Production Areas of Spanish Ham and Iberico Ham
Spanish Ham is a food that's present in virtually every Spanish household, regardless of the specific culinary traditions of regions and individuals. Let's look at the most important areas ham actually comes from, though - the parts of the Iberian peninsula where ham and Iberico ham is actually made.
Spanish ham: A national heritage
According to AECOSAN, there were more than 18,000 establishments involved in the production and processing of ham in Spain in 2013.
AECOSAN went on to report that in Spain, 31% of all meat products consumed are ham and pork. While that's crucially important from an economic point of view, it also reinforces the place of ham as a centerpiece of Iberian cuisine.
Without going into the various grades of quality that are available on the market, it's obvious that areas with more producers are to be found in the areas with the best pastureland.
In Spain that means looking around Salamanca, Extremedura and Andalucia, which together account for up to 40% of registered producers. This finding could lead us to think that 40% of the hams sold in Spain are premium, acorn-fed Iberico, but as we'll see, this is far from true.
Iberico or Serrano?
Throughout Spain, there are some areas whose main economic engine is pork production but which are not producing Iberico products.
These are to be found in Aragon, Castilla y Leon, Murcia, Castilla La Mancha, Catalonia, Asturias, La Rioja, and Navarre, as well as in specific provinces like Granada, where Trévelez and de Teruel ham is made, both protected by the DOP (Protected Denomination of Origin) scheme.
The Spanish hams produced in these regions come mostly from white Duroc pigs, and generally these major production areas exhibit some common features: a dry climate with low humidity and cool nights, suited to curing hams, is the main one.
The only regions that do not have ham factories and drying facilities are the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, as well as the provinces of Lleida, Alava and Guipuzcoa, where other types of sausages and meats are produced, which have gone some way towards making these areas famous gastronomically in their own right.
Iberico ham
Returning to the major provinces of Iberico ham production, it's important to note that not every ham from these areas is of the same quality, but Iberico ham can only come from these provinces.
As a result, the provinces themselves tend to specialize in quality, and AECOSAN reports that 94% of the hams sold in these areas are Iberico hams, made with pork from at least 50% Iberico pigs.
Not only must the pigs be 50% Iberico but they must be first-generation hybrids whose other parent, the sire,must be 100% Duroc.
However, many of these pigs are then fed on modern diets or on a hybrid feeding regime that includes both modern feeds and traditional pasturing.
Therefore, the majority of these pigs don't go on to become the Iberico ham that makes the world lick its lips. In fact, the law governing the production of Iberico ham is very strict and traceability is built into the production process to prevent fraud and preserve the good name of Iberico ham.
There are four DOPs (Protected Denominations of Origin) covering the areas of production mentioned above: DOP Guijuelo, DOP Dehesa de Extremadura, DOP Huelva and DOP Valle de Los Pedroches.
It's important to remember we can only speak of acorn-fed Iberico ham if the animals are Iberico, and have been reared and fattened exclusively on the 'montanera' feeding regime, which consists entirely of free range grazing on traditional mountainside pastures, resulting in a high proportion of acorns in the diet, influencing flavor, texture and nutritional content.
Don't be fooled: look for the "100% acorn-fed Iberico" label, and offer your guests a Spanish ham like none they've ever tasted before!
Tout sur le jambon
Contenu
- 1 Types de jambon Pata Negra
- 2 Comment consommer du jambon Pata Negra
- 3 Couper le Jambon Pata Negra
- 4 Comment conserver le jambon Pata Negra
- 5 Association du jambon Pata Negra
- 6 Loi sur la qualité du jambon Pata Negra
- 7 La Dehesa
- 8 Appellations d'origine du jambon Pata Negra
- 9 Les propriétés nutritionnelles du jambon Pata Negra de bellota
- 10 Recettes avec du jambon ibérique
- 11 Différences entre le jambon Pata Negra et le jambon Serrano
- 12 Différences entre épaule et jambon Pata Negra
- 13 Différences entre jambon Pata Negra et jambon serrano
- 14 Jambon Pata Negra et ses concurrents dans le monde
- 15 Propriétés nutritionnelles du jambon Pata Negra
- 16 Appellation d'origine contrôlée du jambon Pata Negra
- 17 Zones de production du jambon espagnol et du jambon Pata Negra
- 18 Jambon coupé à la main ou à la machine
- 19 Musées du jambon Pata Negra dans le monde
- 20 Dégustation de jambon Pata Negra : tous les secrets
- 21 Route du jambon Pata Negra
- 22 Le jambon Pata Negra ibérique nourri aux glands et son accompagnement idéal
- 23 Processus de production de la charcuterie ibérique
- 24 Histoire de la charcuterie ibérique
- 25 TVA du jambon espagnol: questions et réponses
- 26 Le jambon espagnol dans la littérature
- 27 Curiosités du jambon pata negra
- 28 Comment conserver le jambon serrano
- 29 Réglements sur la qualité du jambon serrano
- 30 Fabrication du jambon serrano
- 31 Appellations d'origine du jambon serrano
- 32 Propriétés nutritionnelles du jambon serrano
- 33 Recettes avec du jambon serrano
- 34 Types de jambon serrano
- 35 Association du jambon serrano
- 36 Comment consommer le jambon serrano
- 37 Découper le jambon serrano
- 38 Tous les secrets sur la dégustation du jambon pata negra
- 39 Comment choisir un bon porte jambon
- 40 Quel est le meilleur jambon pata negra ?
- 41 Le terme jambon pata negra est-il correct ?
- 42 Jambon pata negra et la Dehesa
- 43 Les secrets de l'association du jambon pata negra
- 44 Comment savoir quel jambon acheter ?
- 45 Pourquoi le bon jambon est-il si cher ?
- 46 Comment acheter du jambon sur des boutiques en ligne ?
- 47 Mythes et réalités, les bienfaits du jambon et ses préjugés
- 48 Le jambon ibérique pata negra fait-il grossir ?
- 49 Que faire de l’os du jambon ?
- 50 Pourquoi les jambons sont-ils suspendus ?
- 51 Jambon et grossesse : Peut-on inclure le jambon ibérique pata negra dans l’alimentation des femmes enceintes ?
- 52 Le rôle du jambon dans la croissance et le développement des enfants
- 53 Les conseils pour conserver le jambon
- 54 Qu’est-ce que l’affinage du jambon et pourquoi le pratique-t-on ?
- 55 Nouvelles technologies et jambon – La résonance magnétique dans la dégustation du jambon
- 56 Le porc ibérique commence à migrer
- 57 Charcuterie : origine, composition et classification
- 58 Préparation des jambons et des épaules
- 59 Guide de dégustation du jambon ibérique
- 60 Les éléments qui différencient la qualité des jambons et des charcuteries « ibériques »
- 61 La carte du jambon en Espagne
- 62 Propriétés de la graisse du jambon ibérique
- 63 Comment transporter du jambon ibérique et d’autres aliments sur les vols internationaux ?
- 64 Prévalence des agents pathogènes et avantages des acides organiques dans la production porcine