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Njeguški pršut (Smoked ham)

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Product Description

Njeguška pršuta (Smoked ham) is a meat specialty from the village of Njeguši in the South of Montenegro. It is a dry-cured ham, served uncooked, similar to Italian Prosciutto. The specific flavour and aroma come from the use of sea salt, and the curing on the mixture and mountain and sea air and beech wood smoke.

Njegusi is a village in the south of Montenegro, located in a field, one of few such fields in the midst of rocky and arid limestone mountains. The location of the village is such that it is exposed to specific microclimate – there the air from the mountains mixes with the air from the sea south from there, making this place a green oasis in this inhospitable terrain.

Legs from adult pigs are carved in a specific way, in order to allow the penetration of the salt and the drying process. Legs are salted exclusively with marine salt that is rubbed deeply into the meat. Sometimes, some garlic is added at this stage, as a flavouring and a preservative. The salted legs are placed layered in appropriate vats for 2-3 weeks, during which time they are occasionally turned to remove the juices, and salted again. After that, the legs are stacked and pressed for another week or two, in order to drain completely. Drained legs are then hanged in smoking house and smoked over smouldering beech wood fire for 30-40 days. The final phase takes 5 to 8 months, during which time prsuta matures.

Njeguska prsuta is an unavoidable item in every Montenegrin table. It can be purchased in all the supermarkets and specialty food shops, as well as order in all restaurants. One can buy it in chunks, slices or even a whole leg.

Njeguška pršuta (Smoked ham) is a meat specialty from the village of Njeguši in the South of Montenegro. It is a dry-cured ham, served uncooked, similar to Italian Prosciutto. The specific flavour and aroma come from the use of sea salt, and the curing on the mixture and mountain and sea air and beech wood smoke.

Drying and smoking of meat is probably the oldest processing mode for meat. It involves salting, drying, smoking and maturing. However, it is the combination of local raw materials, microclimatic conditions, length of different stages of the process that gives each product its specific sensory characteristics.