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Spanish ham is a group of meat products produced by processing the thighs of the pig (hind limbs of Sus scrofa), suitably preserved by means of salting, drying and seasoning.
Today, some Spanish hams are famous all over the world and compete for the qualitative primacy with Italian products (especially Parma ham And Raw ham of San Daniele) and Hungarians (mostly Mangalica And Hundok).
The most prestigious Iberian hams are: il jamón Ibérico (commonly called Pata Negra) and the jamón Serrano (or mountain).
In the common Italian language, Spanish ham, pata negra and jamón ibérico are mistakenly superimposed and used as synonyms.
Jamón Serrano
Jamón serrano ("sierra" means mountain in Spanish) is a type of raw ham obtained from a breed of white pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) mainly bred on the eastern side of Spain (similar to the Italian one of the well-known Parma and San Daniele).
Jamón serrano is also known as “mountain ham”; however, the term “serrano” does not indicate a specific quality of ham and represents an adjective of a qualifying nature.
The Serrano ham that enjoy the "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO) are: jamón del Teruel And jamón del Trévelez.
Jamón Ibérico (Pata Negra)
Jamón ibérico is a type of Spanish ham made from the pig breed alentejano (or related), also known as “black ibérico”; this breed, mainly bred in the western part of the peninsula and in Portugal, is typically dark in color, which is why it is better known abroad as Pata Negra (in Spanish “black hoof”).
Iberian pigs are NOT breeds deriving from Sus scrofa domesticus and are much more similar to the archaic Sus scrofa mediterraneus. To be defined jamón ibérico, this Spanish ham must be obtained exclusively from alentejana or from its pure crosses not less than 50%.
Outside Spain, jamón ibérico is better known as “pata negra” (translated: black hoof); however, this term represents a more commercial and touristic adjective than food.
Pata negra and jamón ibérico are therefore NOT a real specific type of ham, but rather indicate an attributive “requirement”; in fact, some enjoy the DOP recognition, but they are all identified with very specific terms: jamón de Huelva, Los Pedroches, jamón de Guijuelo, Dehesa de Extremadura.
There is also a "further qualitative classification, which differentiates the Spanish Iberian PDO hams on the basis of the conditions of breeding and feeding:
- Bellota or Montanera - wild state
- Recebo - semi-wild state
- Cebo or Cebo de campo - extensive farming.
Nutritional Characteristics
Unifying the nutritional characteristics of Spanish hams is not an "easy task since, in addition to belonging to very distinct breeds, the various pigs can follow very different diets.
Spanish ham is a product that could be classified in the I fundamental group of foods; it is a salted and preserved meat, normally framed among the cured meats to be sliced.
Spanish ham has a high energy content (> 300kcal / 100g), provided above all by lipids (> 20g / 100g), followed by proteins (carbohydrates are completely absent).
The pata negra should be more fat and caloric than the serrano (with the appropriate differences related to the case); however, the meat of pigs fed in the natural state enjoy a breakdown of fatty acids which favors even more the unsaturated than the saturated (with great importance of the polyunsaturated omega 6).
The peptides are of high biological value and the amino acid considered limiting is the tryptophan.
Spanish ham does not contain fiber and provides a rather important amount of cholesterol. Conscious of these characteristics, it is possible to state that it is not a food suitable for the usual diet of the overweight and / or hypercholesterolemic subject.
Analyzing the mineral profile, due to the salting process, Spanish ham provides an overdose of sodium. The levels of potassium, phosphorus and iron are good.
The excess sodium in human nutrition is considered potentially hazardous to health, as it is related to the onset or aggravation of primary arterial hypertension. It is also harmful to the mucous membrane of the stomach and, with reference to the foods that they contain (all “preserved”, but of various kinds), apparently implicated in the onset of metabolic and tumor pathologies. The abundance of sodium makes Spanish ham unsuitable for consumption in large portions and high frequency; on the other hand, if used on a one-off basis as a substitute for fresh meat, it does not present any kind of controversy.
The richness in iron of Spanish ham makes it useful in the "feeding" of the iron-deficient anemic (frequent in women).
As far as vitamins are concerned, Spanish ham boasts good rations of thiamin (vit. B1), niacin (vit. PP) and, to a lesser extent, other B vitamins.
From a hygienic point of view, cured ham should not be eaten by pregnant women, due to the significant likelihood of microbial and parasitic contamination.
