If I told you that the best prosciutto you’ll ever try comes from a small producer two hours south of Toronto, what would you say?
You’d probably ask where Toronto, Italy is. But after I corrected you by saying Toronto, Canada, what would your reaction be?
There’s no such thing as Canadian prosciutto! is a likely response. Problem is, it’s a wrong response.
The producer in question ages his prosciutto in a limestone cave in the Niagara region, Canada’s foremost wine-producing region (yes, there’s such a thing as Canadian wine, too). The temperature and moisture in the man’s cave is such that it perfectly mimics the conditions made popular in the more famous Italian variety.
The meat is subtle, lean and beautiful. No preservatives, not too salty. It’s the best prosciutto you’ll ever have. And it’s bargain-priced compared to the imported varieties.
Having read this, some people will maintain that there is no such thing as Canadian prosciutto. Others will accept the idea that such a thing exists but will insist it can’t be superior to Italian brands – despite never having tried the Canadian variety.
A third group will seek it out. They’ll want to know more about it, where to buy it and whether the 12 month old proscitto is really that much better than the 6 month old (it is). They might even say to themselves Canadian bacon’s pretty good, so maybe Canadian prosciutto is, too.
In other words: They won’t let their cynicism and preconceived ideas get in their way of experiencing something wonderful, unfamiliar and possibly better than what they’re used to. They might be skeptical, but they won’t dismiss the idea out of hand.
You can believe that such things as Urban Gondolas and Cable Propelled Transit don’t exist. Or you can argue that – though it may, indeed, exist – it can’t possibly compete with standard and familiar forms of transit. But to do so is no different than denying the existence of Canadian prosciutto.
Which is a shame because Canadian prosciutto is awesome.
5 Comments
That’s great. How about telling people exactly where to find it?
Company name, website, prices, etc.
“The producer in question” <— Great, that's really helpful.
Rob,
You can find it at Scheffler’s Deli in the St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto. I’m sure there are other places you can find it, but that’s the only place I know of. There’s a 6 mo. old and a 12 mo. old. Both are great, but the 12 mo. is worth it. I don’t know the price off the top of my head, but it’s certainly competitive with the imports.
You won’t immediately see it in the deli counter at Scheffler’s. It’s kinda’ hidden off to the side. But just ask them and they’ll know what you’re talking about. Enjoy!