Speck from Alto Adige

Alto Adige is Italy’s northern-most province, anchored by the city of Bolzano, sharing a long border and a powerful cultural interconnection with neighboring Austria. Also known as South Tyrol, the land fluctuated between Austrian and Italian control at the turn of the last century, finally becoming part of Italy after I World War.

Speck is the most treasured food product of the South Tyrol, a distinctly flavored, smoked, cured ham that represents well the character of Alto Adige’s cuisine —a delightful and nuanced merging of Northern European and Mediterranean traditions. Speck is much lighter in flavor than the heavily smoked hams found north of the Alps, but more robust than the delicate, Mediterranean-influenced prosciutto made in San Daniele, Parma, and points south.

You can find speck in most Italian pork stores and salumerie—just be sure to make sure it is the authentic speck imported from Alto Adige.