Half a kilo of cured ham, sliced thin.
MED-zo KI-lo di pro-SHUT-to KRU-do ta-LYA-to FI-no
Ordering cured ham by weight with a specific slicing instruction.
When ordering sliced salumi, specifying the thickness (fino = thin, spesso = thick, a fettine = in slices) is important. Prosciutto crudo is typically sliced paper-thin; mortadella can be thicker. Good vendors ask if you do not specify.
Tagliato spesso, per favore.
Sliced thick, please.
For mortadella or bresaola eaten in cubes
Cento grammi di prosciutto cotto, per favore.
One hundred grams of cooked ham, please.
Prosciutto cotto — cooked ham, milder flavour
Me lo taglia a fettine abbastanza sottili?
Can you slice it quite thinly?
Emphasising the thinness — for antipasto
Both Prosciutto di Parma DOP and Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP are Italy's most celebrated cured hams. Parma tends to be slightly saltier; San Daniele is sweeter and often served with the pig's trotter still attached as a mark of authenticity.