Alto Adige (Südtirol)

Alto Adige (called Südtirol in the predominantly German-speaking local language) sits at the northern edge of Italy adjacent to Austria. The Speck Alto Adige IGP combines elements of both cultural traditions: salt-cured like Italian prosciutto but also cold-smoked like German Speck, then aged 22 weeks minimum in the cold alpine air. The combination produces a distinct flavor profile — saltier than prosciutto, smokier than other Italian dry-cure, drier and firmer than Black Forest ham.

The IGP regulation requires bone-in production, salt-and-spice cure (juniper, peppercorn, bay leaf are traditional), cold-smoking over beech and juniper wood, and minimum 22 weeks total aging. The regional cured-meat culture also includes various wild-game preparations (chamois, deer) reflecting the alpine hunting tradition.