{"id":177938,"date":"2023-03-12T09:55:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T08:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tapasmagazine.es\/?p=177938"},"modified":"2023-03-12T11:56:23","modified_gmt":"2023-03-12T10:56:23","slug":"han-not-exclusive-to-spanish-culture-also-in-these-countries-is-typical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tapasmagazine.es\/en\/han-not-exclusive-to-spanish-culture-also-in-these-countries-is-typical\/","title":{"rendered":"Ham is not exclusive to Spanish culture: in these countries it is also typical"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Click here<\/a> to read the Spanish version.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Spain, ham is a true gastronomic emblem. We know it well, but it is worth remembering: \u00ab100% acorn-fed ham is a unique product because of its flavor, texture and nutritional content\u00bb. This is explained by Rafael Guerrero, commercial director of Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de los Pedroches (COVAP). The production of the ham is also unique: the pigs are raised in the wild for more than 14 months, fed on grass and acorns in the pasture, and the hams mature in natural cellars for more than 40 months (20 months for the shoulders), \u00abwhere the master ham makers find the ideal location for them at all times, depending on the temperature and air flow they need\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the peninsula we have been curing ham since the time of the Roman Empire -thanks to the introduction of the pig by the Phoenicians, back in the 12th century BC- and we have come a long way in the art of making it. \u2013 and we have come a long way in the art of making it, because four denominations protect and safeguard the quality of Spanish ham: Jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico D. O. P. Jam\u00f3n de Guijuelo, Jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico D. O. P. Jabugo, Jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico D. O. P. Los Pedroches and Jam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico D. O. Dehesa de Extremadura. And we have taken it far too: demand for the most gourmet ham is booming in the USA, China, South Korea, Italy, France and the UK, says Guerrero. And in Argentina they also make their own version, which they call \u2018jam\u00f3n crudo argentino\u2019, and which tries to imitate Spanish ham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are also other countries in the world where ham is also very important in their gastronomic culture. Here are some examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portugal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fame of Spanish Iberian ham has for years overshadowed one fact: that our neighbors in Portugal (also Iberian) make cured hams similar to ours. In the Douro region, in the north of the country, two hams are produced: Chaves ham and Lamego ham. Both are white-leg hams that are the jewel of the small local industry. From A Presunteca de Lamego, Hamilton Ferreira explains that their hams are already internationally recognized for their high quality, as they carefully select the right pork legs and subject them to a natural curing process of 18 months. A special microclimate does the rest: \u00abthe result is a ham with a unique palate and low salt content\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The variety of Portuguese hams does not end here. In the south, in the Alentejo region, Alentejo ham is produced. Its appearance is very similar to that of Iberian ham, since a black leg is chosen, but of smaller size. The consumption of Alentejo ham used to be confined to the local area but, recently, these legs have traveled outside the region to be known throughout the country, which demands high quality local products. Among them is the cousin of Spanish Iberian ham: the pure Iberian ham D. O. P. Barrancos, which is produced from the Alentejano breed of pig, which feeds on acorns in the local pastures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gastronomic excellence is something that is pursued in France to the last consequences, which are usually delicious. We have good examples of this in products such as cheese and wine and, in a healthy competition, the French have wanted to stand up to Spanish ham with their own ham: the Bayonne ham. Known as Jambon de Bayonne, this leg of pork has a trimmed leg and, according to the Consortium for its curing, salt from the Adour river basin is used to dry it at a low temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Jambon de Bayonne (@jambon_debayonne)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>