Air-dried patience
Prosciutto crudo needs to mature: twelve to 36 months in the dry, windy valleys around Parma. The airs from the Apennines, mixed with the moisture of the valleys, create the salty, fragrant aroma.
Prosciutto cotto, the cooked variety, is a different food – less salt, more water, a side dish rather than a showpiece. Crudo is joy, cotto is practicality.