For safety reasons, it is also necessary to take into account the possible contents of nitrates. These are real preservative additives permitted by law; however, some studies show that (under certain conditions) they are involved in the synthesis of nitrosamines carcinogenic. Also for these preservatives there is a safety level to be respected; on the other hand, the choice of portions and the frequency of consumption of the foods that contain them are totally individual parameters and are difficult to predict.
In compliance with what has been mentioned so far, the average portion of Spanish ham is about 80-100g (about 300kcal); the frequency of consumption of a whole portion should be limited to no more than 2-3 times per month.
Outline of Pata Negra Production
While the production of the Spanish ham jamón serrano is quite similar to that of other white pig hams, there are several differences regarding the farming of the jamón ibérico.
The black Iberian pig lives mainly in the southwest of Spain (including the provinces of Salamanca, Ciudad Real, Cáceres, Badajoz, Seville, Córdoba and Huelva) and in central southern Portugal (where "it is called porco alentejano or porco preto ibérico).
Immediately after weaning, the piglets are fattened with barley and corn for several weeks. They are then left to graze (in meadows and oak woods, so that they naturally feed on herbs, acorns, tubers, bulbs and roots) up to shortly before slaughter At this point, the pigs' diet can be strictly limited to olives and / or acorns (for the best quality of ham) or include commercial feeds (to obtain a lower quality).
The slaughter and separation of the thigh follow. The hams are then salted, dried for two weeks, rinsed and dried for another four to six weeks.
The curing process lasts at least 12 months, although some producers go up to 48.
NB. Many do not know that even in Italy there is a breed of black pig, whose diffusion is concentrated above all in Sicily. Not surprisingly, on the island there is a type of farming very similar to that of the Iberian pig, to the full advantage of the nutritional characteristics of the meat. We recommend reading the article: Omega6 in pork.
Hints of Jamón Serrano Production
As anticipated, the production of Serrano ham is not very different from that of local San Daniele and Parma.
After slaughtering the white pigs, reared according to different criteria than the Iberian, the fresh hams are separated, cleaned, peeled, salted and stacked for about 15 days. In this way, the meat releases a large part of the water to its interior, improving in conservation. The hams are then washed and hung to dry for about 6 months. Finally, they are placed in a cool and dry place to mature for another 6 or 18 months (depending on the climate and size). Typically, i secaderos (dryers) are placed at higher altitudes, which is why the food is called "mountain ham".
The Spanish jamón serrano ham enjoys the “Geographical indications and traditional specialties in the European Union” (TGS).This certification attests that: “the food product objectively possesses specific characteristics that differentiate it from all the others in its category; moreover, the raw materials used, as well as the composition and production method, have been constant for a minimum of 30 years ".
Types of Pata Negra
Jamón ibérico Spanish hams are labeled according to the pig's diet; the diet based on acorns is the most valuable.
- The best is the jamón ibérico de bellota (in Spanish, “belota” means acorn). This ham is produced by wild pigs that roam the oak forests (called dehesa) along the border between Spain and Portugal; during this last period they eat only what they find in nature. This Spanish ham is also known as jamón ibérico de Montanera. Exercise and the pigs' diet have a significant impact on the flavor of the meat.
This Spanish ham is cured for 36 months and is appreciated both for its soft and rich texture and for its savory taste. - The next degree is called jamón ibérico cebo de campo. This Spanish ham is made from pigs that graze and are fed a combination of acorns and cereals (barley and corn).
- The third type is called jamón ibérico de cebo, or simply jamón ibérico. This Spanish ham is made from pigs that are fed only with grains. The ham is cured for 24 months.
Furthermore, the adjective “pure” (with reference to the breed) can be added to the Spanish ham, provided that both the father and the mother of the slaughtered pig are properly registered in the herd books (held by official breeders).
We reiterate that the term “pata negra” is generally used in reference to the Iberian ham, distinguishable by the color of the nails, and can refer to any of the three types mentioned. This has given rise to both obvious forms of counterfeiting and a sort of fraud within the limits of the legislation.
In the first case, someone simply applied black varnish to the nails of the ham that came from other pigs. In the second case, frequent especially abroad, the jamón ibérico de cebo (or, in the worst case scenario, also the jamón serrano) is associated with the bellota and sold at the same price. This is mainly due to the ignorance of consumers who, unfortunately, they do not know the characteristics of the various hams, much less the specifications that distinguish them.
Remember that a good Iberian ham always has regular spots of intramuscular fat that are clearly visible (moire) and that the fat content is always higher than that of Serrano ham.
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