Starting the Meal: Affettati Misti

People have written books about Northern Italy's cured raw hams. Broadly speaking, prosciutto can be divided into two categories: dolce (sweet), and salato, casalingo, or Toscano (salty, home made, or Tuscan). The former is more refined and more expensive, and is what we have here.

The most common varieties of prosciutto dolce are Parma and San Daniele. Both should have deep red meat and pure white fat. The former are rounded and rather stubby, while the latter are pressed to give them their characteristic "Stradivarian" shape (by women, according to the Consorzio -- men lack the necessary touch).

Prosciutto salato, on the other hand, is more heavily salted, and is also rubbed with a spice mixture called agliata, made with garlic and pepper. The meat is frequently darker in color, and the fat can be pinkish.

General notes on Italian cold cuts
Making Prosciutto Toscano