Istrian ham is highly regarded by gourmands worldwide due in large part to our strict adherence to a long tradition of respectful production - from the careful way pigs are raised, to the elaborate treatment of the meat, to its curing with a unique blend of spices that give the ham its distinctive fragrance. Since Istrian ham is produced without nitrites, nitrates or smoke, which also contains noxious chemicals, it is considered one of the most healthful cured meats in all of the Mediterranean.

Methods for removing the skin, using the ''kasela'' (wooden form), creating a rub with salt, pepper, laurel, rosemary and sometimes garlic, and drying the ham in the bura (cold, north-eastern wind) remain closely guarded secrets unique to each farmer. Normally dried for one year, slices of young Istrian ham are heated in olive oil and finished with a splash of malvasia. At Easter, part of the shoulder-joint or ‘’špaleta’’ is boiled while the other part is slowly roasted on a rotisserie. In Istrian tradition, one meal each day typically includes pork.