The fog. The fundamental, unexpected and unavoidable element of history: without that silent, enveloping embrace that comes from the Po, the Culatello it would not be myth. It would not take that soft and velvety consistency, it would not give that sweet and particular flavor that recalls dried fruit and candied fruit, it would not have that undergrowth aroma that makes it a jewel. It is produced in a limited area, between the Via Emilia and the Great River: eight municipalities in the province of Parma – Busseto, Polesine Parmense, Soragna, Roccabianca, San Secondo, Sissa, Colorno, Zibello which acts as a reference for the PDO – from where they come 80 thousand pieces per year, 15% destined for export. A niche (but twenty years did not go beyond 6 thousand) specialized in a sophisticated salami: part of the adult pig's leg, worked ad hoc, and passed with salt, whole pepper and garlic to be then stuffed into the bladder of the pig itself. There are also those who wet it with dry white wine, to give it a vinous scent. But it is the climate, influenced by the Po, that makes the difference, thanks to the alternation with the typical summers of the Bassa: sunny, torrid, where you cannot breathe, with humidity from Equatorial Guinea.

Ancient, noble, starry fans

Il Culatello: invoked by vate D'Annunzio («Immediately, immediately, immediately three slices of culat (t) ello!), Exalted by his son and cantor of the Bassa whom Gioan Brera was Carlo («A freshly cut culatello reddened invitingly as a precious Verona marble ") and madly loved by Giuseppe Verdi, to which Busseto pays due honor with a monument in the central square. And it is precisely to the great musician that the 'sliding door' is decisive for the fate of Culatello: he was the one who fired a pork butcher from the area, Carlo Spigaroli, who was the factor in his estate. He found a new job in Polesine Parmense, at theAncient Pallavicina Court. Carlo was the great grandfather of Massimo Spigaroli, 'The special one' by Culatello, on the cover or front row of events, despite not scientifically looking for the limelight. He is one of the few who always makes the divine Alain Ducasse smile – the most starred French chef in the world, certainly not a companion – who speaks of him publicly as "a maitre, a superb artisan". On his agenda there are many VIP customers starting with Charles of England.

The temple a stone's throw from the Po

With his brother Luciano – starting from Al Cavallino Bianco family restaurant – he built inside the Antica Corte Pallavicina – a 13th century settlement, purchased in 1990 and restored in twenty years – a Padan world made of large cured meats, a farm, pig breeding, relays with charming hospitality and a starred restaurant where have a gourmet experience in a frescoed room, almost 'inside' the river. "The Culatello must drink, the closer you are to the water, the better it will be" says Massimo in serving Fortana del Taro, which for the 'indigenous' represents the perfect wine to enjoy the salami. Here, in November, George Clooney stopped with Mrs. Amal: the 'straight' came from his colleague Bob De Niro who had fallen in love with the land and food while he was shooting Twentieth century, the 'big movie' by Bernardo Bertolucci, right in the Parma countryside.

He was reborn in the 80s

The genius of Spigaroli lies in having developed the 'culatello system', because by turning Europe far and wide, created the Nero di Parma cattery, an ancient "rediscovered" pig breed. And it has recovered two ancient cured meats that were disappearing: the raw shoulder, with the incredible power of aromas and flavor, and the Culatello, which in the 80s resumed producing according to old traditions, worked in the correct ways and times. Matured in a natural cellar and defending it from those who wanted it to become an industrial product to be made anywhere, even in air-conditioned warehouses. An important commitment that in 1996 has helped the PDO. "We created a sacred monster – proudly explains Spigaroli – by combining the quality of the raw material, the favorable microclimatic conditions and the genius loci, made of tradition and experience".

Few, very good and expensive

That the Antica Corte Pallavicina – with all due respect for the other 22 members of the Consortium – is the temple is out of the question: there is also the Culatello and Masalén museum with an open air extension called Po Forest, a 1.5 km outdoor course, divided into twelve stages to discover the forest, the Po floodplain vegetation and the breeding of 150 black pigs in the wild. And then there are the Cellars of the Court where in the thirteenth century the cured meats that the Marquises Pallavicino sent as gifts to their Sforza friends as to the most fearful captains of fortune to keep them good were refined: the fame of the product was already remarkable, the high value as now that you travel on 70 euros per kg . In the most beloved (and photographed) vault of the tricolor pork butchery there are about 5 thousand pieces maturing, which is carried out between October and February: the pear shape is about 4 kg in weight, the seasoning goes from 16 to 48 months. In front of the show, the gourmet neophyte is stunned, the patron tells of guests who have stayed there for hours as if they were in the Louvre. We have been there several times. We believe it.