¿Which Iberico ham to buy?
It is true that this question, without thinking of the conditioners that buying a good ham may have, seems easy to answer. “The best 100% pure Iberico Bellota ham you can get”. But unfortunately, there are usually many conditioning factors, which have an important role when making our choice.
Now that you live outside of Spain, now that you are thinking about buying Iberico ham, because you deserve it and you don’t want to give up on your country’s gastronomy, here you have an online Spanish food market that will make it easy for you!
The Iberico ham is the jewel of Spanish gastronomy. Nowadays, we can find different types of ham, both Serranos and Ibéricos. We have to know what we are looking for and what we are being offered, unless we want to end up buying a pig in a poke. Finding the suitable ham is very simple if you take into account the following tips that we are giving you in this article.
iberian ham
Buying Iberico ham online at an exceptional price.
If you want to buy Iberico ham online, you are in the right site. Gastronomic Spain online shop is specialized in delivering typical Spanish food to your door, specially throughout Europe, for those Spaniards that live outside the country.
Typical Spanish food comprises many products. In our catalogue you will find more than 800 special products at a great price. But in Gastronomic Spain you will especially find cold cuts and Iberico ham.
Check our website and but the best pork ham online at the best price.
Aspect to consider when buying a good Iberico ham
In order to recognize and buy a quality Iberico ham is essential to bear in mind the different aspects of the ham leg itself. It has an exquisite aroma and a tasty marbling that makes the ham even more appetising. It is so tender that it basically melts in your mouth. The Iberico ham is an important part of the Spanish cuisine, it can put a touch of flavour to any simple dish. That is the reason why you should buy Iberico ham, it does not matter if it is a whole leg of ham or an envelope of sliced bellota ham.
It is often combined with fried eggs and chips, with artichokes or also with a typical dish from southern Spain called salmorejo. However, the best way to enjoy its flavour is eating it by itself, or simply delight it with a good wine. If you want to buy Iberian ham for the next meal, there ar several factors that must be taken into account. Read here to find out about them:
The hoof of the black-bred pig:
The first thing we have to look at is the length and the colour of the hoof, it must be black and elongated, that means that it is Iberian breed.
The Serrano ham or Cerdo Blanco ham have a white and thick hoof.
The shape of the Iberico ham leg is another distinctive characteristic, click here to find them out. An Iberico ham has a slender and elongated shape, due to their curing process and the pork’s complexion, they are normally thin hams. An Iberico ham has a minimum curing of 24 months. It is important to distinguish an Iberico ham from an Iberica palette. The palette usually weighs between 4.5 kg – 5.5 kg and the thick part has a squarer shape. While a good Iberico ham weighs between 7 kg and 8,5 kg and the end of the ham has a curved shape. It is said that the best Iberian hams are those that weigh more than 8 kg.
The certification of the ham:
Since 2014, it has been implemented a new system of distinction and certification of Iberian hams. All of them must have a non-transferable seal that differentiates them from Cerdo Blanco hams and also classifies them according to the type of Iberian ham they are:
- Cebo Iberico ham: this ham, which is identified with a white band, it is characterized by being 50% or 75% Iberian ham breed. It is fed on natural feed and bred most of its life in captivity. The animal is given natural feeds, and it is raised most of its life in captivity. It has a minimum curing of 24 months and it is the most economical ham.
- Cebo de campo Iberico ham: it is characterized by being 50% or 75% Iberian ham breed. It feeds on acorn, grass and natural feeds, and it is raised most of his life in freedom. Its curing lasts at least 24 months.
- Bellota Iberico ham: it is characterized by being 75% Iberian ham breed. It feeds on grasses and acorn and it is raised in freedom. Its curing lasts minimum 30 months.
- Puro de Bellota Iberico ham, also known as Pata Negra ham: It is characterized by being 75% Iberian ham breed. It feeds on acorn and it is raised in freedom. It is the most exclusive and delightful ham. It has a minimum curing of 36 months.
The fat of the whole leg ham:
Unlike Cerdo Blanco hams, Iberico hams are fatty hams. The purer the Iberian pork breed, the more fat they have. Fat is the characteristic factor of this product. Although it is true that the Cruces de raya, Cebo, Cebo de campo and Bellota hams are made to save the product and to produce hams that are to the taste of all consumers, Iberico ham is characterized by having a thick box of fat around it and also by having infiltrations of fat inside the meat itself.
