Inside the Po Valley cellars where King Charles III’s culatello is made

At Antica Corte Pallavicina in Polesine Parmense, near Parma, culatello hangs from the beams of cellars shaped by the damp air and mists of the Po Valley. A plaque at the entrance identifies the estate as the source of the cured meat served to King Charles III.

Massimo Spigaroli makes and oversees the culatello there. He says he first met the King around 20 years ago and describes the relationship with discretion, while acknowledging that Charles’s trust and affection continue to move him. Spigaroli says the King values both the region and its craftsmanship.

Culatello di Zibello has Protected Designation of Origin status and is made in the lowlands around Parma. Spigaroli, a Michelin-starred chef and master pork butcher, helped found the product’s protection consortium and previously served as its president. The current president is Romeo Gualerzi. The consortium has 20 members and produces around 90,000 pieces a year.

The tradition developed in cellars where goods from the surrounding countryside were stored before being transported along the Po. Spigaroli says the need to preserve meat in winters too mild for making prosciutto led people to divide a pork leg into two cuts: culatello and fiocco.

At Antica Corte Pallavicina, the ageing process depends on managing each cellar’s distinct temperature and humidity. Spigaroli says workers open the windows at night to bring in cooler air and the scent of the river, then close them again in the morning. They move the culatelli between areas of the cellar according to experience, allowing the meat to take on moisture and aroma.

Production has grown since Culatello di Zibello received PDO recognition on 8 January 2009. Spigaroli recalls that producers branded just 200 pieces in the first year and that annual output at the time was a little over 6,000. He now has around 5,000 culatelli ageing in his cellar, from an annual production of 8,000.

The meat comes from pigs aged 10 to 12 months, sourced from Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. While production rules require at least nine months of ageing, Spigaroli says his natural cellars can accommodate ageing periods of 40 to 45 months. Each piece costs around €400.

Spigaroli says customers include leading chefs and King Charles, who reserves culatello from the estate. He also says the cured meat is shipped around the world, with a piece due to be sent to the Pope alongside other regional PDO specialities.

Sources: La Repubblica.