With a passion for innovation and a dedication to quality, Rovagnati has made an everlasting impact on the world of Italian prosciutti. Based in Lombardia, this 100% Italian company specializes in producing a premium, high-quality prosciutto cotto (cooked ham), as well as other cured specialties like Salame Felino.
How did Rovagnati get its start and what makes their salumi so special?
THE STORY OF ROVAGNATI
The story of Rovagnati began in 1941 in the town of Biassono in the northern region of Lombardia. The company was founded by Ferruccio Rovagnati, who together with this son Paolo, set out to produce quality versions of their region's staples: butter and cheese. Little did they know that they would one day become a company renowned for something different: prosciutto.
During the 1960s, at the height of the economic boom, Paolo convinced his father to start experimenting with producing salumi and prosciutti. The innovative son had been studying new production methods and believed they could produce a high-quality prosciutto cotto (cooked ham), which at the time was considered an inferior product to its crudo counterpart.
The rest, they say, is history. Thanks to their long-standing dedication and loyalty to their clients, Paolo helped to increase and expand his father’s business eventually taking over the company in 1968. Since then, the Lombardia-based company has continued to grow and achieve international recognition and prominence. Today the company is renowned for its cutting-edge technology, dedication to innovation and quality, and its signature product: Gran Biscotto.
GRAN BISCOTTO: A PROSCIUTTO UNLIKE ANY OTHER
In the early 1970s, Paolo had a vision to produce a unique and premium quality prosciutto cotto. After several years of testing raw materials and production techniques, he finalized the very first versions of what is now known as Gran Biscotto.
In Italian, the words gran biscotto literally translate to “big cookie." What does prosciutto have to do with large cookies, you ask? Well, Paolo knew that the toughest judge of his new premium ham was his beloved wife Claudia, so he gave it to her to taste. In Milan, when you taste something really delicious, you typically say "È come un biscotto," or "It's like a cookie." When Claudia tasted Paolo's prosciutto, she found it so delightful that she said, "Questo non è un biscotto, è proprio un gran biscotto!” (This isn't just a cookie. It's a great cookie!)
Rovagnati's Gran Biscotto prosciutto cotto is slowly steamed for 12 hours before being left to rest for up to 4 weeks. Before cooked, pork legs are rigorously selected for quality, carefully hand-boned, and massaged for up to 72 hours with a secret blend of herbs spices! The result? An incredibly moist and delicate prosciutto cotto, with a distinct flavor and aroma.
A few years after it was named, Paolo came up with an ingenious idea of fire branding their flagship prosciutto with the name Gran Biscotto. This small adjustment in production helped their product easily stand out from the rest, and stay at the top of their customers’ minds.
Today, Rovagnati produces not only the delicate plain variety of Gran Biscotto prosciutto cotto, but also offers creative varieties flavored with herbs, spices, and truffles(!). Trust us when we say this highly-prized prosciutto cotto is far from the deli ham of your school lunch days!
Drooling yet? Well...
GET A TASTE AT EATALY
Try Rovagnati's salumi for yourself at Eataly! Enjoy special dishes at our restaurants and counters made with Rovagnati prosciutto cotto (think: antipasto boards filled with thinly sliced Gran Biscotto and tasty prosciutto panini) and find other Rovagnati specialties in our marketplace.
Want a taste before you buy? Just ask one of our mongers at the Salumi & Formaggi counter to sample a complimentary slice!