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The word pršut is derived from the Italian word for ham, proscuttio. The Italian origins of the Slovene word pršut aren't surprising - the Slovenian regions where pršut is traditionally produced border to Italy. Kraški pršut differs from somewhat similar meats from Italy and Croatia; many gourmets love its specific taste. This particularity lies in the process of making pršut, which used to always begin in the late autumn or in the early winter with slaughter of a pig. Before refrigerators were available, the cool temperatures of this season prevented the meat from spoiling. The butchers salted fresh ham and left it for about two to three months. During this period, the ham was usually pressed to drain any blood left in the meat. Then it was washed to remove salt, and hung in a shady, airy place.

Winter is the season of the burja, a cold, north-eastern wind that traditionally contributed to the right microclimate for the drying and ripening of pršut. In some places, it was also smoked by burning different types of wood, which gave the pršut a special flavour. Then it was left to dry, which takes from nine to eighteen months, depending on the size of the ham.

Today the process of drying ham no longer depends on the weather; the exceptions being some farmers who still breed pigs and dry ham, mostly for their own use. In the village of Šepulje, near the town of Sežana, there are around 200, 000 hams drying at once. The ham-drying plant artificially creates the microclimate, especially the proper winter cold, which is needed for the initial drying and desalination of the hams. After almost three months in the special fridges, the hams are taken to the drying rooms where they dry slowly in the fresh air and in the burja. The drying rooms have tall windows that can be opened when the burja starts blowing. This way in 12 to 16 months - and with the addition of some salt - a fresh 10 kilo ham turns into delicious six-kilo kraški pršut. Needless to say, kraški pršut is best served with olives, home-made cheese, and teran wine.

Osmica

It is often said that the reason that the natives of Kras are persistent, firm, and very hospitable is a result of a difficult past. People who visit Stanjel are always welcome to sit and dance in a typical farmyard and to taste the specialities of the region.
As far back as the 18th century, an imperial decree of Joseph II Habsburg permitted the Kras farmers to sell their own home products for eight days in the year. Nowadays, they sell their home products at so-called osmica (deriving from the Slovene number osem- eight), which is one of the facets of daily life in the Kras region. Here you can taste regional wines - mostly strong red wine, called teran, authentic smoked hams, prsut, and home-made cheeses, which will convince you that granny's home-style cooking is still the best choice.
When a visitor comes, he is always offered a piece of freshly baked bread with a little bit of salt. It is a special welcoming gesture that is rude to reject. When the season comes, olive trees bear their fruits, and at almost every farm you can buy delicious home-made olive oil. "It is good for use outside and inside," farmers say. They also say their wines have special healing effects (when consumed in moderation, of course!). Wine in Kras is not taken for granted. It is made with a lot of love and attention. Since the people of Kras have always had to cope with a shortage of drinking water, there were times when the only thing to drink was the wine that they kept in their cellars. There are still some very old, underground, stone wine cellars left where you can buy a bottle of very fine wine.

Burja

The burja is the unique wind of the Slovene and Croatian coastal region, which was once strongly connected with the production of pršut. It blows most frequently during the winter, but only from time to time during the rest of the year. The first reports of the burja come from the Roman era. It is said that it played an important role in the outcome of the battle between the Christian Roman emperor Theodosius, who reigned from Constantinople, and his pagan usurper Eugenius. The battle took place in the year 394 AD in the area, where the town of Ajdovščina in the valley of Vipavska dolina is situated today. According to the historians, Theodosius was close to being defeated after the first day but on the second day a mighty wind started blowing from the mountains, powerfully pushing Theodosius' soldiers towards the enemy. Eugenius' army, however, was disabled for the fight, with the wind tearing soldiers' shields from their hands, turning their spears back and blinding them with dust and the sand.