Jamón

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Jamón ibérico on display on a market in Barcelona, Spain.

This article is about the food. For the card game, see Jamón (game).

Jamón, in general English parlance, refers to a cured ham from Spain. There are two primary types of jamón: Jamón serrano (meaning ham from the sierra or mountains) and Jamón ibérico (ham from the black-coated ibérico pig).

In Spanish, jamón simply means ham, thus cooked sliced ham, for example, is called jamón de York.

[edit] Types of Jamon

Jamón Serrano is just the “ordinary cured ham” from white pigs, fed with a mixed diet of authorized commercial compound feed. The words Serrano, Curado, Reserva, Extra are just marketing terms and don’t tell us anything about the time of curing. Quality can differ strongly between different brands and is not easy to recognize. Price is usually a good indication.

Jamón Ibérico / Jamón de Pata Negra Only ham from the Iberian pig is allowed to be called Jamón Ibérico. If no mention is made of bellota, then take for granted that the pig was fed with authorized commercial compound feed and only if you’re lucky they have tasted some acorns. Still, its taste is more refined than an ordinary Jamón Serrano. The use of the term Jamon de Pata Negra was prohibited on April 15, 2006 in order to avoid confusion.

Jamón Iberico de Recebo Ham from the Iberian pig fed with acorns and authorized compound feed during the last months of feeding. This ham is a good compromise for those who don’t want to spend too much money on a ham but still want to experience its excellent taste.