Did you know...
That any pig can become prosciutto, but for a pig to become prosciutto di Parma it must be a Landrace or Suino Tipico Italiano breed, but that's not all. It must have been raised on a diet of grain corn and whey, must be between 10 and 12 months old, must weigh a minimum of 308 pounds, and must be cured in Parma. While the prosciutto is (by law) cured for 4 months, then hung to dry for 300 days. The U.S. Department of Agriculture demands that any ham imported to the United States must hang for 400 days. So it was reported that the extra 100 days makes for a richer, more flavorful product. So, when all is cured and dried, it is possible that the prosciutto in the United States is even better than that in Italy!
Did you know...
That Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci was the model for "Miss Liberty" which appeared on the one dollar silver coins that circulated in the U.S. during the 1920s and 1930s. Her husband, Antonio de Francisci, was the coin's engraver. He immigrated from Palermo in 1903 at the age of 16.