooked apples, peaches.
• Lots of people use dried hams in pasta. That´s fine flavor wise but the slices tend to stick together when cooking. It is better to serve the ham on the side and let each guest top their own pasta bowl.

Hopefully this tips will make you enjoy Parma ham even more in the future, good luck!