The heart of the pork leg, hand-tied in a bladder and aged in the fog of the Po lowlands. Deeper, muskier and rarer than prosciutto, it is the salume Parma treats as treasure.
Culatello di Zibello DOP belongs to the Bassa, the flat river country north of Parma where winter fog and summer heat swing the cellars through the cycles the meat needs. Documented at the Farnese court from the 15th century, it lost ground to industrial hams before Slow Food and a handful of families, the Spigaroli among them, rebuilt its name. Each piece ages 12 to 40 months tied in netting, checked by nose and needle.
5 editor picks for Culatello di Zibello in Parma, ranked by editorial score. All Parma signature dishes · Culatello di Zibello across every city.
Antica Corte Pallavicina ★ 4.8
Polesine Parmense · Strada del Palazzo Due Torri 3, 43016 Polesine Parmense, Parma
Antica Corte Pallavicina, Massimo Spigaroli's castle farm on the Po near Parma, has held a Michelin star since 2011 and ages culatello in its cellars.
Al Vedel ★ 4.5
Colorno · Via Vedole 68, 43052 Colorno, Parma
Al Vedel in Colorno near Parma pairs an elegant dining room with the Podere Cadassa cellars, where the family ages its own culatello below the inn.
Osteria Ardenga ★ 4.2
Diolo · Strada Circonvallazione Chiesa, 43019 Diolo, Soragna, Parma
Osteria Ardenga feeds the culatello lowlands at Diolo di Soragna near Parma: farmhouse rooms, river-plain salumi and anolini that honour the Bassa's kitchens.
Degusteria Romani ★ 4.1
centro-storico · Borgo Palmia 2/C, 43122 Parma
Degusteria Romani turns the Silvano Romani salumi counter into table service on Borgo Palmia in Parma: culatello flights, verticals, Emilian glasses.
La Filoma ★ 4.0
centro-storico · Borgo XX Marzo 15, 43121 Parma
La Filoma bills itself as the oldest restaurant name in Parma and cooks like it: culatello with Parmigiano, black-truffle risotto and proper tortelli.