Secret four

At that stage the hams are brought to the loft, with the windows wide open (despite the wintertime), to dry at the bura, which is a north eastern, dry and cold wind, typical for istrian winters and a blessing for the hams.

The drying of the hams at the bura is one amongst the two most important prerequisite for a top product. If the weather should ‘’turn’’ to jugo, (sirocco or ostro) the second most frequent wind of our peninsula, warm and humid, coming from the south, that would be a real threat for the hams.

In that case, the hams would be moved into the lišjera, a little hovel in the yard or an apposite room inside the house, where there’s normally a fireplace in the corner (in which previously were prepared meals for the pig).

A little fire would be lighted, so the smoke protects and dries the hams. But, that must be in a mild form, so the hams won’t turn into – smoked ham. The istrian hams in any case shouldn’t smell of smoke. In case the weather changed again, the hams were hastily returned to the loft.