ABSTRACT
Dry-cured ham is generally considered to be a typical Mediterranean product, although it is also manufactured outside Southern Europe. The Mediterranean types of dry-cured ham are characterized by dry salting and a long ripening period (up to 24 months). On the contrary, the Northern Europe types of dry-cured ham are characterized by smoking followed by a short ripening period. Despite the important differences in the pro cessing and sensory characteristics of dry-cured hams between countries, all production technologies have two operations in common: salting and drying. The main differences between dry-cured hams are due to specific raw material (different breeds, weight, or trimming), specific production steps (e.g., different salting systems, smoking, etc.), and specific air conditions and duration of the drying and ripening processes. The use of chilling chambers or artificial dryers, have improved the process standardization and, consequently, the control of the safety and quality of the final product (Gou et al. 2012). Dry-cured hams are generally very stable and robust as well as being safe and great tasting products which can be produced without major difficulty if a few important rules are followed during the production (Feiner 2006).
