In a world that still today lives on disequalities, we’d like to address a a topic that touches everyone of us: food waste. It is an issue that is growing stronger and more important every day, especially for the great moral and substantial problem it poses. Today we’re trying to make our small contribution offering you some simple advice about how you can avoid throwing away anything from prosciutto di San Daniele and about how you can use every single part of it in the kitchen, including leftovers.
What is food waste?
What does the term “food waste” mean? The European Commission described it as “all the products discarded from the agri-food chain – which for economic or aesthetic reasons or because they are close to the expiration date, even if still edible and therefore possibly intended for human comsumption – that are meant for disposal”. There are many reasons why we are witnessing this continued food waste, from the expiry date proximity to the preparation of too much food, which is then not eaten and therefore wasted.
Food waste in Italy
If we focus on our country, Italy, we half-heartedly have to point out that we are still wasting way too much food. According to the data for 2020, in our Peninsula food waste, at household level only, costs 6.5 billion euros, while the one related to the supply chain manufacture and distribution costs over 3 billion euros, for a domestic total of almost 10 billion. How many tons of food do we throw away every year?According to F.A.O. – the UN agency in charge of food and nutrition – in our country over a period of 12 months we throw away 65 kg of food per person, about 1,3 billion tons all over the world. Let us add an indication: in Italy alone 2 billion euros worth of food are thrown out.
It is anyway important to point out that our country is one of the most attentive to this problem. This is testified by specific figures regarding it. Suffice to say that one citizen in two claims to be very aware of the food waste problem, in comparison with a much lower world average. More can be done, that’s for sure. For this reason everyone is called upon to do their part, first of all trying to buy groceries as rationally as possible, in order to avoid wasting any products. How? You can for example buy only the amount of food sufficient for your needs and better plan its use. You can also check the expiry dates so that you don’t end up with out-of-date products in your fridge.
It needs to be said that food waste is about both the end consumer and the production chain! Streamlining to the utmost degree the chain that brings the product to our shops and supermarkets would indeed allow us to take a big step forward in preventing food waste.
What recipes can you make with leftover prosciutto?
We know about the problem, in our own small way. As we say here in Friuli “no part of the pig goes wasted”! You need to know that the kind of food often considered as scraps turns into a real main character in the culinary tradition of Friuli. Just think that the least appreciated parts of prosciutto, such as the rind and the bone, are used to provide soups, and especially bean soups, more flavour. This is why San Daniele isn’t eaten only in its most iconic form: the slice. It is used in many more ways than you might think of, including its leftovers.
And therefore, San Daniele is a very flexible ingredient. Let us give you some examples: our friend Lorenzo Sandano taught you very well how to make the classic Risi&Bisi (rice and green peas), with a broth made from our beautiful prosciutto crudo. Or, what about creating your own personal version of pasta amatriciana with small cubes of San Daniele Dop? We are confident that our brothers from Rome won’t be offended. To say nothing of some potato tortelli with shavings of Grana Padano cheese and Prosciutto Crudo.
Or, have you ever thought about crisps made of San Daniele? Haven’t you? Well, it’s our task then to make you think about them. Among our favourite recipes there is this creamed cauliflower soup with extremely crispy Prosciutto Crudo chips.
In short, today we explained why it is important to avoid any kind of food waste and what you can do if you have some leftover Prosciutto. Are you ready to cook?
