Principe
Also known as: Principe di San Daniele, Principe di San Daniele S.p.A., Principe San Daniele ham
Principe, in full Principe di San Daniele, is an Italian brand of dry-cured ham and cured meats from San Daniele del Friuli, founded in 1945; trade press reports it is owned by Rigamonti since 2021–22.
Principe, in full Principe di San Daniele, is an Italian brand of dry-cured ham and other cured meats, centred on Prosciutto di San Daniele. According to trade press, it was founded in 1945 by Stefano Dukcevich as a small butcher business near Trieste. The range also includes Prosciutto di Parma, speck, bresaola, pancetta and salami.
According to a trade portrait of the company, the first San Daniele ham plant opened in 1969 and King's, a former Nestlé business, was bought in 2000. According to trade press, Rigamonti, the bresaola maker from Valtellina, signed on 13 December 2021 to buy Gruppo King's, and the Principe brand and plants passed to Rigamonti in the 2021–22 deal. The San Daniele consortium lists Principe at San Daniele del Friuli.
In the range: Prosciutto di San Daniele, listed by its consortium; Prosciutto di Parma, which the Parma consortium list attributes to SIA.MO.CI. S.r.l. (Gruppo Principe) at Langhirano; plus speck, bresaola, pancetta, salami and sliced packs. Cooked ham and wurstel exist too but they are cooked products.
Where Rigamonti, its present owner, is a bresaola specialist, Principe is built around ham: San Daniele and Parma come first, other cured meats follow.
An oak-leaf logo, per a trade portrait, marks the name Principe on PDO hams and sliced trays. Rice and biscuits sold as Principe are other brands with the same name. Hypermarkets and Italian speciality shops are the usual places for the ham.
Facts
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | San Daniele del Friuli (Udine); earlier San Dorligo della Valle, Trieste |
| House range | Prosciutto di San Daniele, Prosciutto di Parma, speck, bresaola, pancetta, salami, sliced packs |
| Raw material | Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO, Prosciutto di Parma PDO (consortium lists) |
How it connects to Cured meats & charcuterie
Principe → kind of → Cured meat brands → kind of → 🥓 Cured meats & charcuterie
Links
- Part of
- Cured meat brands
- Similar and different
- Prosciutto di San Daniele, 🍖 Prosciutto di Parma
Frequently asked questions
Is Principe the same brand as the rice or biscuits?
No. The rice and biscuits sold as Principe are other brands with the same name. This one is Principe di San Daniele, dry-cured ham and other cured meats centred on San Daniele.
Who owns Principe now?
According to trade press, Rigamonti, the bresaola maker from Valtellina, signed on 13 December 2021 to buy Gruppo King's. The Principe brand and plants passed to Rigamonti in the 2021–22 deal.
How do the two big hams differ?
They are two separate Italian hams with protected names. One consortium lists the brand in the Friulian town itself; the other attributes the Parma ham to a sister company in Langhirano.
How is the oak-leaf logo used on a pack?
A trade portrait says the oak-leaf logo marks the brand name on ham with protected origin and on sliced trays. It helps tell the ham apart from rice and biscuits sold under the same name.
Where would a British shopper buy Principe?
In hypermarkets and Italian speciality shops, usually as whole hams or sliced trays. Cooked ham and wurstel are made by the company too, but they are not the product to look for.
Similar
Fratelli Beretta · Rovagnati · Fiorucci · Rigamonti · Villani · Hénaff
ℹ️ The International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen: according to WHO, every 50 g eaten daily raises the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18%.