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I wouldn’t be fair if I did not admit that this ham has become one of my favorite Italian food. I discovered this delicious product about 10 years ago while visiting Aosta Valley region (the uppermost corner of northwest Italy) and I had the privilege to enjoy it again during my recent trip in Italy.

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The Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses is a raw ham spiced with mountain herbs, produced at an altitude of 1600 meters in the small village of Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, in the Gran San Bernardo Valley. The production of this precious ham dates back to the Middle Ages.

Its characteristic flavor is due to several factors:

– The mastery of the “Valdostani”curers, inherited from father to son.

– The dry climate

– The manual salting

– The spicing with juniper, thyme and mountain herbs of the Aosta Valley which gave this product a delicate and aromatic smell.

– The seasoning over a bed of hay.

– The boning with manual binding.

This unique and excellent raw ham earned the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the 1996.

The Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses  is usually enjoyed with the products of the local cuisine such as black bread, butter, honey and chestnuts.

Jambon De Bosses

http://www.jambondebosses.it/prodotti.php?lang_r=EN

http://www.lovevda.it/en/database/3/tourist-resorts/aosta-valley/saint-rhemy-en-bosses/423

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To enjoy the Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses I warmly suggest:

– La Croix Blanche Restaurant

Strada Nazionale Del Gran San Bernardo, 10, 11014 Étroubles, Valle d’Aosta, Italy

http://www.croixblanche.it/english.html

– Prosciutteria Sous Le Pont de Bosses

frazione Predumaz Falcoz, 22, Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses, Valle d’Aosta , Italy

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I also highly recommend to visit the two enchanting medieval villages of Etroubles and Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses along the historic Via Francigena (the ancient road and pilgrim route running from France to Rome).

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Photo by Maurizio “OttO” De Togni & Ale Gambini – BreadLoveAndDreams.com

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