Ham is a culture

November 14, 2013 at 12:12 pm • Posted in animals, Food, now, Spain by Yve

The sun is shining exuberantly while down below in the southwestern part of Spain black Iberian pigs are roaming lazily about satiating their hunger and broadening their paunches till they can augment it no more. As piglets, soon after weaning, they were put to a strict diet of barley and maize. Now after several weeks they are able to freely traipse and gallivant (though with their bellies skimming the ground running is probably not on their agenda) in pasture and oak groves. One would think this a nice life. Though smarter pigs might know that their future is somewhere as prepackaged hams or in a shop with their fellow friends, salted and hanging from the walls waiting to be cut into smaller slices and handed out to waiting, watering mouths.

Selecting ham in Spain is like picking out wine…and just as expensive!

In an oak forest that rests on the border of Spain and Portugal free-range pigs can be found eating only acorns as their ailment. This has a very significant impact on the flavor of the meat thus making this type of ham the finest where it is cured for 36 months. Pigs who are pastured and fed a combination of acorns and grains are the next grade down. The last type of ham is one that got fed only grain and is cured for 24 months. Buutt… although these pigs might not know it, they are all wonderfully and cursedly tasty

As the sun sets in yet another magical display and the pigs begin to doze off, a shipment of Iberian ham is about to start its journey across the Atlantic to the United States where it was just recently approved for export in 2005 and was released for sale in 2007. These expensively priced pigs who are now in an acorn dream sleep are just a few of the many who carry on the amazing taste of jamon iberico and give a part of Spain to others (though I suggest you not try to bring some home with you since I hear it’s illegal).

You can even buy ham in a cone like ice cream!

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Yve

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Mouni / November 24, 2013 at 10:17 pm /

Yikes! Even in a cone! Cool! 😉
- Yve / November 25, 2013 at 4:15 am /
  
  Yeah it was a miss we didn’t try it… but there’s always next time! And we definitely had A LOT of ham sandwiches to suffice for it
Vanessa / November 25, 2013 at 9:02 am /

“…acorn dream sleep…” Nice, Yve.
Terry Aufranc / November 28, 2013 at 7:14 am /

I wonder if any of it compares to Smithfield Ham!
- Lisa / December 3, 2013 at 3:34 am /
  
  it is a tough comparison but we all voted and Smithfield Ham is still #1 to us