Italian High-Quality Cooked Ham, Sweet and Delicate
I Love Cotto is the high-quality cooked ham (prosciutto cotto di alta qualità) by Salumificio F.lli Coati, made from a whole pork leg and slowly steam-cooked at low temperature. The whole piece weighs approximately 9 kg, is gluten-free and dairy-free, contains no added polyphosphates and delivers 22 g of protein with only 1.5 g of salt per 100 g. Its sweet, delicate flavour and compact rosy slice make it a benchmark cooked ham for deli counters, restaurants and pizzerias.
What Alta Qualità Means
Italian law divides cooked ham into three categories: prosciutto cotto, prosciutto cotto scelto and prosciutto cotto di alta qualità. The alta qualità tier is the most selective: it is reserved for hams produced from whole pork legs in which the muscle structure remains clearly identifiable in the slice. The Dolce version by Coati adds a particularly mild, sweet seasoning profile with a reduced salt content of 1.5 g per 100 g.
The Producer: Salumificio F.lli Coati, Valpolicella
Salumificio F.lli Coati was born at the beginning of the twentieth century as a small family shop in Valpolicella, in the province of Verona. Four generations of the Coati family have run the company without interruption, and since 2009 production takes place in the Arbizzano di Negrar site, one of the most modern facilities dedicated to cooked ham in Italy.
The Coati high-quality cooked ham received the maximum rating in the guide I Salumi d'Italia published by Le Guide de L'Espresso, a recognition of the consistency of its slow production method.
Slow Steam Cooking and Tasting Profile
The whole leg is cooked slowly with steam at low temperature, a process that preserves the integrity of the muscle and keeps the meat juicy. The result is a compact, soft slice with a rosy colour, a characteristic sweet aroma and a delicate flavour, made with protected iodised salt and a short ingredient list: pork leg, iodised salt, sucrose, natural flavourings.
Professional Uses
Slice it to order at the deli counter at 1-2 mm for maximum tenderness. In the kitchen it works on gourmet sandwiches, toast and tramezzini, piadine and club sandwiches, and on the classic pizza prosciutto e funghi: add 60-80 g per pizza after baking or in the final minute so the ham stays juicy instead of drying out in the oven.
Mistakes to avoid: baking the ham for the full oven cycle at top temperature (it dries and turns leathery), slicing it hours in advance (the slice oxidises and loses aroma), and serving it fridge-cold on a charcuterie board instead of letting it temper for a few minutes.
Pairings
On pizza it pairs with fiordilatte and champignon mushrooms; at the counter with soft white bread for tramezzini, cheeses and pickled vegetables on mixed boards. Its sweet profile balances sharper cheeses and acidic condiments.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store at 0-4 °C. The whole vacuum-packed piece keeps for 120 days unopened. Once started, keep it refrigerated, well wrapped or vacuum-sealed again, and use it within a few days for best slice quality.
Distribution and Logistics
Refrigerated B2B and B2C delivery in Switzerland from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich). Cold chain at 2-4 °C guaranteed by the LAPA fleet across Zurich, Winterthur, Kloten, Aargau, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Bern and Basel. For Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Sion) and mountain regions (Chur, Davos) delivery within 24-48 hours via certified food-grade partners such as Swiss Post Frigo-Express, Planzer and Galliker.
Who It Is For
Restaurants, pizzerias, delicatessens and butcher counters, hotels, catering services, sandwich and tramezzini bars, Italian grocery stores and private customers who want a whole high-quality cooked ham to slice fresh.
