Description
The Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI is a sausage product obtained exclusively with accurately chosen pork legs.
Production Area
The Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI is produced in Bonndorf in Schwarzland, a German municipal area located in the rural district of Waldshut, in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.
Production Method
The hams are boned, cut to measure, cleaned and prepared for salting. The mixture of salts and spices for the salting procedure follows a traditional recipe, which is composed of salts and natural aromatic herbs, specifically juniper berries, pepper grains, garlic and coriander. After having rubbed every single ham by hand, these are placed in special containers, which let out the residual humidity after three or four days. Successively, the hams are pressed and shaped to have a regular and marketable shape. The Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI is made conservable through smoking: green branches of fir, as well as fir wood and sawdust, are placed on the bottom of a special fireplace. Then they are burned, controlling that the flames do not rise. In this way, not only can the hams be preserved, but they also acquire their characteristic flavour.
Appearance and Flavour
The Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI has a typically dark red colour and is characterised by a pleasant smoked taste.
History
The history and fame of the Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI are tightly linked to the traditional production methods improved over time. Of particular importance are the smoking process on fir branches and the spice processing, which have become an integral part of the Black Forest history, along with the Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI.
Gastronomy
The whole Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI can be preserved up to nine months. The vacuum-packed ham pieces should be placed in a refrigerated environment at a temperature between 7 and 18?C. If the whole hams are opened, they should be hung in a cool and dry environment, better if inside a cloth bag. The pre-sliced ham should be kept in the refrigerator at 7?C, and once the vacuum-packaging is opened, the slices should be consumed as soon as possible. This ham reaches the apex of its taste in very thin slices. Examples of tasty and much appreciated dishes are the carpaccio of Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI seasoned with aromatic vinegar and slivers of ripened cheese, or the serving with potatoes and walnut mush. The final parts of the ham are ideal to be consumed as snack bits, or, if cut, they can be used to make omelettes or to flavour sauces.
Marketing
The product is sold as Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI. It is marketed with or without rind, thinly sliced in packages of 10 or 15 slices, or in pieces of 1.8 kg, 2.5 kg, 2.6 kg, and up to 3 kg.
Distinctive Features
The accurate smoking method with green branches, fir wood and sawdust is a crucial process in the processing of the Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI, thanks to which the ham acquires its characteristic aroma.
