How many types of Iberian ham are there?
As we have commented on other occasions, the classification of ham in Spain is given by the race of the pig and the feeding that he has had during his upbringing. Depending on the breed of the pig we distinguish between Iberian Ham and Serrano ham: the first comes from Iberian pigs and the second, of white pigs.
Today, We are going to delve into those of the Iberian breed to explain how many types of Iberian ham exist.
- Ham 100% Iberian: It comes from a pig with parents 100% Iberian. This means that they are registered as 100% Iberian in the breed book.
- Iberian Ham: It comes from pigs crossesFrom, in which at least one of the parents must have Iberian origin. These hams always must be accompanied by % crossing between the races, so that we know exactly the product we are buying.
For instance, when we talk about a ham "75 % Iberian", we will be referring to a ham in which one of the parents is 100% Iberian race and the other, it is a pig of another breed, for example, la Duroc.
Also, you should know that, depending on the type of food, within the Iberian hams we differentiate between:
- Jamon: The Iberian pig has been raised in freedom in the pastures and during its last months (the fattening months), has been fed on natural grasses and acorns.
- Country Cebo Ham: The Iberian pig has been raised in freedom, and acorns have not been included in their diet, but yes the natural pastures that he has found in the field, in addition to feed based on cereals and legumes.
- Cebo Ham: The Iberian pig, has been raised on farms. Their diet is reduced to cereal and legume feed.
Image credits: Interprofessional Association of the Iberian pig.
On product labeling, both the breed and the type of diet must appear, but also so that the information is even clearer, you can find the following seals:
- Negro, for the hams 100% acorn-based Iberian.
- Red, for hams with a percentage of Iberian, acorn-fed.
- Verde, for hams with a percentage of Iberian, fed on field bait.
- White, for hams with a percentage of Iberian, fed on bait.
To end, we will tell you that, although commonly all Iberian hams are known as pata negra, the reality is that a true “pata negra” is a ham that comes from a pork 100% ibérico and that has been fed based on acorn. This name is solely and exclusively reserved for pigs that meet these requirements.. But, we will be talking about something else.
We hope we have clarified the concepts for you.
