Istrian ham is a unique product, protected by the strict rules. Istrians call it - vijulin, which means violin in local dialect. First of all, the pigs must be bred in Istria. Smoke isn’t used for drying. Ham gets coated with mix of seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, and bay and rosemary) and dried in the fresh air. The processing makes it unique, skin is taken off along with all the subcutaneous fatty tissue except than 4-5 cm skin on the pop-up joint, using it to tie and hang while drying.
Istrian ham is protected by geographic origin according to the most rigid criteria, and can not be certified without fulfilling all of them. It has to be made at least 12 kilometers away from the Adriatic coast.
The first phase of maturation is drying on the air, which takes about 5 months, followed by further drying in a dark room with a weaker flow of air, minimum of 6-8 months, so it is not rare that full maturation lasts up to two years.
International Ham Fair is held in Tinjan.
