Wine Vintage chart Oil & Vinegar • Serrano Ham Back to index

The Spanish take their ham seriously and choose with care. Serrano ham is cured ham; the name serrano meaning mountain or highland, which is where the drying sheds for the final stage of the curing process are usually located.

Ham is eaten, sliced thinly or in chunks in a variety of ways: as a snack, a starter, with melon or in a *bocadillo etc. It is used extensively in cooking to give added flavour to a dish. Many normal Spanish households have a whole ham on hand in the kitchen, on a special stand, to carve from as and when. It is not stored in the refridgerator but just kept covered with a clean cloth. The Christmas hampers given by many companies to their clients and employees traditionally contain a ham.

Hams come from certain designated regions and their quality is carefully regulated by the controlling body, as in the case of wine, olive oil and some other agricultural products.

The most expensive and prized Serrano is that which comes from free range Iberian pigs, fattened on acorns, which accounts for the creamy colour of the fat. However, this high quality ham accounts for only a small percentage of the total production. Most pigs for Serrano ham are a common breed of pig fed on commercially prepared feed.

The hind leg "jamon" is more expensive than the foreleg "paleta".

The total curing process can take anything from 1 to 2 years, depending on the size and type of ham and the climate of the region.

*bocadillo refers to a sandwich made with fresh French stick type bread (barra) and never to a sandwich made with sliced bread. When the word "sandwich" is used it means a toasted sandwich made with sliced bread.