Pata negra

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This article is about the variety of ham. For the flamenco band, see Pata Negra (band).

Pata negra is a type of jamón serrano ham, similar to Italian prosciutto, and is considered to be of the highest quality. Pata negra literally means black hoof in Spanish. This type of hams only accounts for about five percent of total ham production. It is made from the black Iberian pig (cerdo ibérico), range fed and fattened on acorns in cork oak groves along the southern border between Spain and Portugal.