While Italian Prosciutto di Parma and Spanish Jamón Serrano are made from pork, salt, and water and dry-aged to achieve decadent flavors and a delicate texture, they are different.

Prosciutto means "ham" in Italian and comes from central and northern Italy. Prosciutto di Parma, from the Parma region, is especially sought after for its nutty, salty flavor.

It's made from the hind legs of pigs fed a diet of chestnuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese whey, giving the meat an umami flavor. It is then aged for at least one year.

Chef Joanne Weir explained to Martha Stewart Living in 2020 that Prosciutto di Parma is usually "pink in color and moist, with pure white fat around the edges and good marbling."

Meanwhile, Jamón Serrano is a Spanish cured ham made from pigs fed a grain diet with a slightly chewier texture.

It's salt-cured and aged for up to 18 months, yielding meat that's "woody, intense, more gamy, and saltier in flavor than prosciutto, and redder in color," as Weir explained.

Since Prosciutto is already aged and cured, it can be an alternative to bacon. It doesn't have to be cooked, although it certainly can be, and it works in savory and sweet dishes.

Jamón Serrano and other dried Spanish hams crisp up quickly in a hot pan, making them an easy way to amp up the meaty flavor in soups, salads, and pasta carbonara.