The first mention of Parma ham products was Cato's work around 100 BC, which mentioned the practice of burying pork legs in a bucket full of salt, and then air-dried or smoked the meat. Later, the practice of air-drying ham was improved, and the smoking process ceased.
In the classical era, the ham produced in Parma was one of the delicacies of the banquet specialties. In fact, the combination of melon or figs and Parma ham may be the root of the Romans’ dietary custom of taking fruit as the first course.
It is said that when Hannibal was stationed in northern Parma in more than a thousand years, he used local wine, bread and Parma ham to support himself and his troops. On the main entrance of a 13th-century cathedral in Parma, there is a sculpture depicting the situation of each month of the year, of which November is determined to be the day of the pig. Traditionally, every pig raised in a rural household in Parma was slaughtered in late autumn. This tradition is preserved in most areas, but this is also the time to eat pork. Next, there is a winter festival called "maialata". At this time, restaurants in all regions offer a variety of pork specialties. Until the 19th century, during the ham-making season, private families were busy with this. Ham is hung on the ceiling of each guest room. The residents of Palma eat, sleep, and breathe together with the ham. Eventually, home dryness is replaced by "apartment houses" with long and narrow windows, through the circulation of fresh air. Dry the ham.
The five-pointed star Duke’s crown symbol on Parma ham is a memory of the Grand Duchy of Parma. In the 15th century, the Farnese family came into being and continued under the regimes of the Bourbons, Napoleon and Maria Luigia, Duchess of Austria. In 1859 Parma became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
In Parma and elsewhere in Italy, a typical Parma ham set consists of three or four slices of ham cleverly placed on a plate, paired with bread, and perhaps a glass of dry Malvasia (local low-alcohol white wine). There are many other well-known products in Parma's unmatched ham production area, the most famous Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. The central area between Tuscany and Veneto, Emilia-Romagna has a very rich and varied culinary tradition. Typical dishes include spaghetti with Bolognese meat sauce, vegetables pickled in balsamic vinegar, and TORTA fritta (fried bread dough) with slices of Parma ham wrapped in thin paper.