The Iberico ham colour:
Good Iberico hams look clean and they are light brown colour, with some darker hue and other light-yellow hues on the greasiest part. Finding white mold is not an indication that the ham is bad. It does not have to affect the taste and texture of ham if it is superficial, when you peel it for later cut it, that whole layer disappears. If you find it and do not want to consume it yet, you can clean it with a cloth and olive oil.
Flavour of ham depending on your tastes:
- If you are looking for a mild flavour, choose a Salamanca ham because it has been cured longer and therefore it has less salt.
- If you are looking for a more intense flavour, the ham from Huelva, in the area of Jabugo, is the one you are looking for.
- If you want a very aromatic one, opt for Extremadura ham. This product is obtained from pigs fed in the area that will later be also dried there. Thanks to the rich biodiversity and climate of the region the ham obtained is inimitable, unique.
- On the other hand, if you are looking for a very tasty and intense Iberian ham, Córdoba ham is what you need because its taste lasts longer on the palate.
Factors when choosing which Iberian ham to buy
It is important to keep in mind the physical aspects and characteristics of the Iberico ham to know how to perfectly buy one and not to be fooled. But you also have to take into account the different conditions that can present this type of ham when you make your purchase.
First condition: The price of Iberico ham
Usually, higher prices equal higher quality, but this is not always the case. If one ham is more expensive than another, it does not have to mean that it is better. Undoubtedly, the price is one of the main factors when choosing which Iberico ham to buy. From time to time good ham offers appear. Here you can find cheap Iberico hams. The price per Kg. in whole pieces from 7 to 7.5 kg of 100% Iberico Bellota ham is usually around 60€, which would be equivalent to 400€ for a whole ham.
The price of the Iberico Bellota ham 75%-50% pure is a bit lower, although the difference is not that much. Regarding to Iberico Cebo hams, there are more price ranges, its offer is greater, and you can easily find acceptable quality Cebo whole pieces of ham for 20-25€/kg.
Second condition: The quality
Why is this so? What does the Pata Negra ham has that makes it better than the Cebo ham despite its similar origin? There is a simple answer: the acorn.
The acorn the gives the pork, and consequently, to its derivatives, a thinner fat with better properties and low cholesterol. This fat has similar properties to those of olive oil, and a special flavour. Therefor, the greater the feed corresponding to this product is, the better its quality and appreciation.
Furthermore, being raised in freedom, and being able to exercise and move loosely, affects in a positive way the pork’s formation and muscles characteristics.
The percentage of breed is also very important, as the fat infiltrated into the muscle is higher in a Iberico pork breed, which makes the ham tastier. If you are looking for a good Spanish ham to buy, bear in mind our catalogue.
Third condition: The occasion on which it is going to be eaten
When you choose the Iberico ham that you are going to buy, it is important to know when we are going to eat it. This condition might be quite variable. It depends on the intention that we have to look particularly good in an event and the budget that we have. Even the number of people that are going to be in the event can condition the quality, the size, or the way in which the product is going to be presented.
What we can be sure of is that no matter if you choose: Pata negra ham, Bellota ham, Cebo de campo ham or Cebo ham, the product it is always going to be a high-quality product. Until very recently, it was unknown outside the Hispanic gastronomy, but definitely, this product is a delicacy that everyone should try if they get the chance.
What is the best jamonero to cut Iberico ham?
The ham holder, in Spanish: Jamonero, it is a basic kitchen utensil which needs to be chosen properly. First and foremost, you should ask yourself how much Iberico ham do you usually eat. If you are going to get a lot of use out of it, it is worth spending more money on the purchase. However, if you are going to keep it when you finish your Iberico ham, the best option for you is the folding one.
The price difference between a good one or a normal one is hardly noticeable. One of the fundamental aspects we should keep in mind is buying a rotatable jamonero, this is going to make easier the fact of cutting it. There is no need to have a beautiful jamonero, but it is important that it is functional.
In the Gastronomic Spain online shop, you will find the best variety of products. From jamoneros, to Iberico or Serrano hams, or other cold cuts. Visit our website and select the most desired products.
