• Extremadura.Sanchez refused to rectify its 'lapsus' on the Iberian ham at a rally in Cáceres

In Spain we have always presumed to have the best ham in the world: we present it at fairs, promote it outside and praise and taste it inside with devotion. But the lapse of the acting president, Pedro Sánchez, confusing the ham with the Iberian reveals that, perhaps, we know less than we thought of our most emblematic national product.

What does a ham have to have to be Iberian? Serrano ham comes from a white pig that can be found in other countries, while Iberian ham comes from Iberian pigs, native to our country and that cannot be found in No other place in the world. The Iberian, then, differs by origin, but it also feeds specifically and its elaboration process is also different. There are four denominations of origin: Dehesa de Extremadura, Pedroche, Jabugo and Guijuelo. What do you eat? Unlike the serrano, the Iberian pig eats feed rich in oleic acids. An Iberian pig travels tens of kilometers in search of the best acorns. They feed on the pasture from October-November to March, a period known as montanera. Within the Iberian, there are differences in terms of food, there are three categories, depending on whether they feed on acorns (acorn-fed Iberian), field bait or bait. What types are there? Is the Iberian pig 100%, which is of pure Iberian father and mother and recorded in the genealogical book. Then there is the 50% Iberian pig, with a pure Iberian mother and a pure father of another breed (usually Duroc). Then we find the 75% Iberian pig, with a pure Iberian mother and 50% Iberian father. Is the process of production the same? The form of elaboration with the Iberian is much more handmade. It goes through different phases: cutting, salting (hams are buried in sea salt for a certain time), settlement, washing, drying, maturation and aging. Within the healing processes, a serrano ham must be nine months in healing to be considered Winery, 12 months to be a Reserve and 15 months to be a Grand Reserve. Yn Iberian ham has to be curing 36 months to be considered 100% pure Iberian Bellota denomination of origin.What difference is there with a pure Iberian acorn-fed ham? This ham comes from a pure Iberian pig (100%), which also He has raised in freedom in a pasture in montanera regime (period from November to March) feeding only on acorns. How can we differentiate them? With the seal. The labeling system dates back to 2014. It was approved to prevent fraud. The norm of the Iberian establishes that each ham will carry in the hoof a plastic seal of a certain color, so that the consumer, when he buys it, can detect it always in sight. The black seal corresponds to the ham is pure Iberian acorn. Red is for Iberian acorn-fed hams (not pure). The green is for Iberian field bait hams (not necessarily 100% Iberian pigs that have been bred in semi-freedom and eating natural feed and herbs). The white seal is for those of Iberian bait, bred on feed. How to detect fraud Before the labeling regulations were approved, there was fraud with the seals. In view, the Iberian pig has black hooves, the descending loin, the narrow snout and ears thrown in front of the face. On the label, we must look at the color of the seal and the color of the hoof, which gives us the clue.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Spain
  • Pedro Sanchez

Economy Sanchez refused to rectify in a rally in Cáceres its 'lapsus' on Iberian ham

Elections 2019 Spain breaks records: only Greece sunk by the crisis voted four times in four years

Spain Pedro Sánchez: "We are the left who is not ashamed of the word Spain"