Recipe Book№ 1 · Summer Trend 2026: Tropical-Salty
La Dolce Tropicale
Parma 24 Months · Pineapple · Stracciatella di Bufala
Why This Ham
Parma after 24 months of ageing is a different product from its younger 15-month brother. The fat marbling is more pronounced, the sweetness more natural — exactly what is needed beside a pineapple that carries both sweetness and acidity.
Flavor Profile
Sweet-nutty, buttery soft, long finish. A light salt impulse on the palate, immediately caught by the tropical fruitiness of the pineapple. Stracciatella brings creaminess and cools. Honey and pink pepper set the final note.
What's New
The classic would be melon — everyone knows that. Pineapple is bolder and surprisingly harmonious. The light acidity of the pineapple lifts the Parma's sweetness without overlaying it.
Canapé
- Cut pineapple into 1.5 cm thick slices, then quarter.
- Loosely wrap a Parma slice around a pineapple piece — not too tight.
- Place a teaspoon of stracciatella on a mini-crostino.
- Lean the Parma-pineapple roll against it or lay it on top.
- A drop of honey, 2–3 pink peppercorns, one basil leaf.
The Tray
- Prepare a board of black slate or light marble.
- Drape Parma slices into loose rosettes (5–6 per side).
- Lay pineapple wedges fanned between the rosettes.
- Place stracciatella in the centre in a small bowl.
- Set out a honey jar, pepper mill and basil sprigs as decoration.
The Story
Parma has been a byword since the 13th century — proximity to the Po Plain, the salt from Salsomaggiore and the mountain winds created a microclimate that cannot be copied anywhere. Pineapple came to Europe much later and became at once the fruit of the nobility. That the two now meet — it is, in truth, overdue.