About two hours by car north of Tuscany in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, is a 2,500-square-kilometre area in the hills of Parma where Prosciutto di Parma is made.

By Italian law, it is the only area where Prosciutto di Parma is made. As a protected designation of origin, the name Prosciutto di Parma is governed by a consortium that allows only hams produced in a specific area, with specific breeds, using specific methods, to be labelled as such.

Dating back to 100 BC, historians have remarked on this ham produced in Parma. According to legend, the breeze from the Versilia coast drifts through the olive trees of the Magra Valley, picking up the fragrance from the chestnut trees before settling in the hills of Parma.

Story continues below advertisement

It's thisbreeze, the legend states, that makes up the secret ingredient of Prosciutto di Parma, drying the ham to its signature sweetness and making it one of the most popular varieties of Italian prosciutto – its name recognized around the world.

Everywhere, that is, except in Canada. But that's about to change. In the coming months, Canadians will be able to buy Prosciutto di Parma bearing the designation "Prosciutto di Parma" for the first time.

As a result of a decades-long legal fight between the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma and Maple Leaf Foods, the former group has, until recently, been barred from using the name "Parma" in Canada. So for the past two decades, they've settled instead on calling their product "The Original Prosciutto."

Among the many changes in the new