Gran Culatta at a glance
Gran Culatta is the prized heart of the pork leg, hand-trimmed and dry-cured into a boneless, vacuum-packed piece of about 4 kg. Often described as the cousin of culatello, it is the leanest and most flavourful muscle of the ham, with a sweet, delicate cure. Ready to slice paper-thin for antipasti, boards and premium sandwiches.
What culatta is
Culatta (also called culaccia) is made from the central muscle of the pig's hind leg - the same prime cut used for culatello - but cured with its rind left on instead of being sewn into a bladder. The result is a salume that has the depth of culatello with a softer, more yielding texture and an easier, more practical format for slicing.
Origin
Culatta belongs to the great cured-meat tradition of the Po Valley and the Bassa Parmense, the foggy lowlands of Emilia where culatello and culaccia have been made for centuries. The damp, slow-ageing microclimate of the area is what gives these cuts their sweetness and aroma.
The producer
It is produced by Prosciuttificio Montevecchio, an Italian cured-meat maker specialising in whole-muscle salumi. The leg is trimmed by hand, salted and aged so the cure penetrates evenly, yielding a clean, consistent product for professional slicing.
Taste and texture
The slice is ruby-red marbled with a little sweet fat, tender and melting on the palate. The flavour is delicate and sweet, less salty than a standard prosciutto, with the round, aromatic depth typical of long-aged Emilian salumi.
Technical specifications
Made from Italian pork, salt, sugars, spices and preservatives (E252, E250). Boneless, hand-trimmed, vacuum-packed pieces of about 4 kg. Keep refrigerated at 0-4 C. Average values per 100 g: about 250 kcal, 14 g fat, 30 g protein.
Professional uses
Slice it as thin as possible and serve at room temperature: on antipasto and salumi boards, with culatta wrapped around grissini, in gourmet panini and piadine, or over a warm focaccia so the fat just softens. It is a centrepiece cut - let it speak for itself.
Pairings
Classic with butter and bread, shaved Parmigiano, figs, melon or a drizzle of aged balsamic. It pairs beautifully with a glass of Lambrusco, Malvasia or a light Sangiovese.
Storage and delivery
Keep refrigerated at 0-4 C; once opened, wrap and use within a few days. LAPA delivers it refrigerated across Switzerland - to restaurants, hotels, delis and private customers in Zurich, Lugano, Geneva and beyond - six days a week and with no minimum order.
Who it is for
Chefs, delis and salumerie that want a premium, easy-to-slice cured cut, plus connoisseurs looking for an authentic alternative to culatello.
