FORZA MAGAZINE

Photos: Ana Kostic and Daniel Nyul for Porto Montenegro

An unforgettable taste that captivates the senses with its authenticity and luxury of nuances!

One of the most authentic tastes of Montenegro is certainly the legendary Njegusi prosciutto. A legend known for centuries would be lost if one group of Norwegians did not find themselves in that particular part of Montenegro, below Mt Lovcen, almost 150 years ago, and wrote a detailed story of how it’s made and of the mastery of people drying, preparing and preserving it.

The incredible dark color of the meat and the intense taste are the main characteristics that this specialty adorns still. The luxury of the final product interweaves with the simplicity of masterwork process, making it a privilege to taste and experience it in a local, rural setting. There is no chance to stay indifferent to the taste of Njegusi prosciutto. The masters of this prosciutto know that very well, and therefore proudly smile when they say that the best prosciutto is obtained in dryers whose walls are a meter thick and made of locally carved stone. It is the single and only way to make the original Njegusi prosciutto.

This dedicated process requires the original salt from a southern coastal town, Ulcinj and a Beech tree where the prosciutto is slowly smoked on low heat during the day and then dried during the night, and then vice versa. On the fifteenth day of salting the prosciutto is washed and pressed with the barrels filled with water.
As this is one of those products into which love is embedded, an everyday inspection and watching over the process is inevitable.

In September, it is taken out and cut in such manner in which “Mt Lovcen can be seen through”, as they say that it is the only way to dive in and enjoy this delicacy. Today it is the local gastronomic symbol of the Montenegrin coast.

If you are staying at one of our luxury 5-star boutique hotels, Forza Mare or Forza Terra, we can arrange a delicious Njegusi tour, that will bring this local and authentic Mediterranean food straight to your senses.